Citizen Science

Pennsylvania Master Naturalist volunteers participate in citizen science projects in order to help advance our knowledge about the natural world around us, so that informed decisions can be made which will protect and sustain our biodiversity. 

As one of the largest and most popular citizen science platforms, iNaturalist has helped scientists expand their understanding of the status and range of rare species, as seen in this publication in the Journal of Insect Conservation, and this recent find that made the international news. 

With the advancement of smart-phone technology and the ease-of-use of iNaturalist, virtually anyone can participate in citizen science projects and contribute to our never ending quest to learn more about the world around us and provide information that researchers might not otherwise have.

Recently, twenty-eight PA Master Naturalist volunteers contributed almost 2000 observations to the 2021 CNC regional projects for the Greater Philadelphia and Pittsburgh regions. Thank you to the volunteers who submitted observations and to the Citizen Science team for compiling the data. View the report about our impact for CNC 2021 below.