Level 1 Reading 6B

Ch.12 Reading 6B

WHAT'S IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? Gabby Salazar takes photographs of rare species and teaches people about them. In this interview, she answers questions about her experience with citizen science. What was your first citizen science project? Gabby Salazar: It was over 10 years ago. One of my friends in Peru was very interested in birds. So we walked around with our cameras and notebooks for a day. We saw many different species, and we took photos of them. Later, we posted all our data on eBird. What is eBird? Gabby Salazar: It's an Internet-based citizen science project at Cornell University in the United States. People around the world record information about birds they see. Today, eBird has over 590 million observations of more than 10,000 different bird species. Scientists use this data to answer important questions. For example: Where do certain birds live? How many are there? How can a person become a citizen scientist? Gabby Salazar: It's easy. First, find a project that you like online. One of my favorites is iNaturalist, which studies animals and plants. Then, download the project's app and use your phone to take pictures. For example, you can photograph different kinds of trees near your home or school. When you're done, upload your photos to iNaturalist. If you don't know the name of an animal or plant, other people can tell you. It's a great way to learn about your environment, and you also assist scientists with their research. If you can't take photos, you can still contribute to citizen science. For example, you can take part in a fun project called Wildwatch Kenya. Experts hide cameras in trees and other places. When an animal moves past, the camera takes a photo. Citizen scientists then review the images online and identify the animals they see. THE LOST LADYBUG PROJECT For years, scientists in North America thought the nine-spotted ladybug (pictured below) was extinct. Then citizen scientist Peter Priolo photographed the insect in New York. He sent his photo to the Lost Ladybug Project, a site that is creating a map of different ladybug species. Now scientists know something important: The nine-spotted ladybug is rare, but not extinct.

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