Recent Headlines...
Keep up with our Summer Research Interns - read the "Tremonthly" summer science report.
It's Great Smoky Mountains Photo Contest time again! Read the rules here
Evaluating Tremont's Impact
Learn why your school's visit to Tremont will be "more than just a field trip."
What is citizen science?
Citizen science, put simply, is the involvement of non-scientists in scientific research. It is a terrific tool for both educators and scientists. The research process begins with posing questions for investigation, includes hypothesizing, designing methods, and collecting and analyzing data, and culminates in sharing research findings with other people. Students, teachers, and other citizens can be involved with one or more of these steps.
Why is Tremont involved in citizen science?
At Tremont, we are using citizen science as another tool to connect people with nature. By giving students hands-on experience with real research projects, we are able to engage and excite them. The knowledge that they have helped scientists learn something new about Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a memory that stays with students for a long time. If you have been coming to Tremont for a while, you’ve probably already been doing citizen science, perhaps as part of our weather monitoring study or our salamander monitoring project.
What kind of research can students do?
We have about a dozen different on-going research projects. The specific mix of projects varies seasonally and from year-to-year. Many of them relate to the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI), a long-term study aimed at identifying and mapping all 100,000 species in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. All of our projects are real research; the data students collect are maintained and shared with park managers and scientists.
How can you get involved?
Whether you are a teacher bringing a school group to Tremont, a student from a community near the Smokies, or a young person looking for the perfect summer camp, there's an opportunity for you to be a citizen scientist in the Smokies. Learn more on our Get Involved page!