Citizen Science Opportunities in the Smokies

Great Smoky Mountains National Park just announced a new program where people can volunteer to become a Citizen Scientist.

On June 29 and July 2 volunteer can join park researchers and educators in collecting scientific data in the park. The two events will kick off a summer of Citizen Science opportunities in the Park which will provide hands on learning experiences by engaging the public in real science activities.

Seek and Destroy - Mapping in a Maze of Grass:
On Monday, June 29, high school students and recent graduates will join a Ranger in the fields of Cades Cove to search for an enemy of native animals: the fire ant. The project will include collecting data, mapping evidence, and treating fire ant mounds.

Filling in the Gaps on the Map:
On Thursday, July 2, the first of four "Citizen Science for the 75th" days is open to the public of any age. Participants will spend the day exploring the trails between the Twin Creeks Science and Education Center and Sugarlands Visitor Center and map the big trees along the way. The focus will be on learning how to identify common Smoky Mountain trees, reading a topographic map, using a GPS unit, and setting up a monitoring plot as scientists here in the park do.

For more information on both of these programs, please click here.





Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

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