Become a Community Scientist and a Pollinator Detective!
QCPP is partnering with the Civic Garden Center and entomology researchers at Ohio State University to encourage you to engage in two community science projects. Both projects allow us to introduce students to the scientific method and data collection, support, and contribute to evidence-based research, and support our pollinators.
“Lick Run Greenway Beneficial Insects” is a community science project where you are the scientist. Community members will be helping document the Lick Run Greenway’s floral and pollinator diversity by taking pictures and recording what you observe.
Your data can help scientists and local legislation make informed decisions toward pollinator species and habitat conservation efforts.
You will upload your data (time-stamped pictures with GPS tags) to our project page on the I-Naturalist app. Your photos will document pollinator food resources, population numbers, species diversity, nesting habitats, and more.
With your curiosity and detective skills, we can build a city that contributes data and innovations to help the pollinators that share their habitat with us.
To learn more about this project and how to join, click the button below!
Dandelion Detectives
QCPP has partnered with Dr. Mary Gardiner and her entomology lab at The Ohio State University to encourage community scientists and students to document and share their local ecosystems with science. Dandelion Detectives is a community science project to gather data on local weed and insect diversity from lawn spaces of schools and students’ homes.
After you complete the pre-assessment, you will conduct an experiment to measure the abundance of weeds in your yard or lawn space and an experiment to identify some species of insects that utilize that habitat. You can conduct these experiments any time this summer using the instructions from the link below!