Citizen science in ecology is growing rapidly, in part because it can help address otherwise intractable questions such as those that depend on data at large scales, from private lands, tied to human activities, or that require close observations by long-term residents. Huge new citizen science-developed data sets are now available, and there are strong incentives to engage the public in science. However, recent surveys of scientists have identified barriers to the use of citizen science, including concerns about data quality, a limited awareness of citizen science that matches their needs, and difficulty figuring out how to start engaging in citizen science. 

This workshop will help participants new to citizen science overcome those barriers, and will help those already doing citizen science learn new approaches and techniques. In the workshop participants will learn how to incorporate citizen science-derived data into their own research—from large-scale datasets (for example national-scale iNaturalist or Nature’s Notebook data), to smaller-scale datasets (for example regional phenology datasets), and will learn design concepts for data collection and analysis for their own projects (planned or already started). Participants will also learn how to engage the public to maximize the value of the scientific outcomes and the learning outcomes for volunteers. We will share case studies, foundational resources, new concepts, and proven practices for pursuing effective research and meaningful public engagement. 

The workshop will include a lot of discussion, sharing, active work with data, and learning among participants, as well as contributions from ecologists working with citizen science.