Nature needs more citizen scientists

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is encouraging Canadians this week to become citizen scientists and get involved in taking care of nature up close.

Spanning coast to coast, NCC's Conservation Volunteers program provides an easy way for Canadians to explore outdoors alongside experts while helping to gather valuable information on plants and animals in their neighbourhoods and beyond.

"Citizen science events, held as part of our Conservation Volunteers program, help us build a story about the health of our natural places," say Erica Thompson, National Conservation Engagement Manager the Nature Conservancy of Canada. "For example, information from dragonfly, butterfly and sea bird counts, where volunteers are trained by experts to identify and record the species they are seeing, is shared with larger initiatives such as provincial atlases and international databases. This provides a big picture, long-term look a how natural places are changing, for either better or worse".

Thompson says volunteers become sort of citizen scientists and their data is a link to the larger look at how an ecosystem is functioning. "Many of the species that we monitor are called 'indicator species' - this means their presence or lack of, gives a good indication of how healthy places are and that is important information when protecting a landscape over the long term."

"Last year over 1400 volunteers helped NCC do critical work like removing invasive plants, participating in species counts of plants and animals and building trails so people can enjoy these special places," continued Thompson.

To join us visit www.natureconservancy.ca or www.conservationvolunteers.ca.

Learn More:

The Nature Conservancy of Canada is the nation's leading land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962 NCC and its partners have helped to protect more than 2.6 million acres (over 1 million hectares), coast to coast. For more information visit: www.natureconservancy.ca