Citizen Science and the Monarch Butterfly

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Citizen science is a way of documenting these changes, right? Like you talked about how when we started documenting through citizen science, the monarch butterfly. We not only understood a lot more about their migratory pattern including this mazing five generations long journey, but also we understood that the numbers were dropping dramatically. The monarch is, i think, to be our avatar of change, because it's teaching us soh and also its am its, it's inspiring so much.

When you think of a scientist, do you think of a person in a lab coat? How about a teenager with a smartphone-- or even, yourself? Mary Ellen Hannibal is a science writer who argues that everyday people collecting data with simple tools like phones can make a big impact in the sciences, their lives, and their communities. She shares great tips on how to get involved with this vital, and hopefully enjoyable, work. Her book, “Citizen Scientist: Searching for Heroes and Hope in an Age of Extinction”, was named one of the best titles of 2016 by the San Francisco Chronicle. Mary Ellen’s previous work has appeared in the New York Times, Science, Anthropocene, Nautilus and many other publications. To learn more about "How to Be a Better Human," host Chris Duffy, or find footnotes and additional resources, please visit: go.ted.com/betterhuman