Abstract

Incorporating nature into urban landscapes is crucial for the wellbeing of people and wildlife in cities. Crowd-sourced datasets provide a unique advantage in cities due to the increased participation in cities compared to rural areas. In this video, Deja Perkins discusses special considerations for using crowd-sourced datasets in urban environments. 

Deja Perkins is an urban ecologist and community engagement specialist at NC State. Her research focuses on interactions between organisms in cities and how human social structures impact wildlife distribution in urban environments. Perkins is a Ph.D. student in geospatial analytics, investigating inclusion in citizen science. She connects people with citizen science projects through SciStarter and a weekly livestream show called “Make it Count Monday'' to highlight the variety of projects that anyone can participate in from anywhere. Perkins encourages people to observe neighborhood nature and showcases the variety of wildlife that can be found in cities through social media.

TRANSCRIPT

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

1. NC State SciStarter Home page. Interested in learning more about citizen science and the various projects done on campus? Visit the NC State microsite on SciStarter to learn more about other projects you can participate in and projects going on around campus.

2. Make it Count Monday: Spidey Senser. Make it Count Monday is a weekly livestream show about participatory science projects that students, faculty, and families can participate in across North Carolina and beyond. The linked episode features the project "Spidey Senser," a participatory science project using spider webs to broaden access to air quality testing. Featured guest Dr. Chris Hawn demonstrates how science, advocacy and environmental justice can be done through participatory science.