Turtles
The Eastern Box Turtle is currently on the Massachusetts list of species of special concern. Scientists are working to better understand the turtles’ habits and activities so they can improve their chances of survival. Especially during spring and summer when turtles are most active and sightings are fairly common, you have an opportunity to help. If you see a box turtle, you can become a citizen scientist by reporting your sighting.
First, a few simple steps:
- DON’T BRING THE TURTLE HOME. Wildlife belongs in the wild. It’s stressful for the animal to be removed from its natural surroundings.
- DO LEND A HAND. If you see a turtle on or near a roadway, please escort it safely in the direction it is heading. If you need to pick the turtle up while doing so, hold it firmly on either side of the carapace, or shell, while supporting the bottom side of the body, called the plastron.
- DO REPORT THE SIGHTING. Note the time, date, and location of your sighting and the direction in which it was traveling. If possible, take several clear photos of the turtle.
Submit your information HERE. We will forward it to the Massachusetts Fish & Wildlife’s Natural Heritage & Endangered Species program. To learn more about that program, click here.
Bumblebees
Pollinators in general are in alarming decline, and that is especially true for bees. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is asking people everywhere to “bee” a citizen scientist by reporting their bee sightings.
When you see a bumblebee in your yard or during an outing anywhere in New England, your citizen science moment has arrived! Use their Beecology app to capture the sighting in a picture or video. The app will guide you through an easy sequence of steps, help you identify your bumblebee's species, and submit your picture to their database. In addition to learning about bumblebees, you will be contributing to science by helping WPI map bumblebee species in New England and what flowers they like.
Youll find a lot of information on the website about the research as well as tutorials and tips for using the apps. Get started by clicking here.
If you’re anxious to try out the technology, stop by our Eddy Sisters property at 660 Lower Rd. where our heirloom apple orchard and wildflower meadow make great bee habitat. The Brewster Community Garden is also on that parcel, as well as the Lower Cape Children’s Garden, both of which pack a lot of pollen and draw in nectar-searching bees.
Birds
One of the earliest citizen science programs to reach a mass audience, the Great Backyard Bird Count has been around for almost 30 years. Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) was the first online participatory-science project (also referred to as community science or citizen science) to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real time. According to the GBBC website, Birds Canada joined the project in 2009 to provide an expanded capacity to support participation in Canada. In 2013, the GBBC became a global project when collected data was entered into eBird, the world’s largest biodiversity-related citizen science project.
The count takes place each year over four days in February... around the globe! In 2025, hundreds of thousands GBBC counters found 8,078 of the world’s known species. That is 158 more than in 2024 and living proof of the power of citizen science.
Want to join the movement? Click here for information on participating in 2026. To see more about the results of the 2025 count, click here.