What is Citizen Science?
Citizen Science engages volunteers in the collection of ecological information. The NJAS Citizen Science program we aim to develop information datasets through citizen participation, on the abundance distribution, and demography of avian species. We can use the information collected through the contributions of Citizen Scientists to provide the basis for managing bird populations at multiple spatial and temporal scales, to improve our knowledge of the ecology of New Jersey, and to promote habitat preservation. Using the citizen science approach enables us to obtain the information we need, while also immersing our citizen scientists into the scientific process.
The term “citizen science” is used to refer to scientific projects which harness laypeople as volunteers. Citizen science gets people involved with and interested in science and the natural world, and it also helps scientists immensely, allowing them to embark on studies of very large scope and generating a great deal of data to work with. A number of organizations sponsor ongoing or annual citizen science projects like the Christmas Bird Count of the Audubon Society, and information about these projects is usually readily available on their websites and in their offices, for people who are interested. The idea of enlisting laypeople in scientific research is quite sound, from a number of vantage points. For researchers, citizen science can vastly expand the scope of a study without being costly. For example, a bird survey using volunteers can cover the entirety of North America in a few weeks when it is well organized, at the cost of coordinating organizers and distributing the materi
