Profile of Notes from Nature Citizen Scientist: “SandersClan”

Name:  Maggie (my userid is SandersClan).

Country of residence:  I live in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

What sort of science background or interest do you have?  I really don’t have a science background to speak of. I have always been fascinated by repeating patterns in nature, though. My family and I are fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful hiking areas, so we spend as much time outside as we can. We spend lots of time looking for and collecting fossils and interesting things.

What do you find most exciting about Notes from Nature?  I am so excited by Notes from Nature mainly because it’s not really repetitive. Each sample is unique, as is the description of where it was found and when. While I type, it’s easy to picture the area I’m transcribing, and it’s never the same as the one before.

What’s the most exciting aspect of citizen science work from your point-of-view?  I love citizen science because it’s an easy way to feel involved in something outside of my home and regular life, something ‘bigger’, if you will. I’m a homemaker, which means things feel the same from day to day. With citizen science I can participate in these projects at my leisure. I can invest as much time as I want, when I want, and my children can see that I have eclectic interests.

What other citizen science projects (including beyond Zooniverse) have you participated in?  I’ve participated mainly in Sea Floor Explorer, Ancient Lives, SETI Live and Cell Slider, but have dabbled in a few other projects as well. I have to say that I would love to see Zooniverse create kid-friendly projects, especially with summer coming!   Thanks for the opportunity to share!