Happy Earth Day.
More than simply awareness, that also means engagement. We at NatureServe are bolstering our efforts in Citizen Science, a movement that taps the human passion for exploration and discovery to illuminate our understanding of the natural world. Functioning as both a scientific methodology and an organizing principle, citizen science encourages amateur participants (who, in the word’s original sense, do the work for love, not money) to take an active part in creating knowledge by aligning their interests and labor with those of professional scientists.
Just as the original Earth Day in 1970 tapped into the energy of a nascent but impassioned environmental movement, our Citizen Science Strategy will harness the growing passion and technical savvy of those who love and enjoy the outdoors.
NatureServe will strive to provide citizen scientists with tools that collect and manage data in ways that improve its quality, interoperability, and applicability—thereby enhancing the enjoyment they gain from their experiences in the natural world. At the same time, collaborating with citizen scientists will expand the reach, effectiveness, and impact of the NatureServe network and its biodiversity scientists, information specialists, and other professionals in their efforts to guide conservation action.
We also work to engage non-scientists is through a series of ConservationWalks we host with high school students.
So on this 45th celebration of Earth Day, we ask that you to take a few moments, be mindful of your environment both near and far, both great and small, and consider anew the part you want to play in preserving this, our only planet.