Call for Citizen Science Presentation Proposals–Now Open!

Call for Citizen Science Presentation Proposals–Now Open!

The Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation (JHWF) is proud to support the 2016 Wyoming Citizen Science Conference! JHWF’s Associate Director, Kate Gersh, serves on its program planning committee. We are also supporting the conference as a silver-level sponsor. Taking place this coming December in Lander, the Wyoming Citizen Science Conference (hosted by the UW Biodiversity Institute) is the first of its kind in our state, and will focus on the problems and solutions that citizen science program managers and volunteers face when implementing and participating in programs. Wyoming in particular faces interesting and specific challenges when designing, delivering, maintaining and evaluating citizen science programs. How does the state’s rural population influence recruitment and retention? How does the remoteness of some study areas and the high diversity of plant and wildlife impact study design? How can we make citizen science accessible and useful to teachers? What laws and rules do we need to be aware of?

We anticipate approximately 200 attendees, including program organizers, educators and citizen science volunteers. JHWF staff and many of Nature Mapping Jackson Hole’s Scientific Advisory Committee members plan to attend and present. JHWF also encourages our community’s citizen scientists to directly participate in the conference by delivering presentations or workshops of your own accord. Download the call for proposals here.

Proposals are due Sunday, September 18, 11:59 pm MST.  Submit the completed form in Word or PDF format to UW Biodiversity Institute Project Coordinator Brenna Marsicek at brenna.marsicek@uwyo.edu.

Also, please save the conference dates of December 1-3, 2016, in your calendars. We very much hope to see you at this unique event that will for the first time link our statewide efforts.

Wyoming Citizen Science Conference

Moose Day 2016: Citizen Scientists Count Jackson Hole Moose

Moose Day 2016: Citizen Scientists Count Jackson Hole Moose

Photo by Nature Mapper Kathy McCurdy on Moose Day

Photo by Nature Mapper Kathy McCurdy on Moose Day

Eighth Annual Moose Day Survey Yields Data Similar to 2015

The eighth annual Moose Day Jackson Hole survey was conducted on Saturday, February 27, 2016 from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 73 volunteers from trained Nature Mapping Citizen Scientists, Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Bridger-Teton National Forest personnel took part spending an estimated 223 hours of volunteer time. 99 individual moose were observed in 58 individual search areas.

“Moose Day is such a fun event, bringing people together around the joy of searching for wildlife,” said Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation Executive Director Jon Mobeck. “It also serves a scientific purpose. The observation data captured on or near participating private ranch lands and residential neighborhoods supplements population surveys conducted by Wyoming Game and Fish, giving us well-rounded information in order to protect moose in the valley.”

During last year’s survey 97 individual moose were observed by 71 volunteers in 61 individual search areas. Moose numbers via this survey remain flat over the past three years.

“Moose Day is truly a community-wide effort: with 73 volunteers searching for moose by ski, foot, car, and snowmobile on a Saturday morning. We have a good time looking, enjoy swapping moose stories, and above all know we are doing something for the moose we all care about. I thank the volunteers and the landowners who are all part of this Citizen Science inventory,” said Frances Clark, coordinator of Moose Day and volunteer coordinator of Nature Mapping Jackson Hole.

Celebrate Wildlife!

Enjoy monthly updates from JHWF and join us in creating a more wildlife-friendly community!

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