CITIZEN SCIENCE & EDUCATION
ORCA’s citizen science program educates and engages community members in solving the problems that are leading to the degradation of the Indian River Lagoon.
Our educators and scientists train citizen volunteers to participate in different components of our research programs and initiatives. This approach allows us to uniquely involve residents of all ages in measuring and monitoring local environmental conditions, identifying pollution in and around the lagoon, and arming and activating their own community to address these problems and develop solutions.
CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECTS
The OHFM project looks at the transfer of toxins and toxicants from the Indian River Lagoon and surrounding waterways into fish in order to estimate potential exposures to humans.
ORCA citizen scientists assist in the construction and monitoring of ORCA’s shoreline projects to better understand the benefits these habitat restoration projects provide.
This project asks teams of citizen scientists to seasonally monitor and analyze water and sediment samples from various sample sites throughout the lagoon to help identify the sources of pollution and stop those contaminants upstream, prior to entering the system.
Our participatory educational experiences were developed to bridge the gap between citizen science and education by offering students of all ages, the opportunity to engage in real-world science and citizen science that challenges them to problem solve, inquire, engage, and think critically.
This annual, long-term project is designed to help students (grades 4-12) develop an appreciation for and knowledge of the IRL by collecting valuable biological, chemical, and physical parameters of an adopted sampling location. The data collected will provide a better understanding of current health issues and stressors facing this waterway.
ORCA works with schools, homeschoolers, scouts, and community organizations across the Treasure and Space Coasts to provide both classroom and field-based lessons that are exploratory, educational, inspiring, and impactful.
The Team ORCA Data Jam is a unique competition that challenges entrants to look at real science datasets collected by ORCA citizen scientists and come up with a creative and artistic way to display and share their findings with others.
Kilroy Academy is a collection of educational resources that provides area educators and students an innovative way to engage with live Kilroy data in relevant, real-world learning to help the local ecosystem and understand the complexity of the challenges our planet is facing.