"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead

ORCA's citizen science program aims to educate and engage all members of the community, regardless of age, gender, education, race, or religion, in solving the problems that are leading to the degradation of the Indian River Lagoon and connecting waterways.

Through a series of workshops and trainings, our staff rigorously prepare community volunteers to actively participate in our citizen science projects- all of which were developed from ORCA's current research initiatives.  ORCA citizen scientists measure and monitor local environmental conditions and help identify sources of pollution entering the lagoon by conducting various field sampling and laboratory analyses.  Together, we can acquire the data required to drive change and solve the problems.