Here is a sampling of Citizen Science projects. Some of these projects you can participate in by collecting information from your own yard. You can also view the list as a PDF file (includes more detail): CLC Citizen Scientist. Some of the projects are based here in the Chicago area and others are national or worldwide.
The projects listed below cover a number of different science disciplines: insects Entomology, butterflies Lepidopterology, herps (amphibians and reptiles) Herpetology, birds Ornithology, plants Botany, and more.
2017 Project Updates
Bumble Bee Watch has announced an iPhone app for reporting sightings.
See the app and more information here
2019 New Project
I-Pollinate coordinates with BeeSpotter. Involves the creation of a research garden.
| Category | Project | Area | Sponsors |
| Bees | BeeSpotter | USA (IL, MO, OH) | University of Illinois at Urbana-Chamapaign |
| Bees | Bumble Bee Watch | Canada, USA | Xerces Society (lead) |
| Butterflies | Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network | Chicago | Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network |
| Butterflies | eButterfly | USA, Canada | University of Ottawa, Oregon State University, Vermont Center for Ecostudies |
| Butterflies | Monarch Parasites | Canada, USA | University of Georgia |
| Butterflies | Monarch Larva Monitoring Project | Canada, USA | University of Minnesota |
| Butterflies | Monarch Watch | Canada, USA | University of Kansas |
| Insects | Ill. Odonate Survey | Chicago | Chgo Academy of Sciences, Peggy Notabaert, UIC |
| Insects | School of Ants | Various | Field Museum and others |
| Insects | BugGuide | USA, Canada | Iowa State University |
| Insects | Cicada Watch: Brood II[7] | Northeastern America | National Geographic Society |
| Insects | Odonata Central | North America | |
| Insects | Xerces: Dragonfly Pond Watch Project | Xerces | |
| Insects | Xerces: Migratory Dragonfly Partnership | Xerces | |
| Birds | Birds Citizen Science | Chicago | Field Museum |
| Birds | Audubon Christmas Bird Count | Western Hemisphere | National Audubon Society |
| Birds | BirdSleuth K-12[note 2] | USA | Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
| Birds | Celebrate Urban Birds | USA | Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
| Birds | ebird | Worldwide | Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society |
| Birds | Great Backyard Bird Count | Worldwide | National Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
| Birds | Hummingbird Migration Tracker | USA | Birdfeeders.com |
| Birds | Hummingbirds at Home | USA | National Audubon Society |
| Birds | NestWatch | Americas | Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
| Birds | North American Bird Phenology Program [9] | North America | United States Geological Survey |
| Birds | What Do Birds Eat? | United States | University of Delaware |
| Herps | Calling Frog Survey | Chicago | Chgo Academy of Sciences,Peggy Notagaert, UIC |
| Herps | Amphibian Migrations and Road Crossings | New York, USA | Department of Environmental Conservation, NY, USA |
| Herps | FrogWatch USATM | USA | Association of Zoos and Aquariums |
| Herps | Herpetological Education and Research Project | North America | HERP Board of Trustees |
| Herps | Michigan Herp Atlas Project | USA (MI) | Michigan Department of Natural Resources |
| Herps | North American Field Herping Association | North America | North American field herping community |
| Urban Wildlife | Project Squirrel | Chicago | Chgo Academy of Sciences, Peggy Notabaert, UIC |
| Urban Wildlife | Chicago Wildlife Watch | Chicago | Lincoln Park Zoo |
| Plants | Collection Connection: MicroPlants | Chicago | Field Museum |
| Plants | Plants of Concern | Chicago Region | Chicago Botanic Garden and Others |
| Plants | Nature’s Notebook | USA | USA National Phenology Network |
| Plants | Project Budburst | USA | National Ecological Observatory Network, National Science Foundation |
| Invasive plants | Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System | USA, Canada | University of GeorgiaCenter for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. |
| Conservation | Habitat Network [5] | North America | [The Nature Conservancy and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology]] |
| Ecology | Ecological Stewardship | Chicago | Field Museum |
| Light Pollution | Globe at Night | Worldwide | National Optical Astronomy Observatory, CADIAS, International Dark-Sky Association |
| General | Chicago Region Monitoring | Chicago | Field Museum |
| General | Biodiversity Heritage Library Flickr images | Worldwide | Biodiversity Heritage Library |
| General | iNaturalist | Worldwide | California Academy of Sciences |
| General | Notes from Nature | Worldwide | Zooniversecollaboration |
| Other | Geo Wiki | Worldwide | IIASA |