Citizen Science Publication Highlights Tremont Program

(Great Smoky Mountains) – Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont announces the release of a best practices guide for nature centers, an outcome of a Citizen Science forum held at Tremont in 2003. Published by the Association of Nature Center Administrators (ANCA), Programming - Citizen Science is a 32-page guide that provides directors of nature centers a tool to set up citizen science programming, helps to involve more people in science programs. This publication was written by former Tremont Citizen Science directors, Michelle Prysby and Paul Super.

In 1998, Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont began a program to involve youth and adults in some of the exciting scientific studies happening within Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The same year marked the beginning of the All Taxa Biodiversity inventory (ATBI), an enormous scientific endeavor that has involved citizens in its efforts from the start. In 2001 the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center opened, serving as a focal point for research and education efforts in the park. The Smokies was soon recognized as a model for engaging citizens in inventory, monitoring, and research in a national park. To date, there have been 15,379 total records made in the ATBI, 5,116 of which are new to the park and 858 that are new to science.

Requests for advice on setting up citizen science programs inspired Tremont to hold a Citizen Science forum in 2003. The forum involved national park learning centers, environmental education centers, nature centers, museums and others who include citizen science in their programming. Twenty-four representatives from 20 institutions across the country shared their best practices for citizen science. The guide is a result of roundtable discussions on dealing with common questions, challenges and issues and sharing strategies for dealing with them. The guide represents input from all of the forum participants, along with many observations and experiences from citizen science programs in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Alcoa Foundation provided funding for the Citizen Science Forum through a grant to Tremont in support of its Citizen Science Program.

For more information or to become involved in Tremont’s Citizen Science Program visit www.gsmit.org, call 865-448-6709 or e-mail Mail@gsmit.org. To purchase a copy of the guide for $14 (includes shipping) call ANCA at 800-490-2622 or visit www.natctr.org/manual.html.

Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont is a private 501(c)3 non-profit organization that operates a residential environmental learning center within Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Since 1969 Tremont has provided in-depth experiences to hundreds of thousands of people of all ages through residential educational programs designed to nurture appreciation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, celebrate diversity, and foster stewardship.

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