In an article on HuffPost, The Case for Citizen Science, the writer makes a case for the value of

A famous philosopher once said that the unexamined life is not worth living. Life is a big game, and there are lots of reasons to live, but we surely can make life better by examining and reporting our findings, and citizen scientists are a major part of that endeavor. Won’t you join in the game?

The Citizen Science Association promotes the idea of Citizen science as the involvement of the public in scientific research – whether community-driven research or global investigations. The Citizen Science Association unites expertise from educators, scientists, data managers, and others to power citizen science.”

At the local level, the observations, data collection, data analysis, and findings will never reach prestigious journals, nor will it be likely to inform audiences  beyond the region, but the sharing of observations, questions, and ideas among those who are interested in nature and the larger social network of local citizen scientists can enrich the lives of a sector of the local/regional population.   It can be as simple as a walk to observe and photograph the flora and fauna of an area.   Photos and comments are shared, sparking a conversation.  Discussions pique curiosity, stimulating some individual research, and an interest in pursuing more interactions with nature.

Teachers know the value of citizen science with children.     They provide structured lessons and integrate them with hands-on experiences.   Projects, science fairs, and field trips provide opportunities to integrate learning,   Teachers know that they can’t “hook” every student.   Some will become lifelong learners and will carry on with observations, discussion, sharing, and investigations at either an informal or a more academic/scientific level.   Some will just retain a positive attitude to experiences with nature, and some we won’t reach, but teachers know that the effort to engage their students in science is important and a reasonable “batting average” is an achievement in itself.

Citizen scientists/naturalists can also be educators at an informal level, making observations, sharing their experiences, and engaging others in conversations.   Some of us do this on a daily basis, often just with small steps, in small groups.

Here are some ways you can also engage in these conversations.

1. Participate in KNC meetings, field trips, or programs.

2. From your own outings, take photos and make observations.   Share them to the Facebook page, or send them for sharing on the website.   We can post your photos, observations, questions, or findings in informal posts.   Just send an email with the content (no formal requirements) and attached photos to website @kamloopsnaturalistclub.com.

3. Extend your experiences and observations with nature wherever you can, building common interests one person at a time.

Agoseris – D. Smith