Citizen Scientists in national parks get out in the field, gain deeper knowledge about the resources in the parks, and contribute valuable information to assist the National Park Service (NPS) manage the resources we all love. Many participants report a greater awareness of local issues, increased appreciation of the value of protected lands, and a stronger sense of stewardship. For the NPS, citizen science provides a wealth of much-needed data about key resources that can be used in planning management actions. Citizen Scientists at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore are involved in establishing baseline data on native frogs, conducting breeding bird surveys, monitoring piping plover nesting territories, managing avian botulism outbreaks, and contributing to our understanding of how invasive aquatic species contribute to avian botulism in the nearshore environment of Lake Michigan.
