The Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program as a Model K-12 Citizen Science Initiative

Citizen science initiatives can provide an excellent avenue for engaging K-12 students in scientific practice; however, many programs make sacrifices on the axis of either student learning or the production of quality... [ view full abstract ]

Citizen science initiatives can provide an excellent avenue for engaging K-12 students in scientific practice; however, many programs make sacrifices on the axis of either student learning or the production of quality research. We present the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP), the official schoolyard outreach of the Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research Program, as a case study of a program successfully meeting both goals. BEMP involves K-12 students, many from underserved communities, in the collection of ecological data monthly at sites in a southwestern desert riparian forest. BEMP’s success can be attributed to three main factors: 1) standardized data collection protocols, with supporting educational materials tailored to individual classrooms; 2) the participation of the University of New Mexico in data quality control and the training of university interns for field and educational support; and 3) a broad base of community partnerships, including local, state, tribal, and federal natural resource management agencies. We believe that BEMP could serve as a model in the design of other citizen science programs.