Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends of Mount Auburn Community, Conservation & Citizen Science | Page 10

Where Science and Community
Collaborate, Great Things Happen!
By Paul Kwiatkowski, Wildlife Conservation & Sustainability Manager
People often ask, what is citizen science anyway?
Let’s begin with a definition.
cit-i-zen sci-ence. n. The collection and analysis of data
relating to the natural world by members of the general
public, typically as part of a collaborative project with
professional scientists.
— Oxford Living Dictionaries
All over the world, citizen-science projects have been
mobilized to pursue scientific research through the support
and energy of dedicated volunteers. This mode of research
appears likely to increase in scale, as state funding for research
is endangered by political considerations. As government-
supported science is
deprived of resources,
well-structured
programs with well-
trained volunteers are
more important than
ever. Citizen-science
projects have been
implemented to
protect fresh water,
observe bird migration,
map biodiversity, and preserve pollinators.
In 2016, Mount Auburn introduced its first citizen-
science program, a phenology study, created to collect data
from the trees and shrubs that cover our forested landscape.
8 | Sweet Auburn
Phenology is the study of recurring plant and animal life-
cycle stages and the relationship of these life-cycle stages to
weather and climate. To pursue this path of inquiry, ten species
of deciduous trees and shrubs were chosen. Volunteers collect
data on leaf emergence, unfolded leaves, open flowers, leaf
color change, leaf drop, ripe fruit, and fruit and seed drop.
Collecting this data over the long term will help us better
understand the impacts of a warming climate on our urban
wildlife refuge.
Studies have shown that as temperatures rise, leaves and
flowers are emerging earlier. The insects that feed on the
new leaves and flowers are hatching earlier as well. Are
migratory birds able to alter the timing of their spring
migrations to coincide
with the availability
of food sources? Are
birds shortening their
fall migrations, or
cancelling them all
together, to remain
closer to their breeding
ground as the seasons
are extended? Will
some tree and shrub
species vanish from their native ranges because they cannot
adapt quickly enough to the warmer, dryer conditions
that are predicted for New England over the coming
century? These are a few of the questions that scientists