CARSON FAQs

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Who can participate in CARSON?
Anyone! All it takes is interest in observing the world around you. The network aims to involve individuals, environmental groups, science-focused institutions such as museums and nature centers, and other environmentally focused or interested groups and organizations.

Why should I participate in CARSON?
Citizen Scientists are crucial to helping to understand the world around us. Those who participate in CARSON will be making important observations of their local environment. In the environmental science field, citizen science plays a huge role in our understanding of many different local and regional issues such as bird and wildlife populations, weather, urban sprawl, natural hazards, wetlands, lakes and rivers, estuaries, and a spectrum of public health concerns. In many cases, these observations may be helpful in improving their community and quality of life. Also, CARSON fosters a greater community of dedicated citizen scientists, government programs, academic researchers, and non-profit organizations who are focused on environmental issues.

What will participants be asked to do?
Participants will be asked to monitor basic Earth indicators according to what is of most interest to you. Examples of possible environmental parameters to measure include visibility, air ozone levels, air quality index, nitrogen levels in local stream, etc. Participants will get detailed information on how to take these measurements and how it relates to environmental health as a whole.

How much commitment is needed from participants?
You can choose your own level of participation. Participation can range from a one time activity of measuring nitrate in your local stream to routine, daily activity of measuring the UV index in your back yard. Any data collection is welcomed and encouraged.

How much does it cost?
Most activities will be free or low-cost. Some optional equipment may involve a nominal cost for purchase.

What resources are available to me to help me collect and analyze data from around me?
The Citizen Scientist's Guide is a guide to Earth science observations developed by scientists, educators, and data providers. The guide is intended to help citizens make meaningful observations about the environment and relate those observations to satellite data. The guide contains step by step methods to collect and analyze data from their surroundings, how to access online satellite data and how to incorporate and compare NASA’s satellite data with their own backyard observational data. You can expect to find some scientific background for the experiments, a ground-based activity and an associated satellite-based activity for each area of interest. You can also expect to find instructions for accessing data using the online tools NEO and/or Giovanni as well as related questions that could be addressed with satellite data.

How can I access NASA Earth data online?
NASA allows access to Earth data with two web based tools, Giovanni and NEO. There are step by step directions in the Citizen Scientist’s Guide that will show you how to access the data that most relates to your project. However, you can find even more information about NEO and Giovanni here. http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/giovanni/index.html

How will I share my observations?
Sharing your data is easy. You can easily upload your observations to our data-sharing website http://idoscience.net and make them available to the entire CARSON network to see. At the same time, you can view all of the observations that others have entered. Run by the Citizen Science Observatory Registry, idoscience.net creates an online community of science enthusiasts. The site also serves as a collection of useful data to be consulted by both amateur and professional scientists on a range of subjects. Connect Here to access Idoscience.net. As a network participant, you are also invited to share your observations at Network monthly meetings.

Can I do my own experiments?
Absolutely! CARSON is intended to provide an initial training on data collection and comparison to NASA data. We encourage you to come up with your own questions to explore and hope you will use the monthly meetings to gain support and share your findings.

What are the monthly meetings about?
CARSON network participants will have the opportunity to meet with professionals and other citizen scientists monthly for research updates, networking and support. The purpose of meetings is to establish a social community for citizen scientists. The meetings are a place where science-interested people can come together and share ideas. The meetings may include training and support on new or existing projects, invited speakers on a topic of interest (water quality in the Chesapeake Bay, for example), presentation of results from citizen science observations, a discussion of data/ideas as a group, etc. The meetings should be something like a scientific conference for citizen scientists.

Do participants have to attend the monthly meetings to belong to the Network?
No, the meetings are modeled to be a citizen science “mini-conference”. These are a great opportunity to network with other citizen scientists, share ideas, gain support, and gain additional insight from professional scientists. Of course, participants are invited and encouraged to attend but attendance is not mandatory for network participation.

Where and When are meetings?
The meetings will all take place at the Maryland Science Center, 601 Light St., Baltimore, MD. The first meeting is May 19, 2009 at 7pm, and subsequent meetings will be the third Tuesday of each month. Meetings are free and open to the public.

How can I get Involved?

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