Webinar presented by the U.S. Forest Service and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies:
Abstract: Citizen science
projects increasingly are making important contributions to conservation
science. Most citizen science projects solicit opportunistic reports of
observations from the general public. However, the need for targeted and
standardized citizen science sampling schemes has been recognized. In this
webinar, we will share a case study in which the USFS Pacific Southwest
Research Station partnered with an invested volunteer group to conduct citizen
science to answer a specific conservation question. We discuss why and how the
partnership between research scientists, state agencies, and citizens was
successful at creating important research and educational products, while also
maintaining participant motivation through education, enjoyment, and societal
contribution. We partnered with the McKinleyville, California “EcoClub” to
assess the distribution and prevalence of the
deadly amphibian disease
chytridiomycosis, or “chytrid fungus”, among amphibians of public lands in
Humboldt County, California. EcoClub youth and supervising family members
comprised a multigenerational (4 to 74 years old) and multiethnic (39% Latino,
Native American, or African-American heritage) citizen science program that
reflected the local community structure. The team’s objectives were to use
citizen science to understand the status and distribution of the fungus within
local amphibian communities and to evaluate whether citizen science with
children could be an effective strategy for conducting viable research on a
significant wildlife disease problem such as chytridiomycosis. From May 2013 to
April 2015, the EcoClub conducted 29 sampling trips and collected skin swabs
from 230 amphibians of eight of species. The team’s results were recently
published in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases and demonstrated that children
are effective samplers and that an energized team of citizens can make a
difference for conservation science.
PRESENTER
Dr. Karen Pope
Research Wildlife Biologist
U.S. Forest Service Research & Development
Pacific Southwest Research Station
Wednesday, May 24th, 2017 2 p.m. Eastern/1 Central/ 12 p.m.
Mountain/11 a.m. Pacific
To join the webinar:
Step 1: For audio, dial: 800.768.2983, access code: 8383462
Step 2: Web Login:
