The USA Science and Engineering Festival Expo is just two days away, and Science for Citizens is excited to be partnering with several fantastic citizen science organizations for our exhibit.
Today, I’d like to introduce you to Lindsay from Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, an estuarine site in the state of Maryland about 20 miles east of Washington, D.C.
Jug Bay leads citizen science research on macroinvertebrates–small, bottom-dwelling animals without backbones that can reveal a great deal about the health of their watery environment.
Make sure to visit Section PA-13, Booth Numbers 1229 and 1231, on Pennsylvania Ave NW, to learn how you can conduct real scientific research on these tiny creatures.
Take it away, Lindsay!
Lindsay, tell us what you do at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary.
I’m Lindsay Hollister, Naturalist and Volunteer Coordinator, and I help with research projects, stewardship, and outdoor education.
What project will you be showcasing at the festival?
Macroinvertebrate Monitoring–using stream insects and other aquatic invertebrates to determine stream health.
What can people expect at the Science for Citizens booth?
We will have a display of live and preserved specimens of what we find during our sampling. Participants can search through bins looking for live macroinvertebrates and practice identification too. We’ll show the field equipment we use as well.
What is your favorite part about working in citizen science?
The creativity. Our volunteers participate because they want to give back and they love science. They are always happy to be here, and they even devise their own investigations and projects sometimes!