Hero Image

Northern CA PPSR Projects 1

Return to Main Participatory Science

Welcome to our ongoing effort to catalog citizen science and other public participation in scientific research (PPSR) projects for UC California Naturalists and other citizen scientists.  We invite you to browse the listed projects or enter key words (like birds, youth, invasive, coast, Alameda, etc.) in the search box above to find projects in your area. It's a great way to stay involved and keep developing your skills as a natural scientist!

A vast majority of the information in the database was gathered from project websites and may be out of date. We encourage you to contact projects directly to get involved and learn about most recent opportunities. If you work with a listed project and would like to add to, update, or correct the information we have, please email cghdixon@ucdavis.edu. Also, please consider filling out the "PPSR perspectives" survey. Click here to access the survey, which will help guide this project in the coming year.

If you know of a project not on our list, please go to the "tell us about a project" link on the left so we can list the project here. Thanks for your help!

Special thanks goes to the National Science Foundation Informal Science Education program and the Stephen J. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation for supporting this database of projects.

Great Backyard Bird Count

  • Organization Name
    National Audubon Society & Cornell Ornithology Lab
  • Project Website
  • Organization Website
  • Partners
    Bird Studies Canada; Wild Birds Unlimited
  • Contact Name
    N / A
  • Contact Email
    citizenscience@audubon.org
  • Contact Phone
    N / A
  • Other Contact Information
    N / A
  • Project Purpose (taken from project materials)

    Create an immense picture of winter birds; The counts can help answer many questions:

    • How will this winter's snow and cold temperatures influence bird populations?

    • Where are winter finches and other “irruptive” species that appear in large numbers during some years but not others?

    • How will the timing of birds’ migrations compare with past years?

    • How are bird diseases, such as West Nile virus, affecting birds in different regions?

    • What kinds of differences in bird diversity are apparent in cities versus suburban, rural, and natural areas?

    • Are any birds undergoing worrisome declines that point to the need for conservation attention?

  • Participant Activities

    During an annual four-day event, participants count birds anywhere for as little or as long as they wish during the four-day period. They tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. To report their counts, they fill out an online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count website.

  • Data Entry
    • Website
    • Data Sheets
  • Other Participant Activities
    N / A
  • System Studied
    • Birds
  • Geographic Scope
    National
  • Region
    All (see 'geographic scope')
  • Location
    Backyards around the US
  • Location - Map
    N / A
  • Time Commitment
    • Once a year
  • Volunteer Qualifications
    N / A
  • Volunteer Training
    N / A
  • Cost to Participant
    N / A
  • How will the findings be used?

    Data is viewable online, along with volunteer photos; reports created by staff and scientists are accessible online

  • Other Information

    The next GBBC is February 13-16, 2015

  • Photo
    N / A
  • last update:
    N / A

If you work with this project and would like to add to or update the information below, please email cghdixon@ucdavis.edu.

If you know of a project not on our list, please go to the "tell us about a project" link on the left so we can list the project here. Thanks for your help!

This database is focused on projects in California focused on the environment. For opportunities outside California, as well as national projects that don't have a California-specific components, check http://www.birds.cornell.edu/citscitoolkit/projects.