OOS 29-2
NEON's Project Budburst: At the interface of global science and education
NEON’s Project BudBurst is a national citizen science initiative designed to engage the public in observations of phenological (plant life cycle) events and to increase scientific literacy. Citizen science programs such as Project BudBurst provide the opportunity for students and interested laypersons to actively participate in scientific research. Such programs are touted as being of importance not only from an educational perspective, but also because they enable scientists to broaden the geographic and temporal scale of their observations. The goals of Project BudBurst reflect both scientific and educational outcomes. They are to 1) increase awareness of phenology as an area of scientific study; 2) Increase awareness of the impacts of changing climates on plants at a continental-scale; and 3) increase science literacy by engaging participants in the scientific process. It is important to better understand if and how Project BudBurst is meeting its goals. Specifically, does participation by non-experts advance scientific knowledge? Does participation advance educational goals and outcomes? Is participation an effective approach to advance/enhance science education in both formal and informal settings?
Results/Conclusions
It is clear that citizen science programs such as Project BudBurst can advance both scientific knowledge and meet educational objectives. Citizen science collected observations and measurements are being used by scientists as evidenced by the increase of such data in scientific publication. In addition, we found that there is a significant increase in educators utilizing citizen science as part of their instruction. This was found to be the case in both formal and informal settings. Part of this increase is due to the resources and professional development materials available to educators. Working with partners also demonstrated that the needs of both science and education are being met. For example, in Project BudBurst, partnerships with the National Geographic Society, US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service botanic gardens, science centers and other organization with both a scientific and educational mission, demonstrated an increased outreach base. In conclusion, Project Budburst proved effective not only from an educational perspective, but also because it also enables scientists to broaden the geographic and temporal scale of their observations. Review of the data submitted by participants suggests that extensive, Internet based citizen science programs are effective in education and outreach endeavors and also serve to advance scientific understanding.