We are big fans of citizen science! Of course, science is always cool, and STEM/STEAM projects are an increasing part of everyone’s work and school experiences. So understanding how science works is not just fun, but a good way to understand what is going on in the world around us all.
So we are sharing some neat science you can do, contributing toward large projects, and learning new things. Maybe you can use this today; maybe you will save it for later. As long as you enjoy some exploration and learning new things – citizen science is for you! And it is definitely something you can use to bring some good programming to your library.
Check out this cool project with Crayfish – just the thing for a state as filled with water as ours! Share with your patrons, and try it out for yourself.
| Goal | Monitor waters for introduction of invasive crayfish. |
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| Task | Take a picture of crayfish you find and upload to the site. |
| Where | View map… |
| Description | Invasive self-cloning crayfish are on their way to a stream or lake near you! We need your help to monitor our waterways for the invasion of new species of crayfish. High on our priority list is Marmokrebs, a species that reproduces asexually – making it an extremely successful intruder in pristine ecosystems. Let’s make sure we know exactly where this and many other potentially invasive species are headed! Take pictures of crayfish and tell us where and when you found it. The goal of this project is to help monitor waters for introduction of new and potentially invasive species of crayfish. Invasive crayfish have had devastating effects in many freshwater ecosystems across the world, often driving local fish and invertebrate species to extinction. With your help, we can make sure to prevent this from happening here! Thanks in advance for helping us in this important project! |
| How to get started | You will need a Flickr account to upload pictures to the Craywatch group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/craywatch/. A Google account can be used to log into Flickr. (If you use Gmail, you already have a Google account!) If you find a crayfish in a river or stream, take at least two pictures: one of its top (dorsal) side, and one of the bottom (ventral) side, with the tail extended. Make a note of your exact location (name of State, City, Region and specific Waterway, as well as GPS coordinates) and post your pictures to the site. It’s that simple! |
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| Social Media | Follow Craywatch on Twitter Find Craywatch on Facebook Follow the Craywatch |
| Total expense | 0.00 |
| Ideal Age Group | Elementary school (6 – 10 years), Middle school (11 – 13 years), High school (14 – 17 years), Adults, Families, College, Graduate students, |
| Spend the time | Outdoors |
We have a few ideas you can use to connect this STEM project to the library, and programs you can use to build some STEM fun for patrons!
- Set up a display of different kinds of water resources, and animals living in water. Think about setting up a salt water section and a fresh water section.
- Help students think about taking the best pictures of small animals. Work on thinking about framing images, getting clear shots, taking pictures underwater, and other issues.
- Look up the differences in different types and sizes of crustaceans. What makes different creatures adapted to different types of water?
- Find some crustacean recipes and maybe videos of different cooking styles.
- Have students write a paper about invasive species. What invasive species are found in your area?
- Draw pictures of crayfish after looking at them online or in books.
- Write a story about finding a crayfish in a lake. What happens next?