Public Knowledge: How Citizen Science Is Revealing the Nation's Biodiversity

In 2016, the National Park Service (NPS) turned 100. In celebration of its centennial, NPS teamed up with iNaturalist and National Geographic Society to launch a nationwide BioBlitz. Engaging community members in hundreds of park units across the country, including Assateague National Seashore and Acadia National Park, the BioBlitz enlisted thousands of citizen scientists to record the myriad animals, plants, and fungus that they observed. To analyze the vast quantities of data generated by this massive undertaking, NE CASC Research Ecologist Toni Lyn Morelli partnered with a wide-ranging group of colleagues representing the National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and five research institutions. Recently published in Conservation Science and Practice, their results show that this information provides invaluable insights into the variety of species that are present in parks, seashores, and monuments around the country.  According to their study, the public particularly excelled at detecting the presence of invasive species, observations that may prove helpful in assisting managers focused on early eradication.  

“We hope that this research can highlight the value of public involvement in scientific endeavors, and that it will encourage people to get out and record what they see,” said Morelli. Overall, 141 species were newly recorded in national parks, and the researchers plan to work with NPS to build on these results for future citizen science efforts.