Earth Day is on April 22! How do you plan to celebrate? One way some people choose to help the earth is through Citizen Science projects. Citizen Science is when regular people assist scientists with scientific research. They might do things like count butterflies, observe the night skies, or look for certain birds in their neighborhood. The books below are some great stories about kids getting involved in nature.
The Mystery of the Monarchs is the story of scientists Fred and Norah Urquhart and the help they received from regular kids tracking where Monarch butterflies go every winter. Fred knew that the butterflies disappeared every winter, but didn’t know where. He and his wife started tagging butterflies and asked the public to help track where the butterflies went every year. Read this interesting true story to find out yourself where the Monarchs go!
Another citizen scientist was Natalia Ojeda, who alongside her classmates in Chile proposed a science experiment accepted by NASA. Ladybug Launch is a fictional account of how ladybugs, or chinitas, were sent up to space to see if they’d be helpful for plant growth. The entire idea was thought up by regular kids who wanted to make an impact on science and did!
Once you’ve read about these real examples of citizen science, you might be wondering how you can get involved. Look no further than Citizen Scientists to get some ideas. This book is full of projects and resources to help you get involved in scientific discovery.
In The Monarchs of Winghaven, Sammie, a budding scientist, teams up with a new friend Bram to observe the wildlife in an abandoned lot nearby. When a local developer has plans for the lot, Sammie and Bram must use their observational skills to track endangered butterflies that have taken residence in the lot and fight to keep the butterflies' habitat clear and safe.
Even if you don’t get involved in a specific citizen science project, how do you like to observe nature?
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