Community science is public participation in real scientific research, where community members help collect and share data alongside scientists and local experts.

Community members use simple, standardized methods to gather observations, samples, or measurements that inform decisions about issues ranging from water quality to wildlife. These data are shared back with residents and agencies so people can see what’s happening in their own communities and use the information to guide important decisions such as land use, restoration priorities, and public health protections.

Community science is valuable because it:

• Builds environmental and scientific literacy by helping people understand local issues like water quality, habitat loss, public health, and climate impacts.

• Deepens stewardship by connecting people to the places they monitor and motivating them to protect those places.

• Lowers barriers to science and gives residents a voice in setting questions that reflect local concerns.

• Strengthens relationships among neighbors, nonprofits, agencies, and researchers for collaborative problem‑solving.

It also fills critical data gaps. Volunteers can monitor small ponds, parks, drinking water wells, and private lands that professionals may rarely sample, and they can collectively accumulate data more often, revealing trends or sudden changes that might otherwise be missed. Local knowledge helps interpret the results and guides conservation planning, management action, and education programs.