Hundreds of thousands of people contribute bird observations to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (CLO). Scientists use these data to understand how birds are affected by habitat loss, climate, and environmental changes. These insights inform actions to protect birds and habitats. CLO offers several citizen science projects that work well in educational settings.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology (CLO) has been a leader in citizen science for many years and hosts innovative projects with excellent educational resources. The biggest project is eBird, for which participants fill out a checklist of all birds seen and heard during an outing. NestWatch has volunteers finding and monitoring nests, while Project FeederWatch asks people to record birds at feeders in the winter. Celebrate Urban Birds is designed to be easy to do in cities and elsewhere and offers materials in Spanish and English. CLO also offers a free bird ID app called “Merlin” that is very easy to use.

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Citizen and community science is scientific research conducted, in whole or in part, by nonprofessional scientists. Citizen and community science is sometimes described as public participation in scientific research, participatory monitoring, or participatory action research. Its outcomes are often advancements in scientific research, as well as an increase in the public's understanding of science. Four common features of citizen and community science practice are: (a) anyone can participate, (b) participants use the same protocols so that data can be combined and is of high quality, (c) data can help real scientists come to real conclusions, and (d) a wide community of scientists and volunteers work together and share data to which the public, as well as scientists, have access. View more resources in the Citizen and Community Science PRO Picks collection >