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Community science is the best kind of science. Why? Because you don’t have to be a scientist to get involved – anyone can participate, even children – and the information you collect helps the entire scientific community!

The Science Museum of Virginia is working on some upcoming community science projects that offer opportunities for citizen collaboration.  

On Saturday, Sept. 26, the Museum is supporting the Virginia Academy of Science (VAS) Virginia BioBlitz 2020 to promote exploration, discovery, citizen-science and conservation. A BioBlitz is an event in which the community works together to find and identify as many species as possible in a short period of time to get a “snapshot” of an area’s biodiversity.

This event is facilitated through iNaturalist, a free app downloaded on your smartphone, so you can join the BioBlitz from your home or anywhere else in Virginia! All you have to do to get involved is spend some time outdoors exploring Virginia’s incredible biodiversity while making observations of the species living around you using iNaturalist.

Learn more about collecting data using iNaturalist at https://www.smv.org/learn/blog/post/take-phenological-walk-me.

You can learn more and sign up to participate in Virginia BioBlitz 2020 at https://vacadsci.org/virginia-bioblitz-2020/.

Also on Saturday, Sept. 26, we will be collecting data for our own community science project, RVAir. The Museum is studying air quality in Richmond neighborhoods by measuring concentrations of airborne pollution in local neighborhoods. We’ll be leading walks starting at the Museum to collect data that day, and will provide volunteers with all the tools you need to collect particulate matter readings in the air.

You can find out more about our project and sign up to help at https://www.smv.org/explore/RVAir.

If you come to the Museum that day, you can help us make observations on-site for both projects! We’re leading RVAir walks from 10 to 11 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. Before or after that, you can head into our Rotunda to chat with an educator about the iNaturalist app and see samples of species you can look for on our campus before heading out on your own.   

September is a great time to get outside and enjoy some fresh air! Whether you want to record biodiversity or particulate matter – or both! – Saturday, Sept. 26, is a great time to try something a little different with your weekend and contribute to science.

Science is a journey. With collaborative community science projects like these, you get to be part of that journey to help discover or reveal important information that will have positive lasting impacts.