Wildlife Undergrads Spread Their Wings in Citizen Science Research Experience

Janel L. Ortiz (), April A. Torres Conkey, Leonard A. Brennan, LaVonne Fedynich and Marybeth Green
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Janel L. Ortiz: Center for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and Department of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, Pomona, CA 91768, USA
April A. Torres Conkey: Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
Leonard A. Brennan: Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
LaVonne Fedynich: Educational Leadership and Counseling, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
Marybeth Green: Educational Leadership and Counseling, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 24, 1-13

Abstract: Citizen science has become a valuable tool for natural resource professionals; however, many undergraduate students are not aware of its use as a means of collecting data for scientific analysis. To address this, we introduced a bird-focused research experience into an undergraduate Wildlife Management Techniques course. The objective of this course is to provide practical experiences in wildlife science by learning and using tools and techniques applied in the field. Students designed, implemented, and presented the results of a wild bird observation survey that contributed data to an existing e-Bird-based program. Pre-post surveys were collected to assess student learning and behavioral changes. We observed increased student awareness of citizen science. Ninety-two percent of students correctly defined citizen science following the experience. However, only sixteen percent of students stated they would continue participation in STWB, fifty percent were unsure, and thirty-four percent would not continue involvement. Improvements are discussed to promote participation in citizen science, connections with the community, and communication skill development for future employment.

Keywords: citizen science; science education; professional development; science communication (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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