Why citizen science, part 2

As I have been visiting the family lake property these last few weeks, I realized that I did not fully answer the question of "why citizen science?"

Our lake property has been in the family since 1922. In those almost 100 years, 4 generations have left their mark on the property. A few years back we discovered a journal that contains an entry from everyone who visited about their experience that visit.

These entries provide a glimpse into the lives of people many of us knew as grandparents or only through stories and pictures. They also provide a better understanding of how they became the person we knew later in life.

A similar thing happens when we take time to share the story of the land around us. The Adopt A Pixel GLOBE app provides a space for you to share why the land cover is the way it is. Maybe there was a heavy storm that knocked down the elm tree that has been on the corner of your street since before you built your house. Maybe your city has grown in population due to state mandates so now roads need to be reconfigured. Maybe the birch trees on your property died due to disease and you decided to replant with evergreens because you like the way they look better.

The stories of the land are important and deserve to be shared. That is why I am participating in this land cover research as a citizen scientist.

Photo by author