We are building a page of useful links and could use your help! If you know of any great websites for water education, water quality, stream ecology, stream biology, citizen science, volunteer monitoring, or any other topic related to the Blue Thumb program, email us and let us know!
Water Conservation Information and Resources
Macroinvertebrates.org
A collection of high quality, 3D scanned macroinvertebrates to help with identifying features and water bugs.
A collection of high quality, 3D scanned macroinvertebrates to help with identifying features and water bugs.
100 Ways to Conserve Water
There are at least 100 ways. Check them out at this site that includes lots of great tips and ways to get involved.
There are at least 100 ways. Check them out at this site that includes lots of great tips and ways to get involved.
How to Save Water
This website has a water footprint calculator that allows you to find out your total water usage, along with lots of great tips for reducing the amount of water you use.
This website has a water footprint calculator that allows you to find out your total water usage, along with lots of great tips for reducing the amount of water you use.
Conserving Water by Not Wasting Food - the following links focus on how the food that we waste leads to wasting a lot of water as well:
Environmental Impact of Food Waste in the US from Think-Eat-Save
Cut Food Waste, Cut Water Waste from EcoCentric
This is How Much Water You Waste When You Throw Away Food from Smithsonian Magazine
Izaak Walton League
Information about the Izaak Walton League of America.
Environmental Law: The Clean Water Act
This video and article talk about the Clean Water Act, which was implemented in 1972 after the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio caught fire
Fishable Swimmable by Wes Shockley
Drip Calculator
Check to see how much water that leaking faucet or pipe is costing you, as well as how much water it wastes
Comprehensive Guide on Home Water Conservation
Conservative resources to save water in our day to day lives by making small changes
Environmental Impact of Food Waste in the US from Think-Eat-Save
Cut Food Waste, Cut Water Waste from EcoCentric
This is How Much Water You Waste When You Throw Away Food from Smithsonian Magazine
Izaak Walton League
Information about the Izaak Walton League of America.
Environmental Law: The Clean Water Act
This video and article talk about the Clean Water Act, which was implemented in 1972 after the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio caught fire
Fishable Swimmable by Wes Shockley
Drip Calculator
Check to see how much water that leaking faucet or pipe is costing you, as well as how much water it wastes
Comprehensive Guide on Home Water Conservation
Conservative resources to save water in our day to day lives by making small changes
Other Citizen Science Opportunities
Oklahoma Wildlife Department of Wildlife Conservation Citizen Science Programs
Help the ODWC expand their studies through Citizen Science, including rare wildlife, whooping cranes, invasive species, Texas Horned Lizards, and so much more!
Oklahoma Infectious Disease Citizen Science Project
The purpose of the Oklahoma Infectious Disease Citizen Science Project is to assess the prevalence of the fungal disease Batrachochytrium dendrobatis (Bd) in Oklahoma frogs. To participate, citizen scientists complete online training and submit an online application form. Applications are accepted prior to the sampling season, which begins in spring and continues through June 30. Once the application is approved, participants receive a kit with swabs, vials, instructions, datasheets and an Oklahoma frog identification guide. A citizen science teacher packet is also available on the website. Data collection involves catching frogs, swabbing the frogs on several different parts of their bodies, sealing the swabs in the vials, and returning them to the Sam Noble Museum. Project data are searchable by county and species, as well as an online map of Bd occurrence.
Great Backyard Bird Count
Each year in February, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology invites citizens from all over the world to observe birds in their backyard (or schoolyard) for a minimum of 15 minutes and to submit their observations online. Participation involves creating an online eBird account, completing a datasheet, and submitting your observations online. The website has many helpful resources such as regional bird lists, online guides and birding apps. It is not necessary to be able to identify all of the birds you observe, but data are not submitted for birds you are unable to identify. You may download participation certificates for your students and explore the data in the eBird system. In 2019, 6,699 species were recorded worldwide by over 224,000 citizen scientists.
iNaturalist
iNaturalist, mentioned above, is an online network of people sharing biodiversity data. The tool allows users to record observations; observations can be verified by other users. The goals of iNaturalist are to (1) connect people to nature and (2) generate scientifically valid biodiversity data. Users can simply upload observations to iNaturalist or they can create their own projects within iNaturalist. iNaturalist includes a section on BioBlitz events.
Bumble Bee Watch
Bumble Bee Watch is a collaborate effort to track bumble bees in North America. Citizen scientists find bumble bees, take photographs and upload their photos. Participants identify the bees in their photos; identifications are verified by experts. Data from citizen scientists helps researchers determine the status and conservation needs of bumble bees. The site contains a guide to identifying bumble bee species and opportunities to explore Bumble Bee Watch data.
Migratory Dragonfly Partnership
The Migratory Dragonfly Partnership includes two citizen science projects: Dragonfly Pond Watch and Migration Monitoring. Participants in Dragonfly Pond Watch visit the same pond or wetland through the year and record the presence, emergence, and behaviors of five migratory dragonfly species. The website includes many tools to aid citizen scientists in identification of species. Participants in Migration Monitoring will record the timing and duration of migration, as well as the direction of travel of migratory dragonflies. Citizen scientists document migratory species and behaviors in groups of migrating dragonflies. Data collection occurs in the spring and fall. Procedures for collecting data for both projects are available online in Monitoring Dragonfly Migration in North America: Protocols for Citizen Scientists. Data collected for both projects are submitting online through the MDP website.
Journey North
Participants can record monarch sightings and view sightings of other participants. To record sightings, participants enter the date, nearby town, state, latitude and longitude and number of monarchs observed. You can also upload photographs.
Monarch Watch
Monarch Watch offers several opportunities for student-scientists to collect and submit data on all stages of the monarch life cycle. Programs include tagging monarchs, monitoring larva, measuring monarch size and mass and recording monarch flight vectors. The complexity of these programs varies, as does the age range for which the programs are appropriate. The methods for sharing data with Monarch Watch also vary. Please see the In the Classroom section of the website for detailed information.
Zooniverse
Zooniverse is a platform that supports diverse citizen science projects across the fields of the arts, biology, climate, history, language, literature and medicine. The platform currently hosts 90 active research projects. Citizen scientists can browse the projects and participate in projects of interest. Citizen scientists can communicate with researchers and each other through discussion boards.
Frog Watch
FrogWatch USA is AZA's citizen science program and provides individuals, groups, and families opportunities to learn about wetlands in their communities by reporting on the calls of local frogs and toads.
CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network)
Participants record daily precipitation measurements from an approved rain gauge. CoCoRaHS rain gauges cost approximately $32. Ideally, participants read the rain gauge and record observations daily, but participants can also enter multiple-day accumulations. Data can be entered online. Data collected between the hours of 4:30 am and 9:30 am will be updated on the CoCoRaHS map. The map is updated every 10 minutes. Participants can also view and summarize data from other stations. Data are used by the National Weather Service, hydrologists, emergency managers, city utilities, insurance adjusters, ranchers and farmers and outdoor enthusiasts, among others.
Help the ODWC expand their studies through Citizen Science, including rare wildlife, whooping cranes, invasive species, Texas Horned Lizards, and so much more!
Oklahoma Infectious Disease Citizen Science Project
The purpose of the Oklahoma Infectious Disease Citizen Science Project is to assess the prevalence of the fungal disease Batrachochytrium dendrobatis (Bd) in Oklahoma frogs. To participate, citizen scientists complete online training and submit an online application form. Applications are accepted prior to the sampling season, which begins in spring and continues through June 30. Once the application is approved, participants receive a kit with swabs, vials, instructions, datasheets and an Oklahoma frog identification guide. A citizen science teacher packet is also available on the website. Data collection involves catching frogs, swabbing the frogs on several different parts of their bodies, sealing the swabs in the vials, and returning them to the Sam Noble Museum. Project data are searchable by county and species, as well as an online map of Bd occurrence.
Great Backyard Bird Count
Each year in February, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology invites citizens from all over the world to observe birds in their backyard (or schoolyard) for a minimum of 15 minutes and to submit their observations online. Participation involves creating an online eBird account, completing a datasheet, and submitting your observations online. The website has many helpful resources such as regional bird lists, online guides and birding apps. It is not necessary to be able to identify all of the birds you observe, but data are not submitted for birds you are unable to identify. You may download participation certificates for your students and explore the data in the eBird system. In 2019, 6,699 species were recorded worldwide by over 224,000 citizen scientists.
iNaturalist
iNaturalist, mentioned above, is an online network of people sharing biodiversity data. The tool allows users to record observations; observations can be verified by other users. The goals of iNaturalist are to (1) connect people to nature and (2) generate scientifically valid biodiversity data. Users can simply upload observations to iNaturalist or they can create their own projects within iNaturalist. iNaturalist includes a section on BioBlitz events.
Bumble Bee Watch
Bumble Bee Watch is a collaborate effort to track bumble bees in North America. Citizen scientists find bumble bees, take photographs and upload their photos. Participants identify the bees in their photos; identifications are verified by experts. Data from citizen scientists helps researchers determine the status and conservation needs of bumble bees. The site contains a guide to identifying bumble bee species and opportunities to explore Bumble Bee Watch data.
Migratory Dragonfly Partnership
The Migratory Dragonfly Partnership includes two citizen science projects: Dragonfly Pond Watch and Migration Monitoring. Participants in Dragonfly Pond Watch visit the same pond or wetland through the year and record the presence, emergence, and behaviors of five migratory dragonfly species. The website includes many tools to aid citizen scientists in identification of species. Participants in Migration Monitoring will record the timing and duration of migration, as well as the direction of travel of migratory dragonflies. Citizen scientists document migratory species and behaviors in groups of migrating dragonflies. Data collection occurs in the spring and fall. Procedures for collecting data for both projects are available online in Monitoring Dragonfly Migration in North America: Protocols for Citizen Scientists. Data collected for both projects are submitting online through the MDP website.
Journey North
Participants can record monarch sightings and view sightings of other participants. To record sightings, participants enter the date, nearby town, state, latitude and longitude and number of monarchs observed. You can also upload photographs.
Monarch Watch
Monarch Watch offers several opportunities for student-scientists to collect and submit data on all stages of the monarch life cycle. Programs include tagging monarchs, monitoring larva, measuring monarch size and mass and recording monarch flight vectors. The complexity of these programs varies, as does the age range for which the programs are appropriate. The methods for sharing data with Monarch Watch also vary. Please see the In the Classroom section of the website for detailed information.
Zooniverse
Zooniverse is a platform that supports diverse citizen science projects across the fields of the arts, biology, climate, history, language, literature and medicine. The platform currently hosts 90 active research projects. Citizen scientists can browse the projects and participate in projects of interest. Citizen scientists can communicate with researchers and each other through discussion boards.
Frog Watch
FrogWatch USA is AZA's citizen science program and provides individuals, groups, and families opportunities to learn about wetlands in their communities by reporting on the calls of local frogs and toads.
CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network)
Participants record daily precipitation measurements from an approved rain gauge. CoCoRaHS rain gauges cost approximately $32. Ideally, participants read the rain gauge and record observations daily, but participants can also enter multiple-day accumulations. Data can be entered online. Data collected between the hours of 4:30 am and 9:30 am will be updated on the CoCoRaHS map. The map is updated every 10 minutes. Participants can also view and summarize data from other stations. Data are used by the National Weather Service, hydrologists, emergency managers, city utilities, insurance adjusters, ranchers and farmers and outdoor enthusiasts, among others.