The concept of Citizen Science is old as the concept of science itself. Although contemporary explanations of Citizen Science vary slightly, they converge on a definition "of the involvement of citizens from the nonscientific community in academic research." In fact, some of the most renowned scientists and ecologists could be considered citizen scientists (e.g., Darwin, Mayfield, Skutch). However, over time there has been a separation between the citizen scientist and the professional scientist, such that, today, professional scientists have been academically trained and conduct their research through the auspices of a research institution, government agency, non-profit organization, or academic institution. Inevitably, the idea permeated that true science should be kept in the realm of professional scientists. Thus, while citizen-based research is gaining acceptance from academic institutions, government agencies and conservation organizations, the notion remains that citizens cannot be reliably used in academic research and therefore should not be used. Because citizen science has seen a dramatic increase in recent years, our goal is to critically examine the value of citizen scientists in ecology, both in terms of research and education. In addressing this issue we will seek to answer the following questions: (1) Is citizen science a new discipline, sub-discipline, or tool, relative to ecology? (2) Are data collected by citizen scientists valid, and if so, comparable to data collected by professional ecologists? (3) Does citizen science effectively bridge the gap between ecological research and education, both for the public and students? (4) is citizen science different from ecological monitoring or are they the same? (5) Are citizen scientists actively participating in the scientific process as ecologists? Speakers will integrate information and results from citizen-science work spanning a wide range of taxa, geographic locations, scales, approaches, and systems from rural to urban.