CCS and COVID-19
How to teach an experiential field course online
This post was developed by Laci Gerhart-Barley, Christopher Jadallah, Sarah Angulo, and Greg Ira, who have recently published a paper about their work adapting an experiential field course (with significant citizen science components) to an online setting during Covid-19. You can access the paper, published in Ecology and Evolution, here
City Nature Challenge & COVID-19
The global challenge… fought locally
2020’s City Nature Challenge has been modified to keep organizers and participants safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than the typical competition, this year’s CNC is focusing on collaboration and spending restorative time in nature. You can still document biodiversity safely, although it may require some extra creativity or staying in your home.
The 2020 City Nature Challenge
takes place in two parts —
- April 24 – 27: Taking pictures of wild plants and animals.
- April 28 – May 3: Identifying what was found.
Outside Wonder Lab
Engaging in citizen science at home
Schools may be closed, but the citizen science fun can continue! For example our CCS Innovator Fellow, Peggy Harte has initiated the Outside Wonder Lab Project to help families learn about their backyards and nearby open spaces while practicing responsible social distancing.
Join your county’s Outside Wonder
Lab Project (all listed
here) on iNaturalist to discover the creatures that have been
sharing your space. Take the first step by going out into your
yard, then start observing. Using iNaturalist you can
capture pictures of your observations, identify the species you
have discovered, and share your findings. Even if we are all
physically apart, this project provides an opportunity to learn
from each other while contributing to a global database that
scientists can use to better understand and protect
nature. In the past few days, our Yolo
County community has sighted Western Fence Lizards, Sierran
treefrogs, American Avocets, and over 2000 other species!
