Bats, Spiders and Cemeteries
Bats, spiders, cemeteries, unseen creatures living in our homes– even roadkill– have stories to tell and important lessons to teach us.
Go a little batty!
Credit: Celley/USFWS, public domain via Flickr Creative Commons
https://flic.kr/p/MyrcrD
You don’t need your own belfry to watch fascinating bats; you can join Bats Count! Bat Cam Emergence Count and watch them leave their Connecticut barn every evening through the project’s live Bat Emergence Cam! As you might have guessed from the project title, Bat Count needs you to count bats as they go bug hunting each night. Tracking the population and activity of this colony of Big Brown Bats will help scientists working to conserve them.
Giant Alien Spiders Invade!
Now that we have your attention, meet the Joro Spider, from east Asia, which is particularly pretty, has a large orb web, and is harmless to humans. Scientists running the Joro Watch project would like your help tracking this newcomer to understand its effects on local ecology.
Welcome to the Cemetery!
Halloween is the perfect time of year to sashay, saunter, mosey or, yes, Stroll Through the Cemetery, a project in which you research and share the lives of people buried at Miami City Cemetery (and eventually at cemeteries everywhere). Just look through the list of cemetery residents, select an interesting name, and follow the project instructions to write about the life of that person. As we learn about the intersecting lives of all of these people, we’ll better understand the history of the region.
Brake for Roadkill!
While millions of nature lovers look for birds, butterflies and wildflowers, it takes a special kind of science buff to hunt for roadkill. But that’s exactly what we, and the scientists at Roadkill Reports, need. Keeping track of roadkill helps scientists locate, study and help remediate stretches of road where wildlife are in the greatest danger. Reporting the victims of today’s car accidents could save other animals from a similar fate!
Say Hello to Your Little Friends!
You’ll never feel lonely at Halloween when you realize that you’re completely surrounded by thousands of multilegged creatures! Why not get to know them through the Never Home Alone project? Just sign up and then explore the nooks and crannies (whatever they are) of your home to locate the mites, millipedes, carpet beetles and, if you’re lucky, raccoons sharing your living space.
Be a Citizen Science Ambassador
As a Volunteer Ambassador for Citizen Science, you’ll help introduce the basics of citizen science to libraries and other community hubs. Free trainings, professionally designed materials and more will help you become a champion, connector and facilitator.
Applications for the second cohort are open now through November 1.
November is packed with citizen science events and programs!
Print the November Calendar
Bats, Spiders and Cemeteries in the latest SciStarter Podcast!
SciStarter LIVE!
Join Emma Giles and the SciStarter team Tuesdays from 2-3 PM ET, to meet inspiring project leaders, gain valuable tips for participating in citizen science projects, and discover the incredible impact your contributions can make. Join the action via Zoom or catch the live stream on SciStarter’s Facebook page.
In case you missed it:
Map Fungal Diversity with FUNDIS: Contribute, Learn, and Protect North America’s Fungi . Explore how you can contribute to FUNDIS, help document fungal diversity across North America, and receive expert feedback on your observations. Watch on YouTube.
Jumpstart Planning for Citizen Science Month 2025: If you are planning to help others participate in Citizen Science month, watch our recorded webinar on how to get started. Watch on YouTube.
Upcoming:
October 29th – Spooky Science: Join the Hunt to Track the Invasive Joro Spider! Join this SciStarter LIVE event to hear directly from the project leader about the Joro spider, why its invasive status matters, and how your participation can help track its spread. Register.
November 5th – Make Sourdough for Science (and Thanksgiving!) Start at least two weeks before you plan to enjoy the (sourdough) fruits of your labor! Watch on Youtube.
November 12th – Wild Hope, Wildlife Corridors, and Citizen Science Learn how citizen scientists and experts are working together to identify and protect vital wildlife corridors, and how you can get involved in conservation efforts. Register.
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