How much is too much? Lessons in realistic volunteer expectations from the Front Range Pika Project

The Front Range Pika Project is a citizen science program that engages the public in conservation research on the American pika in Colorado. Pika Patrol volunteers follow monitoring protocols to collect data about pikas and... [ view full abstract ]

The Front Range Pika Project is a citizen science program that engages the public in conservation research on the American pika in Colorado. Pika Patrol volunteers follow monitoring protocols to collect data about pikas and their habitat at high altitude field sites, thereby informing efforts to assess whether pikas are impacted by climate change. Created in tandem with other pika citizen science programs, the Front Range Pika Project provides long-term data to aid the conservation of this little-understood alpine species and its associated habitats.

Through the course of five field seasons, we’ve learned countless lessons, including some related to setting realistic expectations for what citizen scientists can and cannot accomplish. Aside from improving this individual program, these lessons are important for the broader conversation on scientific rigor in citizen science. How complicated can volunteer tasks be without compromising the quality of the data collected? How much training is needed to ensure volunteers feel confident in their responsibilities? How do we make sure the data collected is useful and rigorous without overwhelming volunteers with too many protocols? This talk will share answers to these questions and ideas for best practices gained through the Front Range Pika Project’s experience.