2012: The Year of Citizen Science at Discovery Center

The new year brings a new science focus to Discovery Center of Springfield, the Year of Citizen Science.

According to research, the vast majority of people with careers in science had an experience that made them feel like a scientist before the age of 10. Citizen Science projects allow the public, including family and school groups, to contribute to real science research.

Chosen projects happen quarterly through 2012. Each quarter there will be 3 different training sessions to teach you how to participate in each project on your own. DCS will also coordinate one facilitated data collection experience, where our staff will provide the locations and resources to participate, plus help participants collect and submit their data accurately. Chosen projects happen quarterly through 2012. There will be a small fee for each of these sessions and additional classroom resources will be provided to educators that attend these trainings.   Pre-registration and pre-payment are highly recommended to ensure your spot but not required. Children must be accompanied with an adult.

KICK-OFF Event - Saturday, January 7, 2012 - 6-8pm - Citizen Science Kick Off Event 6-8pm. No pre-registration required. Free admission to Kick Off held in the auditorium (Center not open). Meet our community partners, enter to win door prizes and get a glimpse of each project and how the year will unfold. Guest speaker Dr. Scott Zimmerman, Missouri State University Biomedical professor, will share his experiences in gathering data, and how important data collection is to scientific research.

March, 2012 - Globe at Night Citizen Science Project - This project helps measure light pollution around the world by observing the clarity of specific constellations. This project will allow participants to measure the night sky brightness and submit their observations to a website from a computer or smart phone. Light pollution threatens not only our “right to starlight”, but can affect energy consumption, wildlife and health. The GLOBE at Night campaign has run for two weeks each winter/spring for the last six years. People in 115 countries have contributed 66,000 measurements, making GLOBE at Night one of the most successful light pollution awareness campaigns ever. You can be the next scientist to contribute.

June, 2012 - Amphibian Conservation Education Project - The Amphibian Conservation Education Project aims to develop an understanding of how a mass decline of amphibians will affect the balance of nature; and to give area youth the opportunity to conduct a nationwide amphibian survey to determine the viability of amphibian habitat and health. We cannot save amphibians alone. They need your help and you can make a difference.

- Saturday, June 2, 2012 - 10am-12pm - DCS Auditorium Cost is $1.00 per person (adults and children 3 & up)
- Friday, June 8, 2012 - 5:30-7:30pm - DCS Auditorium Cost is $1.00 per person (adults and children 3 & up)
- Saturday, June 16, 2012 - 10am-12pm -DCS Auditorium Cost is $1.00 per person (adults and children 3 & up)
- Saturday, June 16, 2012 - 3-6pm -Guided Instruction. Cost is $5.00 per person.

September, 2012 - Celebrate Urban Birds - An important part of the celebration is to have citizen scientists help researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology collect information about sixteen key species of urban birds. The scientists have created a project that will use data collected from participants in the celebration to study these resident and migratory birds - their numbers, their behavior, their interaction with the urban habitat.

- Friday, September 14, 2012 - 6-8pm DCS Auditorium Cost is $1.00 per person (adults and children 3 & up)
- Saturday, September 22, 10am-12pm DCS Auditorium Cost is $1.00 per person (adults and children 3 & up)
- Saturday September 29, 2012 10am-12pm - DCS Auditorium Cost is $1.00 per person (adults and children 3 & up)
- Saturday September 29, 2012 - 1-3pm Guided Instruction. Cost is $5.00 per person.

December, 2012 - Mastodon Matrix Project - The Mastodon Matrix Project needs citizen volunteers to analyze actual samples of fossil matrix (the material in which a fossil is found) from a mastodon fossil excavated in New York.   Volunteers sort through the matrix to find ancient shells, bones, pieces of plants, and rocks from the time when the mastodon lived and died. The discoveries will be sent back to the Paleontological Research Institution, where they will be cataloged and further analyzed by paleontologists to help scientists form a true picture of the ecology and environment in which the mastodon lived. Mastodons are extinct relatives of modern elephants. Mastodons were numerous and widespread in North America up until around 10,000 years ago, when they became extinct together with many other species of large mammals at the end of the last glacial period.

- Saturday, December 1, 2012 - 10am-12pm - DCS Auditorium Cost is $1.00 per person (adults and children 3 & up)
- Friday December 14, 2012- 6-8pm DCS Auditorium Cost is $1.00 per person (adults and children 3 & up)
- Friday, December 28, 2012 - 10am-12pm DCS Auditorium Cost is $1.00 per person (adults and children 3 & up)
- Friday, December 28, 2012 1-4pm Guided Instruction. Cost is $5.00 per person.

Discovery Center encourages individuals, teachers, school and scout groups, 4-H, FFA and all ages to get excited about participating in real research for the year 2012. Real Science. Real People.