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A vast majority of the information in the database was gathered from project websites and may be out of date.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.
Mission Bay IBA (Important Bird Area) - Citizen Science Program
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Organization NameSan Diego Audubon Society
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Organization Website
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PartnersNational Science Foundation, National Audubon Society
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Contact NameDanielle Heckman, SDAS Outreach Coordinator
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Contact Emailheckman@sandiegoaudubon.org
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Contact Phone(858)273-7800 x104.
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Other Contact InformationN / A
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Project Purpose (taken from project materials)
Enhance protection and conservation activities around Mission Bay: observe and record the three bird species (stilts, avocets and terns); monitor invasive and native vegetation cover at the South Shores area of Mission Bay and help implement an adaptive management plan to reduce the nearly eight acres of ice plant that is currently dominating the site
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Participant Activities
Volunteers will take part in experimental design, planning and implementation of conservation projects, threat analysis, monitoring of site characteristics and critical species, analyses of bird populations, and more. (see notes below for more information on specific projects)
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Data Entry
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Unknown
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Other Participant ActivitiesN / A
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System Studied
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Birds
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Invasive Species
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Wetlands - Freshwater Streams and Marshes
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Geographic ScopeLocal
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RegionSan Diego
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LocationSites around Mission Bay, San Diego
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Location - MapMission Bay San Diego, CA 92109
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Time Commitment
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Other (see Other Information below)
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Volunteer QualificationsN / A
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Volunteer Training
Volunteers will learn how to scientifically monitor an area, as well as participate in hands-on tasks such as weed removal. Volunteers will work with trained mentors.
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Cost to ParticipantN / A
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How will the findings be used?N / A
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Other Information
Each project is being led by a mentor that has undergone a Mentor Training designed by National Audubon and the National Science Foundation, and will provide you all the support you need to grow your volunteer strengths.
New volunteers can choose from the following projects:
Famosa Slough
The Famosa Slough project members will observe and record the three bird species (stilts, avocets and terns) that have nested there in the past few years. Typically nesting begins in early May and hatching is complete by mid-June. We will make counts of adults, nests and chicks and track the chicks until they have fledged. Observations can be made at members' convenience and will take less than one hour for each session. The study period will be from mid-April through early July.
South Shores
The South Shores project members will monitor invasive and native vegetation cover at the South Shores area of Mission Bay and help implement an adaptive management plan to reduce the nearly eight acres of ice plant that is currently dominating the site. Volunteers will learn how to scientifically monitor an area, as well as participate in hands-on tasks such as weed removal.
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PhotoN / A
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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.