Episode 145: Calling All Citizen Scientists! How To Make A Big Impact On Your Next Adventure With Adventure Scientists

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Gregg founded Adventure Scientists in 2011 based on his passion for exploration, scientific discovery and galvanizing “the choir” to more directly participate in citizen science conservation.

National Geographic named Gregg Treinish “Adventurer of the Year” in 2008 when he and a friend completed a 7,800-mile trek along the spine of the Andes mountain range, and he has participated in multiple ecologically focused expeditions around the world. His field work has included projects focused on wolverine, lynx, bears, owls, sturgeon, and more. Gregg holds a biology degree from Montana State University and a sociology degree from CU-Boulder.

In 2015, he was named a DRK Foundation social entrepreneur and one of Men’s Journal’s “Most Adventurous Men.” In 2017, Gregg was named an Ashoka Fellow, and in 2020, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. He was named to the Explorer’s Club 50 and the Hatch 100 in 2023.

Notes

Adventure Scientists: Bridging Citizen Science and Adventure for Conservation

In this episode of the Rewilding Earth Podcast, Jack Humphrey interviews Greg Treinish, founder of Adventure Scientists, a non-profit organization focused on mobilizing outdoor enthusiasts to collect field data for scientific research. Greg shares compelling stories about impactful projects, including a groundbreaking study on plant-fungi symbiosis on Mount Everest and tracking illegal timber poaching. He emphasizes the importance of citizen science in tackling global issues like climate change and biodiversity loss, highlighting the fun and community aspects of conservation efforts. Greg also discusses the future of their platform, aiming to further engage volunteers in meaningful scientific data collection.

Sections

Extra Credit

Visit Adventure Scientists and check out opportunities to get involved in projects that make a big impact! If you’re in California, Adventure Scientists has a project running now with the California Institute for Biodiversity to advance biodiversity science in California and support the state’s 30×30 initiative to conserve 30 percent of the state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. They’re looking for volunteers to collect soil samples in national forests and on private undisturbed lands to contribute to a statewide biodiversity record. Check out the project page to learn more! 

Citizen Science Tools and Apps

Mentioned in this episode:

Xerces Society: While primarily a conservation organization, the Xerces Society engages in citizen science through various projects, often focused on pollinators like bees and butterflies. Their website provides information on how to get involved in these initiatives, which sometimes involve dedicated data collection platforms or integration with other apps.

iNaturalist: A popular platform where you can record your observations of plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms. These observations are shared with a community of naturalists who help with identification, and the data contributes to scientific research.

National Phenology Network (Nature’s Notebook): This network focuses on tracking the timing of biological events in plants and animals (phenology), such as leafing, flowering, and migration. Citizen scientists contribute observations to understand how these events are changing over time.

Merlin Bird ID (by Cornell Lab of Ornithology): This app helps you identify birds you see and hear. It offers various identification tools, including photo ID, sound ID, and a step-by-step guide based on your observations. While primarily an identification tool, it contributes to eBird data when users report their sightings.

eBird (by Cornell Lab of Ornithology): A global platform for birdwatchers to record their sightings. This data is used by researchers to understand bird distribution, abundance, and trends.

Other Citizen Science apps similar to iNaturalist that focus on biodiversity observation, along with descriptions:

Project Noah: Project Noah is a platform to discover and document wildlife. Users can share their encounters with nature and help build a global biodiversity database. The app includes features for identifying species and connecting with a community of nature enthusiasts and researchers.

Seek by iNaturalist: Developed by the same team as iNaturalist, Seek uses the power of image recognition technology to identify the plants and animals around you. Simply point your camera at a living thing, and Seek will tell you what it is. It’s a great tool for learning about nature and participating in citizen science by linking observations to iNaturalist.

Bumble Bee Watch: Bumble Bee Watch is a collaborative effort to track and conserve North America’s bumble bees. The app allows users to submit photos of bumble bees, which experts then verify. This data helps scientists understand bumblebee distribution and decline.

eButterfly: Similar to eBird, eButterfly is a citizen science program that tracks butterfly observations. The app enables users to easily submit their butterfly sightings, complete with photos and location data, contributing to a better understanding of butterfly distribution and abundance.

HerpMapper: This app is designed to record observations of reptiles and amphibians. It allows users to submit sightings with location information and photos, contributing to the knowledge of these often underreported species.

Do you know of other great apps/orgs for citizen science? Please comment below and let everyone know!