Citizen Microbiology MeetingUC Davis – Jan 23, 2012

Holly MenningerDirector of Public Science

Your Wild Life ProgramNC State University

holly.menninger@gmail.com | @DrHolly

Belly Button Biodiversity

http://www.yourwildlife.org

Belly Button Biodiversity

http://www.yourwildlife.org

• Excite audiences about microbial diversity found all around us

• Engage participants in the scientific process of exploring, understanding, and testing hypotheses about microbial ecology– Changes with lifestyle (rural to urban)– Climate

• Citizen science – But going beyond data collection– Process of science– Long-term engagement

• Collaboration: Citizen scientists, researchers, science communicators

• Impact: Widespread (but shallow) vs. Few (deep)– Defining our audience

Our Approach

Understandingscience.org

• Yourwildlife.org (re-design)– Blog – posts by collaborators– Data visualization/Science Art– Interactive components

• eNewsletter – Regular communication with participants (Follow-up)– Built-in survey tools

• Social media– Twitter, Google+ (hangouts to discuss data), Facebook

• Multi-media– Podcasts, videos– Process of science, meet the people behind the science, science “stories”

• Live events – e.g. NC Museum of Natural Sciences NRC

Toolbox

Field notes from the home

Sampling kits, SUPER-samplers

Share data, Crowdsource analysis

Online engagement, Process in real time

Notes from Science Online 2012 by Perrin Ireland

• Sampling logistics – Assembly, data management, follow-through– Participant contribution

• Sustaining engagement– Particularly in light of logistical challenges– Web tools that promote interaction

• Visualizing microbes/data– How do you get people interested/excited about things

they can’t see?– Interesting visual ways to communicate results?

Outreach Challenges

EVALUATION• Assessing impact and outcomes in a

meaningful way• Benchmarks of success?

Outreach Challenges