Community Science
Community science (also known as citizen science) has grown exponentially in scope and popularity since our flagship community science initiative, the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network, began 30 years ago.
Since then, our programs have been recognized as models for others, and continue to provide opportunities for passionate individuals to get involved in scientific research. The Academy holds the data collected by community scientists in the public trust, and makes the data accessible to students, teachers, researchers, land managers, and the general public for exploration. Discover how you can contribute to real research—no degree required.
The goal of the Calling Frog Survey is to establish survey routes, resulting in frog/toad abundance and distribution data.
Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network
The Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network engages over 100 citizen scientists every year to monitor butterfly populations across Illinois.
The Illinois Odonate Survey aims to gain a greater knowledge of the distribution and abundance of dragonfly and damselfly species.