Author Mary Ellen Hannibal discusses “citizen science”

Citizen science is “regular” people contributing to scientific discovery.  Today, the time-honored practice of amateur science has developed into an exciting tool for helping save nature. And save it we must, as thousands of species are threatened with extinction.

In Hannibal’s telling, citizen science is not only a platform for collecting data, but a practice by which we can better align ourselves with nature.  Weaving history, literature, and memoir into her narrative, Hannibal includes the stories of John Steinbeck, Ed Ricketts, and Joseph Campbell â€" all citizen scientists â€" who not only contributed data still in use today, but reflected with meaning on the connections between humanity and our fellow species.  Other stories include that of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, who are recovering their cultural history in the Santa Cruz Mountains with the help of PhD archaeologists.

As citizen-mapping converges with citizen science in general, Hannibal’s discussion will include practical commentary on using today’s smartphone and web-based tools, all free, to help visualize environmental impacts likely from proposed development.

Seating limited to first 100 people.