It’s A Pollinator Palooza For Citizen Science Month
Science Friday is an official partner for Citizen Science Month! Join us this April to participate in a crowdsource science project.
Help Make Citizen Science More Fun And Open To Everyone!
Science Friday is conducting a citizen science research study, and we need your help.
Turn Your Curiosity Into Impact This April
Throughout April, Science Friday is celebrating Citizen Science Month, connecting you with new opportunities to do science, find community, and even spend some time outside. This year, we are partnering with The Great Sunflower Project, where you can contribute to our understanding of pollinator population by watching a plant in your yard, balcony or favorite park and record how many pollinators visit—you can even keep a count as you take your favorite hike!
The best part? This crowdsource science project can be done by anyone anywhere, is social distancing-friendly, and needs the help of people like you to tackle the important scientific challenge of understanding pollinator populations around the world.
You can even keep the pollination party going with our education resources, or listen to our segments from our radio show about bee-ing a beekeeper and lesser known animal pollinators!
Keep up to date by joining our crowdsource science newsletter!
How You Can Start Counting Pollinators
Ready to help us track and better understand our pollinator neighbors? Signing up is easy, and participation is completely free!
- Download and print our data sheet—or make your own version using supplies at home!
- Find a plant, observe it for at least 5 minutes, and record all pollinators that visit on your data sheet.
- Go to the SciStarer project page for The Great Sunflower Project. Log in to SciStarter and click the Visit button on the left hand side of the project page. (This will add the project to your SciStarter Dashboard too!)
- Once on The Great Sunflower Project’s website, click the Login button on the top right corner, and use your SciStarter account to login.
- Click the Add A Count button and enter your data!
You don’t need a yard to participate. We encourage everyone to get outdoors with pollinators wherever they safely can, such as visiting plants on balconies or at a local park. You can make as many observations as you want while your flowers are in bloom!
Attend Our Citizen Science Month Online Events
We have two online events upcoming this April! Find out more and RSVP below.
SciFri’s Pollinator Palooza With The Great Sunflower Project
- When: Monday, April 19, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. ET
- Where: Science Friday’s Zoom webinar
- Tickets: Free with RSVP
Get ready for Citizen Science Month! Join us for this Pollinator Palooza to learn all about The Great Sunflower Project and all the ways you can count bees, flies and other flower friends this spring.
Three scientists who think about pollinators all year long will show you how to watch flowers—for science!
This event has ended – watch the replay on Facebook!
SciFri’s Springtime Showdown With The Great Sunflower Project
- When: Monday, April 26, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. ET
- Where: Science Friday’s Zoom webinar
- Tickets: Free with RSVP
It’s time for a Springtime Showdown! Did you know bees, flies and bats all pollinate plants around the world—and they are all important in making more flowering plants? This spring, you get to decide which pollinator should win Most Likely To Succeed, Class Clown, Best Costumer, and more!
Three scientists will rep their favorite pollinator, and the audience (you!) will ultimately decide who goes home with the flowery crown.
This event has ended – watch the replay on Facebook!
Dive Deeper With Pollination Education
Science Friday has a great diversity of education resources all about pollination science! Check out our favorites.
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Science Friday is thrilled to be a Citizen Science Month partner, hosted by SciStarter. SciStarter is where millions of people discover opportunities to participate in citizen science, a movement that’s sweeping the globe. There are citizen science projects for everyone!
Meet the Writer
About Ariel Zych
@arieloquentAriel Zych is Science Friday’s director of audience. She is a former teacher and scientist who spends her free time making food, watching arthropods, and being outside.