Winter Reading List
Winter is the perfect time to catch up on your reading, and there’s no better topic than citizen-based monitoring! Check out the list below for news articles, research papers, and books on citizen-based monitoring. Click on the link in the format column for more information; many titles are available for free online.
Great Stories
| Title | Summary | Format |
|---|---|---|
| A favor for the 'falcon of sparrows': Nesting box project aids American kestrel | Introduction to American Kestrel biology and Madison Audubon’s kestrel monitoring efforts | News Article |
| A first-rate record of participation | The proud history of citizen-based monitoring in Wisconsin | News Article |
| As monarchs arrive in their summer ranges, citizen scientists aid in monarch conservation | Highlights the national citizen science projects based at the UW-Arboretum | News Article |
| Aurora-chasing citizen scientists help discover a new feature of STEVE | Citizen science reports of beautiful light displays in the sky lead to new discoveries | News Article |
| Lend an eye for wildlife | In-depth look at the Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera monitoring project | News Article |
| Rare carnivorous sundew found by DNR volunteers while kayaking | Account of first Wisconsin sighting of rare sundew plant in 40 years | News Article |
| SciStarter Blog | Weekly blog series profiling citizen science projects, volunteers, discoveries, and more | News Article |
| Bat count: A citizen science story | Story about bat citizen science for grades K-3 | Book |
| Citizen scientist: Searching for heroes and hope in an age of extinction | First-hand look at volunteer efforts to study and protect biodiversity | Book |
| Citizen science: How ordinary people are changing the face of discovery | Inspiring stories about citizen science and the volunteers who are moving science forward | Book |
| Diary of a citizen scientist: Chasing tiger beetles and other new ways of engaging the world | Personal accounts of experiences with a variety of citizen science projects | Book |
Research Results
| Title | Summary | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Long-term citizen-collected data reveal geographical patterns and temporal trends in lake water clarity | Over 80 years of Midwest lake monitoring data reveal trends in water clarity | Research Paper and News Article |
| Monarch tagging: Evaluating the migration mortality hypothesis using monarch tagging data | Tagging data support the hypothesis that overwintering monarch numbers are closely correlated with the size of the summer population | Research Paper and News Article |
| Sensory pollutants alter bird phenology and fitness across a continent | Data from NestWatch volunteers connects noise and light pollution with songbird reproduction | News Article |
| Tracking dragons: Stable isotopes reveal the annual cycle of a long-distance migratory insect | Volunteer data help uncover the 3-generation migration of the common green darner | Research Paper and News Article |
| Using citizen science to describe the prevalence and distribution of tick bite and exposure to tick-borne diseases in the United States | Citizen scientists help track tick ranges and presence of disease | Research Paper and News Article |
Practitioner Resources
| Title | Summary | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Citizen science: Public participation in scientific research | A collection of papers on creating and managing successful citizen science projects | Book |
| Handbook of citizen science in ecology and conservation | Citizen science practitioners, including some from Wisconsin, share instructions and resources for creating and leading citizen science projects | Book |
| The rightful place of science: Citizen science | Explores the field of citizen science with a focus on policy and society | Book |
| Citizen science: Theory and practice | Peer reviewed, open access journal devoted to the field of citizen science | Scientific Journal |
