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Volunteer to Observe and Document Seasonal Change Across Plants & Wildlife
Descripción
Descripción
Join Earthwise Aware (EwA) in a guided ecology volunteer program contributing to the EwA Pheno Lite project, using its field app to document seasonal change and species interactions across Provincetown’s Outer Cape landscapes, including Beech Forest, Shank Painter, Clapps Pond, and Hatches Harbor.
Volunteers contribute to a long-term participatory science effort tracking plant phenology, wildlife activity, and ecological relationships in a changing climate.
What you’ll do:
- Record seasonal changes in plants (leafing, flowering, fruiting)
- Observe insects, birds, and species interactions
- Use Pheno Lite for core observations and documentation
- Build natural history and field observation skills
Why this matters:
Your observations become part of a structured, open-access dataset designed for scientific use. EwA’s protocols emphasize consistency, ecological context, and data quality, making contributions suitable for research, long-term monitoring, and cross-project comparison.
Because the data are open and discoverable, they can be used by scientists, conservation practitioners, and land managers to track ecological change, inform habitat management, and better understand climate-driven shifts in species and ecosystems. This work connects local observation to broader environmental decision-making.
Training provided:
We train our participatory scientists using methods designed to maximize both volunteer and leader satisfaction while ensuring the highest possible data quality.
- Guided field walks with Claire O’Neill (EwA) -- Current schedule here
- Instruction in phenology methods and ecological observation
- Hands-on training with the Pheno Lite app
- Optional group surveys every other week
As your interests develop, you can also participate in additional EwA surveys, including:
- Buggy (insect-focused observations)
- FrogScape (amphibians and wetland dynamics)
- Invasive Flora Patrol (tracking plant species of concern)
- Trail Report (habitat condition and phenology context)
These are optional pathways for deeper engagement over time.
Commitment:
Flexible. Attend one training walk to get started; continue independently or with the group approximately every other week throughout spring to fall.
Women-led. Open to all who engage in that spirit.
Together, we can make a difference!
Ubicación
Provincetown area, and surrounding Cape Code National Seashore.
¿Cómo llegar?
Weekly or bi-weekly field sites include:
- Beech Forest
- Shank Painter Pond
- Clapps Pond
- Hatches Harbor
You can also survey anywhere you may be to complement the field site surveys (called matrix surveys).
Por favor, llena este formulario
Thank you for your interest in applying!
Before submitting your application, please take the time to read our Biodiversity and Climate Participatory Science storyMap.
Once we have reviewed your application, we'll be in touch. In the meantime, we encourage you to attend one of our field orientations, as we typically recommend these as the next step in the process. The orientation provides a comprehensive introduction to EwA's fields of study, field methods, and approach to participatory science.
Our orientation schedule is available here. These sessions are open to everyone and are typically posted about two weeks in advance.
The content is the same at all locations and introduces our work across all of our field sites. It's a great opportunity to meet the team, learn about our approach, and ask questions. After the orientation, we'll provide additional guidance tailored to your fieldwork and data collection activities.
We look forward to meeting you soon!
