When you picture a scientist, you probably are thinking of someone in a white coat in a lab doing complicated experiments using intense math equations and fancy equipment. Sure, there are probably some scientists out there who fit that description in one way or another, but the goal of citizen science is to make science seem more approachable. I like the way biologist Caren Cooper put it in her TED Talk (linked below), "science is, of course, a profession, but science is also a hobby." Cooper said that she loved "playing" science when she was little, but unlike sports or art or music, "science wasn't seen as the kind of hobby that could enrich the rest of my life. Science was confined to the category of career." Citizen science advocates like Cooper are trying to change the perception of science as something done in a lab far removed from everyday life. Science is happening around us all the time and we can all have a hand contributing to it if we want. When you sign up to participate in a citizen science project you are helping scientists by observing and collecting data they would be unable to collect otherwise. From migration to water quality to weather patterns to even tracking the spread of COVID-19, there is a citizen science project out there for you. 

• Download an app. iNaturalist and eBird have tons of different projects you can contribute to by getting outside and using features on your smartphone
• Search SciStarter or Zooniverse for projects that interest you
• Check out BioBlitz projects near you (the Mill Creek Alliance has one going on right now, check it out here)
• Join a local Citizen Science group like Citizen Scientists, Cincinnati

Check out additional citizen science resources below!