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.

This week we look at a very Minnesota STEM project – looking at information in lakes across the country!

“The Secchi Dip-In began in 1994 by eminent limnologist Dr. Robert Carlson and colleagues to enable volunteers to submit water clarity measurements to an online database and see how their data compare on a variety of scales- local to national. The program has also been utilized for volunteers to begin monitoring efforts and to increase monitoring efforts within their communities. In the midst of underfunded state volunteer monitoring programs, the Secchi Dip-In has served as a place for volunteers to continue submitting their data. In 2015, Dr. Robert Carlson transferred the operation of the Secchi Dip-In to the North American Lake Management Society and over the past 20 years, the database accumulated more than 41,000 records on more than 7,000 individual waterbodies.”

“The Secchi Dip-In is a demonstration of the potential of volunteer monitors to gather environmentally important information on our lakes, rivers and estuaries.

The concept of the Dip-In is simple: individuals in volunteer monitoring programs take a transparency measurement on one day during the month of July. Individuals may be monitoring lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, rivers, or streams. These transparency values are used to assess the transparency of volunteer-monitored lakes in the United States and Canada.

Most Dip-In volunteers use the Secchi disk, but we welcome the participation of volunteers who monitor sites such as rivers and estuaries where the Secchi disk cannot be used. If your program uses a turbidity tube, a turbidity meter, or a black disk, your volunteers can participate.

A goal of the Dip-In is to increase the number and interest of volunteers in environmental monitoring. A volunteer monitoring program cannot long survive if information flows only from the volunteer to the agency. Volunteers need to be assured that their efforts are not only appreciated but are also a necessary part of the total monitoring effort. It is the premise of the Dip-In that this assurance is enhanced if the volunteer is a part of a national as well as the local effort.

The Dip-In also provides an international perspective of water quality. It gives a comprehensive glimpse at transparency at volunteer-monitored sites across North America and the rest of the world. Scientists and volunteers can get a sense of how transparency varies according to water type, regional geology and land use. What is more important, these annual Dip-In snapshots can be put together to form a changing picture of transparency over time.”

How can you bring this STEM citizen science project into your library? We have a few ideas to help you get started!

• Set up a display of books and articles about lakes
• Let students draw maps to identify the lakes in your county, or your area of the state
• Find information about your local water, and the pollutants in it. What kinds of things does your local water provider clean from the water that comes to your library or to your school?
• Find a pond or lake in your area. What kind of tests can you do on the water? How far down can you see? How clear is it, or how much algae is growing on the water?
• What kinds of animals and birds are living near your pond or lake?
• Write a story about living in a lake or a pond.