The Firefly Watch project is among the options for aspiring citizen scientists to join. Mike Lewinski / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 2.0
By Tiffany Means
Summer and fall are great seasons to enjoy the outdoors. But if you're already spending extra time outside because of the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be out of ideas on how to make fresh-air activities feel special. Here are a few suggestions to keep both adults and children entertained and educated in the months ahead, many of which can be done from the comfort of one's home or backyard.
<p><a href="https://www.cocorahs.org/" target="_blank">The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network</a> (CoCoRaHS)</p><p><em>Open to U.S. and Canada residents</em></p><p>CoCoRaHS invites those with a penchant for precipitation to join its grassroots observation network. By observing, recording, and reporting daily accumulations of rain, snow, and hail in their own backyards, volunteers help fill in "holes" in the official network of precipitation gage data. Over time, these local observations will serve as a record of local climate. And climatologists will use this data to help put extreme precipitation events into historical context and to identify precipitation patterns.</p><p><a href="https://www.massaudubon.org/get-involved/citizen-science/firefly-watch" target="_blank">Firefly Watch</a></p><p><em>Open to U.S. and Canada residents</em></p><p>The Firefly Watch project seeks to answer the question of whether fireflies are disappearing from our summer evenings. Firefly enthusiasts interested in participating are asked to devote a minimum of 10 minutes weekly to observing firefly activity in their backyards or at other grassy locations. Sightings (or lack thereof) are then reported in an online database, along with basic weather conditions. In time, researchers hope the data gathered may help highlight the extent to which climate change has harmed fireflies, whether through loss of habitat or earlier peak appearance.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/penguintom79/penguin-watch" target="_blank">Penguin Watch</a></p><p><em>Open to residents worldwide</em></p><p>The Penguin Watch project aims to better understand the environmental threats responsible for the decline in penguin colonies. Volunteers will view short videos and image stills of Adélie, king, and other penguins captured by cameras around the Southern Ocean and Antarctic Peninsula, then count the number of visible adult penguins, chicks, and eggs. In summer 2020, the project is transitioning from monitoring penguin breeding patterns to monitoring foraging behavior.</p><p><a href="https://monarchwatch.org/calendar/" target="_blank">Monarch Watch</a></p><p><em>Open to U.S. residents</em></p><p>A nonprofit conservation and research program based at the University of Kansas, Monarch Watch depends on monarch butterfly and entomology enthusiasts to help investigate the decade-long decline in monarch butterfly numbers. By tracking counts of adult monarch butterflies and the timing of their north-south migrations, volunteers help researchers better predict the fall migration and overwintering population size – two characteristics that are influenced by weather and climate.</p>
<p><a href="http://amoywg.org/research-and-monitoring/" target="_blank">Re-sighting oystercatchers</a><br><em>Open to residents and tourists of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts</em></p><p>Barrier island beachgoers from Maine to Mexico can help monitor American oystercatcher populations by reporting "banded" birds to the American Oystercatcher Working Group. Upon spotting a flock of oystercatchers during the breeding, nesting, or migration seasons, volunteers are asked to note and report (or better yet, photograph) the color, code, and positioning of bracelets on the shorebirds' legs. Re-sighting assists scientists in researching environmental threats, such as sea-level rise, on the migration habits and feeding or nesting resources of these orange-beaked shorebirds, which are a species of "special concern" in some states.</p><p><a href="https://www.outdoors.org/conservation/climate-energy/citizen-science" target="_blank">Mountain Watch</a><br><em>Open to New Hampshire and Maine residents and tourists</em></p><p><span></span>The Appalachian Mountain Club encourages hikers to help scientists study climate change and its effects on the flowering and fruiting times of Appalachian flora through the Mountain Watch program. The program, which partners with the iNaturalist app, asks Appalachian Trail-goers to use their mobile devices to photograph plant life found in the White Mountain National Forest. Those images are automatically geo-tagged with date and location coordinates, which then assist researchers in learning more about the characteristics of forest and alpine vegetation.</p>
<p><a href="https://eorhawaii.org/about-eyes-of-the-reef/" target="_blank">Eyes of the Reef Hawai'i</a><br><em>Open to Hawai'i residents and tourists</em></p><p>The Eyes of the Reef is a statewide reporting network that encourages Hawai'ian Island ocean enthusiasts, fishers, and community members to assist in protecting Hawai'i's local reefs. Participants are asked to identify and report unhealthy reefs so that coral disease, coral bleaching, and invasive species spread events can be monitored by scientists as early as possible. Seventy to 90% of coral reefs will be killed off by warming oceans, ocean acidification, and pollution in the next 20 years, according to <a href="https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2020/02/24/climate-change-could-kill-coral-reefs/" target="_blank">a recent study</a> by a researcher at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. Coral reefs may be eliminated worldwide by the year 2100.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/07/7-climate-conscious-citizen-science-projects/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em></p><h5></h5>
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M_a_y_a / iStock / Getty Images Plus
By Tonya Russell
A few years ago, my fiance and I got into an argument on our way to spend Christmas with my family.
As we drove through unfamiliar territory, we began to notice a lot of people who appeared to be without a home. This started to break up the tension as we turned our thoughts to this bigger issue.
<p>It made us realize that what we were fighting about was simply petty.</p><p>When we returned home, we decided to get cooking. We prepared some hot soup and ham sandwiches, then circled back to the men and women hovering over manholes to stay warm.</p><p>It became a ritual of ours after fights, and then on a weekly basis. Planning and preparing those meals brought us closer and allowed us to bond over a desire to work together to help others.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Healthline</em></a><em>. For detailed source information, please view the original article on </em><em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/8-ways-to-volunteer-virtually-in-quarantine" target="_blank">Healthline</a></em><em>.</em></p>
<p>We've expanded over the last seven years, and our passion projects have been mostly geared toward helping veterans and children experiencing homelessness.</p><p>Shutdowns and physical distancing have prevented us from giving back the way we'd like, so we've searched for other ways to volunteer without risking exposure to <a href="https://www.healthline.com/coronavirus" target="_blank">COVID-19</a>.</p><p>Physical distancing doesn't have to prevent us from keeping up our ritual and making a difference for those who need it most.</p>
Shifting Priorities
<p>Many have trouble volunteering because of hectic schedules. With virtual volunteering, it's easy to find opportunities that fit your terms.</p><p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0164027504271349" target="_blank">Studies show</a> that those who volunteer report higher levels of happiness, likely due to an increase in empathy and a resulting sense of gratitude for what you have.</p><p>It can also boost self-confidence and give individuals a <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-helping-people-affects-your-brain" target="_blank">sense of belonging</a> and purpose. I've personally felt idle sitting at home, and a sense of purpose is just what I need.</p>Ways to Give
<p>Whether you want to take the lead on a project or jump in and help, here are tips to find the right volunteer opportunity for you while physical distancing:</p><p><strong>Find Virtual Opportunities</strong></p><p>Databases are a great first step in finding the perfect volunteer opportunity. You can filter by categories, hours, and locations. That way, you can pick somewhere nearby in case you want to volunteer in person later.</p><p><a href="https://www.volunteermatch.org/virtual-volunteering" target="_blank">VolunteerMatch</a> and <a href="https://www.justserve.org/" target="_blank">JustServe</a> offer virtual opportunities to volunteer for nonprofit organizations, charities, and businesses with heart.</p><p><strong>Grant a Wish</strong></p><p>If you have extra cash or a way to raise funds, you can fulfill <a href="https://gooddler.com/Landing" target="_blank">charity wish lists</a>. Many organizations accept items year-round.</p><p>You can choose from different categories like animal welfare, environmental organizations, health services, and the arts. Whatever moves you, you'll find a cause to give to.</p><p>Items range in price from low cost to high ticket, so you'll still have something to offer if you're on a budget.</p><p><strong>Network on Social</strong></p><p>
Quite a few organizations are asking for help via their social pages. For instance, <a href="https://www.cathedralkitchen.org/" target="_blank">Cathedral Kitchen</a> in Camden, New Jersey, asked for sandwiches to be dropped on their doorstep so they could continue their efforts of feeding the homeless, even after quarantine.
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Network on your town's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BuyNothingProject/" target="_blank">Buy Nothing</a> page on Facebook and ask about opportunities. If there's interest, you can start a community drive. You can set up a giving box for people to donate canned goods, or collect cat food and feed the local stray colony.
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/215433826365119/?ref=share" target="_blank">A group in New Jersey</a>, with the help of local restaurants, used crowdfunding to have meals delivered to COVID-19 wards in hospitals. These efforts not only generated income for local businesses, it showed appreciation to frontline workers, too.
</p><p><strong>Remember Older Adults</strong></p><p>
Considering that their age group is the most vulnerable, many older adults are inside their homes or in nursing facilities by themselves, unable to see their families.
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Many are craving connection and appreciate volunteer efforts.
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Luckily, some facilities are connected. You can take <a href="https://www.today.com/popculture/matthew-mcconaughey-plays-virtual-bingo-seniors-t177815" target="_blank">Matthew McConaughey's lead</a> and play Bingo. Other options are reading, playing virtual chess, or giving a musical performance.
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To find out about these opportunities, reach out to a local assisted living facility or nursing home to learn what their needs are.
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<p><strong>Use Your Talents</strong></p><p>
Create opportunities with your skills and hobbies. A New Jersey-based runner, Patrick Rodio, <a href="https://www.collscares.org/2020-fund" target="_blank">organized a fundraiser</a> to honor the class of 2020 who won't be attending their graduations.
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The money will go to buying the student's yearbooks. Any extra will go toward college scholarship funds. Rodio has already far surpassed his goal of $3,000.
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If fitness is your thing but you don't want to fundraise, providing low cost or free online fitness classes can be a rewarding way to give back.
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If you're a musician, share it! You can play an instrument or sing to individuals who live alone over video, or offer free live virtual jam sessions for anyone to join in.
</p><p><strong>Be a Caregiver</strong></p><p>
Virtual babysitting is another great way to help. Occupying someone's children for an hour may be just the break <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/its-not-just-you-working-from-home-with-kids-is-impossible" target="_blank">homeschooling parents</a> need.
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As a certified trauma-focused kids yoga teacher, I enjoy offering meditation or kid-friendly yoga sessions. Creative individuals can offer art lessons, Lego building sessions, or even puppet shows.
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<p><strong>Teach Your Favorite Subject</strong></p><p>
Tutor students on subjects that are your strong suit. If your job requires a lot of writing, offer to proofread papers for middle and high schoolers.
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If you're a math whiz, walk some students through word problems. Engineer? Offer coding classes for those looking to expand their job skills.
</p><p><strong>Find Shared Language</strong></p><p>
If you speak another language, now is a great time to flex that muscle.
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Have Zoom conversations in French or offer translation services. This could mean helping a high schooler pass a class, or it could mean helping an exchange student practice their English.
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You can also reach out to local hospitals and organizations in case they're in need of translators for patients and their families.
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Adapting to Our New Day to Day
<p>We aren't quite certain when things will go back to normal, or if quarantine <em>is</em> the new normal. While we may be limited in what we can do, that doesn't need to stop our ability to give.</p><p>So many — from those experiencing homelessness to the neighborhood kids — depend on our generosity right now.</p><p>My fiancé and I look forward to seeing familiar faces when we can return to volunteering in shelters.</p><p>Until then, we've partnered with an assisted living facility to offer virtual art classes and music hours to keep their residents entertained.</p><p>Our hope is to inspire others to step outside their situations and look after someone to connect with anyone who has also been affected by COVID-19.</p><p>We're grateful that technology has made altruism easier, so we can continue our ritual of giving back.</p>
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