Want to be a citizen scientist?
- Jane Fasullo
- Oct 7, 2024
- 1 min read
Updated: Apr 27
Want to get involved with citizen science? Now you can.
Projects to track, count, mark, protect and document diamondback terrapins (a form of turtle) are going on around the island.
One non-profit that has been doing it is Seatuck Environmental Association which worked with the Jamaica Bay Terrapin Research Project (out of Hofstra University) and the Peconic Estuary Partnership in the past. Information about Seatuck and its programs as well as contact information is at www.seatuck.org. Seatuck also has a mammal study going on right now.
Another organization that uses citizens to help monitor terrapins is Friends of Flax Pond (Friends Of Flax Pond (flaxpondfriends.org). The project is managed by Nancy Grant. The website is a bit out of date but the information about terrapins on the site is timeless, and the project itself normally starts between late-May and mid-June depending on water and air temperatures. If interested in helping with her work at West Meadow, Stony Brook or at Flax Pond, Setauket, email her at flaxpondfriends@gmail.com. She especially needs those with experience in tracking, protecting, and tagging terrapins. Even if she can’t use you right away, if you email her, she can keep you in the loop about future training and monitoring sessions as well as what is happening with the project.
The part about becoming a citizen scientist and how ordinary people can contribute real environmental observations really stood out to me, especially the idea that you don’t need formal training to take part in meaningful data collection. It makes the whole process feel much more open and community-based, almost like small, everyday actions can build into something scientifically useful over time, which is quite different from the usual idea of science being limited to labs or experts. It also made me wonder how consistent participation tends to be in these programs and whether people stay involved long enough for their observations to have real long-term impact, since that seems important for the data to actually matter. In a more general…
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This is such a cool opportunity for anyone wanting to get involved in citizen science! Tracking and protecting diamondback terrapins sounds like a really meaningful hands-on project.
When lectures get long and boring, reading about local environmental initiatives like this becomes one of my favourite things to do when bored in class. It also gave me some brilliant gcse speech ideas on conservation, community action, and protecting wildlife!
I read the article about wanting to be a citizen scientist and it explains how everyday people can join real science projects by helping collect data, observe nature, or support research with scientists, which can grow curiosity and knowledge for everyone involved. Citizen science lets volunteers contribute to real research and learn while doing it. It reminded me of a busy term when I had too much coursework, and I thought to hire someone to take my online Management Class so I could stay on track and still explore new learning opportunities. That showed me how support and balance help you keep growing.
I really liked how the article highlights that anyone can contribute to real scientific research, even without formal training, by simply observing and reporting data in their own neighborhoods. It got me thinking about how experiences like these could actually inspire a GCSE speech on community involvement or environmental responsibility, showing that learning doesn’t only happen in the classroom. It also reminded me of the kind of reflection you do in assignment services, breaking down what you observed, why it matters, and what could come next—almost like a mini “what, so what, what now” exercise. Do you think projects like this make people feel more connected to science in their daily lives?