18 May 2020
By Reanna Putnam

Help Shape #CitSci2021

#CitSci2021, Conference
We are one year out from our 2021 conference and excited to be ramping up planning activities. In light of COVID-19 this event will have new and additional dimensions still in development, giving us lots of opportunity to shape the formats we use to offer an engaging conference in May of next year. There are many opportunities to get involved and help shape conference activities. We are currently seeking applications for leadership positions in various sub-committees to address conference needs such as communications, networking/engagement, equity, students, and virtual conferencing. Chairing a conference sub-committee is a great way to grow as…
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04 May 2020
By Reanna Putnam
Using Citizen Science in Higher Education

Using Citizen Science in Higher Education

Education, Webinars
CSA is hosting a series of events to support educators using citizen science in higher education. These events are designed to help you as you think about creating online or face-to-face learning experiences for undergraduates and connect you to a community of others doing the same. Each event is hosted by university faculty from around the country with experience using citizen science in a variety of disciplines. Register for these free events using the links below-connection details shared via email after registration. Details and presenter bios below. “Using Citizen Science in Higher Education” Roundtable – Mon, May 11 at 3pm…
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14 Apr 2020
By Reanna Putnam

How to Engage Volunteers Online

Resources
Many citizen science projects are pivoting in-person volunteer trainings and meetings to the online sphere in response to Covid-19 related cancelations. We are curious how you are doing this? What's been working, what do you need help with? Citizen science projects often rely on data collected during these fleeting spring months and we know you are working hard to come up with solutions to keep your projects going. Below is a selection of resources on creating video tutorials and online meetings, examples how-to videos for citizen science, and links to CSA volunteer engagement webinars to help you prepare online volunteer…
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09 Apr 2020
By Reanna Putnam
2020 CSA Board Elections

2020 CSA Board Elections

AAPS News
Announcing candidates for the 2020-2023 term on CSA's Board of Directors The Nominations Committee is pleased to put forward the following ballot of candidates to fill the two open seats on the CSA Board of Directors. From this ballot, the two candidates with the most votes will be elected to join the CSA Board. Elected candidates will serve a 3-year term beginning in May. As you review the candidate profiles, we urge you to evaluate them on the skills and ideas each might bring to help advance our still fledgling organization. We rely on Board members to shape the future…
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01 Apr 2020
By Reanna Putnam
Member Interview: Clare Hawkins and Anne Eichholtzer

Member Interview: Clare Hawkins and Anne Eichholtzer

Professional Development, Resources
Clare Hawkins (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia) is the Citizen Science Coordinator at Bookend Trust and author of the Nature Trackers blog.  She has five years of dedicated experience managing citizen science projects including Where Where Wedgie and Claws on the Line. Clare was interviewed by Anne Eichholtzer, a PhD student at Deakin University based in Melbourne (Victoria, Australia). Anne is interested in the social outcomes of citizen science participation and the automatization of wildlife monitoring and is working on a TechnEcology project testing a new video camera trap technology with citizen scientists.  Anne interviewed Clare as part of a new member interview…
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13 Mar 2020
By Reanna Putnam
New Data Quality Resource Compendium

New Data Quality Resource Compendium

Data & Metadata, Resources
A well-known  barrier to achieving the science and policy oriented goals of citizen science is the (real or perceived) quality of data generated by our efforts. Back in 2017, the Data and Metadata Working Group held a workshop on the topic of data quality in conjunction with the Citizen Science Association Conference. A testament to the interest in this topic, the room was filled to the brim! We brainstormed ways in which we could support the broader citizen science community. How could we work together to elevate the usefulness and use of citizen science data?  What resources and services were…
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09 Mar 2020
By Reanna Putnam
Career Path: Kris Stepenuck

Career Path: Kris Stepenuck

Professional Development, Resources
Want to make a career of citizen science, but not sure how? Let’s learn from the experience of those who have successfully built a career in this dynamic field. Photo of Kris Stepenuck by Kat Hartwig Kris Stepenuck is the Extension Program Leader for Lake Champlain Sea Grant and Extension Assistant Professor of Watershed Science, Policy and Education at the University of Vermont. She has spent 20 years pursuing a passion for citizen science, which has included developing, implementing, nurturing and researching volunteer water monitoring programs, and trying to effectively absorb the wealth of knowledge that fellow practitioners and citizen…
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10 Feb 2020
By Reanna Putnam
Introducing Environmental Justice Practitioners Working Group

Introducing Environmental Justice Practitioners Working Group

AAPS News
We are pleased to announce the Environmental Justice Practitioners’ Working Group (EJPWG)- the newest of nine CSA working groups.  A group of EJ scholarship awardees at the Citizen Science Association's Conference March 13-16, 2019 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photo by Marilu Lopez Fretts The need for an EJPWG emerged from conversations at CitSci2019 conference initiated by a cohort of National Science Foundation Scholarship Awardees. The EJPWG's mission includes strategies for equitable "community science" for people of color via "citizen science" affiliations.  The EJPWG has outlined 3 major objectives: Maintain and foster a strong network of community-based EJ practitioners Create learning spaces…
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10 Feb 2020
By Reanna Putnam
Milestone for CSA’s journal

Milestone for CSA’s journal

Journal
From its outset, CSA has committed to supporting excellence in the practice of citizen science. A foundational way to support this has been the development of the peer-reviewed and open access journal, Citizen Science: Theory and Practice (CSTP). Indeed, the journal is a vital component of the Association’s work (as recognised in CSA’s strategic plan) to support reflection, evaluation, inspiration, and the overall development of the field. As one of the main founders and the first Editor-in-Chief of CSTP, Rick Bonney has played a major role in envisioning, developing, and managing the journal from its outset. In just the past four years (with the first…
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09 Jan 2020
By Reanna Putnam
Webinar: Balancing Citizen Science Data Collection Needs and Privacy Protections

Webinar: Balancing Citizen Science Data Collection Needs and Privacy Protections

Law & Policy, Webinars
Date: Friday, January 24, 2019, from 1:00 PM to 2:15 PM ESTRegister here: http://bit.ly/CSAwebinarPrivacy  The Law and Policy Working Group will be presenting another webinar in their ongoing series. This webinar will focus on privacy and citizen science. Privacy discussions tend to revolve around the implications of passive collection of individuals’ data. What is often overlooked, however, is the different phenomenon of the active sharing of data within the framework of Citizen Science projects. Starting from this premise, this webinar will explore  – from the perspectives of academic researchers, practitioners, and project leaders – what are the challenges of meeting…
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