Do you lead or participate in a recognized Citizen Science (CS) project or group, or in an informal "backyard project" as a private citizen? In connection with these efforts do you maintain and make available for distribution images, observations, data, or other materials suitable for use in scientific or related studies? If so, please tell us a little about your activities:
Your Name | Project or Study | Sponsoring Organization | Your Role | Your Contribution | Notes* | Contact to Participate |
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Observer (Sector Lead) | Bird distribution and abundance data | The Brooke Circle, VA (VABK) has been active continuously since 1947 | Dave or Odette James (Compiler) | |||
Observer, compiler | Bird occurrence data (mainly presence/absence) | Primarily concentrating on my backyard birds | na | |||
BioDivLibrary Image Tagging (Flickr) | Taxonomist | Machine-tagging of images with up-to-date scientific and common names | Machine-readable metadata. Primary focus on Atlantic mollusks and selected groups of birds | na | ||
same | Documented images of birds, mammals, and invertebrates via Flickr photo library | World-wide in scope | na | |||
StreamWatch | Data collector, stream ecology expert | Collect macroinvertebrates, stream chemistry, and habitat observations for an annual survey, and identify the bugs in the fall | Darby Creek is in Delaware County, PA; EPA Rapid Bioassessment protocols; surveys have been ongoing for a number of years | info@dcva.org | ||
Nature and Photography volunteer | Volunteer | Lead monthly spring and fall nature ("critter hunt") hikes and 'photo foray' hikes, winter nature photo talks, summer butterfly house (collector and greeter), macrophotography workshops, work on their image archive, provide database support, fungal survey | This is one of the oldest Arboreta in the U.S., many historic phenology records that have not yet been digitized, trying to get them interested in NPN. | Contact the Arboretum directly | ||
Delco Nature Project | Personal project | All roles | Photo-documentation of nature in Delaware County, PA, primarily invertebrates, fungi, lichens and mosses, also other creatures, habitats, and records of disturbance and pollution. Currently over 50,000 photographs, all cataloged. | Original intent was a website for kids in Delaware County to see things that occur there (mix of urban and suburban), and to document rampant loss of 'natural' areas. Website not updated due to image piracy, many presentations given to local groups since 2003. Led to my strong interest in fungi (>130 genera photographed in DelCo) | na | |
The Atypus Project | Personal project | All roles | Project Lead and promoter | Atypus snetsingeri is a purse-web spider (Atypidae) found only in Delaware County, PA, and the only member of the genus in North America. For 30 years I've informally documented its limited distribution, and it is not widespread (< 8mi range diameter). Currently pursuing the mapping effort as a project for elementary students in the area, because the purseweb is easily observed without disturbing the spiders (looks like a root). | na | |
Elizabeth Sellers | Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve (BRNP) Bee Inventory | Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve (BRNP) in cooperation with the Friends of Banshee Reeks (FOBR) and with guidance and support from USGS PWRC Native Bee Lab. | All roles | Project designer, co'coordinator and trainer of volunteers, field implementation (e.g. installing pan traps, collecting samples), data collector, data manager, project promoter/spokesperson (e.g. exhibits, articles etc.), results publisher/co-author. | Initiated in Spring 2010 at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve (BRNP) located just south of Leesburg, Loudoun County, VA in an attempt to catalog native bee species occurring on the Preserve - in support of pollinator conservation and management for pollinators; to help fill in knowledge gaps for wildlife occurring in Virginia Piedmont habitats; and contribute to improvements and extension of current bee taxonomy and identification. Data collection completed in Fall 2011 and currently being written up for publication. | na. This project is no longer in operation. However I will be happy to speak to anyone interested in doing their own inventory. |
Elizabeth Sellers, David Mitchell | Virginia Bluebird Society nestbox trail monitoring - Franklin Park, Purcellville, VA | Virginia Bluebird Society | Assistant trail monitor/bird bander. | Providing assistance to the main Trail Monitor - David Mitchell in monitoring and maintaining bluebird nestboxes at Franklin Park, Purcellville, VA; where a color-banding project is also underway (contact David Mitchell for more information regarding the latter). | From their Web site: (http://www.virginiabluebirds.org/) " The Virginia Bluebird Society (VBS) was founded in 1996 to promote bluebirds and other native cavity nesters. VBS is affiliated with The North American Bluebird Society (NABS) and is a Chapter of the Virginia Society of Ornithology (VSO)." Their organizational goals include: Promoting bluebird conservation projects; Establishing and supporting a statewide network of bluebird (nestbox) trails; Creating a consistent protocol for monitoring and record keeping of nest box trails; Being a resource for research and data collection of native cavity nesters in the State of Virginia; and developing educational programs and materials to promote bluebird awareness." | Contact the Virginia Bluebird Society to indicate your interest in volunteer. They have nestbox trails situated across the state of Virginia or you may be considering setting up a new one (http://www.virginiabluebirds.org/). |
Elizabeth Sellers | Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) Banding Station at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve (BRNP), Loudoun County, VA | The Institute for Bird Populations in cooperation with Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve (BRNP) in cooperation with the Friends of Banshee Reeks (FOBR). | Co-Coordinator, trainer of volunteers. | Coordinating and training volunteers in the operation of mist nets and identifying, banding, and evaluating (e.g. for sex, reproductive status, and health) various species of resident passerine birds according to the MAPS protocol developed by the Institute for Bird Populations (www.birdpop.org). | As part of a nation-wide longterm passerine monitoring project coordinated by the Institute for Bird Populations, I have helped revive and operate the MAPS banding station at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve each summer beginning in 2003 to present; including training and overseeing a small core group of between 5 and 9 volunteers in the skills and methods described in the MAPS protocol; resulting in statistically valid measure of avian productivity and survival of resident breeding passerines, which provide indications of population trends and habitat use/health. | Prospective volunteers should contact me (esellers@usgs.gov). |
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* General information such as geographic or taxonomic scope, purpose, etc.