This Earth Day and beyond, get involved in citizen science projects near you

Devi Shastri

Oshkosh Northwestern

Students partake in citizen science through Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center.

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Chris Acy's last name and his email address.

This Sunday, people across Wisconsin will get involved in activities for Earth Day — teaming up to clean their local waterways, attending events at nature centers and libraries and more.

For those looking to get their hands dirty on Earth Day and beyond, there is one way Wisconsinites are working to take care of their natural resources and further our understanding of the world around us: citizen science.

"This is a tremendous way for people to make a difference in the world around them and a great way to meet new people," said Eva Lewandowski, program coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource's Citizen-Based Monitoring Program.

The DNR has over 12,000 citizen volunteers across the state. Many volunteer through the University of Wisconsin-Extension or local action groups. Some collect water samples from rivers, streams and lakes. Some monitor the frog and toad population, tracking turtles to inform policies that protect them from becoming roadkill. Some scout for rare plants.

The data they gather informs how the state responds in directing monetary resources and enables the DNR to have the data it needs to make decisions to protect the environment.

It also provides a statewide view of Wisconsin that wouldn't be possible otherwise — empowering scientists and members of the public to compare their region to the rest of the state and country to advocate for a better, healthier world.

"How do we get people excited about our world?" Justin Hougham, an environmental education specialist at UW-Extension and director of Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center in Wisconsin Dells. "Citizen science is a great way to do that."

How you can get involved:

1. Check out the DNR's website.

Bees and birds and plants and turtles and frogs, oh my!

The DNR has 20 ongoing citizen science projects that benefit from everyday citizens investigating the world around them. The programs are open to any skill level and any level of commitment.

You can do something as simple as reporting a robin you saw to the Wisconsin Bird Breeding Atlas or, more experienced birders will head out into the night looking for nocturnal birds, Lewandowski said.

Some volunteers just sit on their back porch collecting data on the frog calls they hear. Volunteers in Oshkosh recently discovered a rare orchid that was threatened in their environment and partnered with the DNR to relocate it.

Learn more at dnr.wi.gov/volunteer/CitizenBasedMonitoring.html

2. Help monitor your waterways and lakes

There are many efforts across Wisconsin to protect local rivers, lakes and streams.

The Water Action Volunteers is a statewide stream and river monitoring team, coordinated by the DNR and UW-Extension.

They have over 600 volunteers, said UW-Extension's Peggy Compton WAV's statewide coordinator. There's a waiting list to get trained.

Participants are given instruction and equipment to gather readings on water temperature, transparency, the amount of dissolved oxygen, what bugs live in the river, the speed of the stream and the health of the environment around it.

Sample collection through the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

They take those readings monthly — from a stream in their back year or any where else. The data goes into the DNR's surface water integrated monitoring system, which lets anyone look up information on the rivers and streams. And you can make a day of it.

"It's a fun thing to do," said Bob Jozwowski, who coordinates his local organization, Central Wisconsin Trout Unlimited's involvement in the program. "Besides being important and providing this data it's a social thing. ... It's a good way to convene with nature."

For those closer to the Winnebago system, the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance coordinates several initiatives including stream monitoring starting in May, survey research on aesthetic monitoring of waterways, several efforts to stop the spread of invasive species, educating boaters and much, much more. They also have outreach volunteers, who educate the community about water issues.

"Our waters belong to all of us, and it's our responsibility to take care of them," Kelly Reyer, the alliance's outreach coordinator.

Learn more about the Central Wisconsin Trout Unlimited at cwtu.org.

Learn more about the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance at fwwa.org/join-us/volunteer-with-fwwa. (Email Chris Acy at chris@fwwa.org to get involved with invasive species monitoring in the Winnebago system.)

Learn more about the statewide Water Action Volunteers at watermonitoring.uwex.edu/wav

3. Help monitor specific animals near you.

If you're a northern Wisconsinite who loves the loon, Northland College's LoonWatch is for you.

The program, which has over 430 volunteers in 27 counties, has been going strong for 40 years — and they've never missed a year, said program coordinator Erica LeMoine.

The sheer amount of data that they've collected in that time provides an unbeatable view on the health of the loon population. It also tells researchers about the health of the overall environment of the waters these birds live on.

There's a strong human community around the loons too, LeMoine said. She notes how volunteers come together each year for a "thank you" picnic and spend hours sharing stories with one another from their time tracking a single loon family's survival through the mating season, watching the little chicks grow.

"I think people really enjoy learning how easy it is," Le Moine said. "And they get a better appreciation for science and research."

People use technology from the Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center Program.

And for those who love gadgets and bats, UW-Extension also has a bat monitoring program through its Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center, where people, schools and local organizations can borrow easy-to-use mobile equipment to hear bats communicate and more.

Their bat monitoring program provides data and recordings to the DNR, but people have also used the center's tech to write up their own reports. Since bats are under threat from habitat loss and disease, this type of monitoring is especially important to inform any measures to protect them in Wisconsin, Hougham said.

But the program's broad reach (they can mail their kits anywhere), and the fact that people can use the center's tools to investigate more than just bats, means there is great potential for creativity and discovery, too.

"Sometimes, we learn a lot from just being open and hearing how people are generally curious about the world," Hougham said.

Learn more about LoonWatch at www.northland.edu/sustain/soei/loonwatch/loons-get-involved

Learn more about Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center's technology program at fyi.uwex.edu/uphamwoods/programs/residential-programs/technology-programs