Want to get involved?  That's where citizen science comes in!

Temple Ambler Field Station leverages the enthusiasm and expertise of our citizen scientists to help gather information about our natural environments. These data enrich our understanding of our ecosystems and provide a valuable resource for both research and education. Anyone can participate and all are welcome.

Temple Ambler Field Station supports ongoing programming by Temple Ambler EarthFest Presents, including an annual BioBlitz event to deepen our understanding of the species that occur on campus. 

The Field Station also partners with the Ambler Arboretum to use Citizen Science applications to facilitate data collection on a variety of species, from birds and insects, to native and invasive plants.

iNaturalist

iNaturalist is a biodiversity platform that allows users to contribute to scientific research around the world by recording their encounters with wildlife. iNaturalist, a partnership between National Geographic and the California Academy of Sciences, is for naturalists of all skill levels. 

With iNaturalist you can submit observations of almost any organism making it perfect for those who want to improve their identification skills for local organisms, or those who want to contribute to a global diversity network. The observations added to iNaturalist are later added to scientific repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to be used by scientists around the globe.  

On a local scale, you are helping the Temple Ambler Field Station create a database of species found on our campus. These data will be used to help understand impacts of global change in the Greater Philadelphia area. Visit here for a step by step guide on how to start collecting.

eBird

EBird is a platform that allows birders the chance to share their birding knowledge with the world. Run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, users can easily create checklists of birds they have seen and upload those to the eBird platform.

Once uploaded, these observations help researchers monitor current bird biodiversity, distribution, and abundance trends. With its easy to use collecting app, eBird can be used by novices, experts, and everyone in between. Visit here for a step by step guide on how to start collecting.

iMapinvasives 

iMapinvasives is a platform that is focused on tracking invasive species throughout the North America. Each state can join the iMapinvasives network and create a custom list of species that are considered invasive in that area.  

Observations are shared with stakeholders throughout the state or region in order to coordinate control efforts and track the spread of invasion. The Temple Ambler Field Station currently has an active project tracking Spotted Lanternfly throughout our campus. With a dropdown menu of known invasive species preloaded on the app, observations are easy. Visit here for a step by step guide of how to start collecting.

Budburst

Budburst, a project of the Chicago Botanic Garden, is a platform focused on bringing together educators, researchers, and citizen scientists. As a Budburst Partner, Temple Ambler Field Station has created a list of 10 commonly found plant species on our campus. 

With its hands-on guide to ecological observation, Budburst is the perfect place for new citizen scientists to learn the ropes. Plant observations, including features like flowers, leaf color, or fruits, are used by scientists to track plant life cycles. With a focus on education, Budburst also has plenty of resources for students of all ages. Visit here or a step by step guide on how to get started.