Do you want to be a part of a nationwide network of people tracking the yearly emergence of spring to find out whether there are noticeable changes due to global warming? Join Project Bud-Burst and note any changes in our own yard or neighborhood. I wish I lived in a greener place so that I could take part.
Further Reading:
Science Daily
Sacramento Bee
Living on Earth
Early Spring
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Project Bud-Burst
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Yes, it's a little tough to gauge the appearance of spring in the city. I wonder if an urban counterpart could be to report the first sighting of an air conditioner returning to a window after having been removed for the cold weather.
The Christian Science Monitor had a story about Project Bud-Burst today, and they mention some other similar projects:
NestWatch program sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, N.Y. Since 1965, bird watchers have sent in some 300,000 nest-record cards, noting nest sites, species observed, surrounding habitat, and the number of eggs, young, and fledglings. They could provide a powerful record of the effects of global climate change on nesting birds, but 235,000 cards are still awaiting entry into the online database.
•Project REEF(the Reef Environ mental Education Foundation). REEF enlists amateur scuba divers and snorkelers to collect and report on the marine life they encounter as they dive along the US and Canadian coasts.
•Monarch Watch, based at the University of Kansas, engages citizen scientists in collecting and reporting data on migrating butterflies, including tagging and measuring individuals and observing their flight paths. An estimated 100,000 students and adults participate in the program.
•Frogwatch USA, a decade-old frog- and toad-monitoring program managed by the National Wildlife Federation and the US Geological Survey, draws on citizen scientists to collect data vital to protecting frogs and toads. On May 3, "Record the Ribbit 2008" volunteers will watch and listen for frogs and toads in their areas and report their findings online.
•The Great Worldwide Star Count asks participants to look skyward after dark, count the stars in certain constellations, and report what they've seen online. The count gives scientists data on the amount of light pollution present in various locations.
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