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The NC State Public Science Cluster is proud to present the 2019 Wolfpack Citizen Science Challenge: Never Home Alone @ NCSU.

For this project, which is open to anyone that lives on or near campus, participants will be finding and photographing the insects and other life that they find in their homes, dorms and apartments. They will upload their findings to iNaturalist. There will be prizes for students and/or student groups that find the most species!

This groundbreaking project will the be the first comprehensive examination of the biodiversity of the indoor spaces of a college campus. In fact, it’s quite possible that students will find a species completely new to science. This research will help scientists in the Dunn Lab at NCSU better understand the diversity and distribution of arthropods, and how different environments are home to different kinds of life. So join us, submit your observations, and get out there and explore the great indoors, one of the least-studied ecosystems on earth!

Prizes!

If finding a new species isn’t motivation enough, the dorm with the highest participation gets a free pizza party, and the individuals with the most observations by April 22nd win prizes like gift cards, smartphone macro lens attachments, books and more! And anyone that submits an observation will be placed in a drawing for more prizes! Winners will be announced at the wrap-up event on April 23rd.

Stay Connected

Sign up for the citsci-ncsu listserv to learn about campus citizen science activities. Use the hashtag #WolfpackCitSci on Instagram and Twitter to keep up with the latest news and share your experiences participating in the challenges. You can follow the project on Instagram @NeverHomeAloneNCSU.

If you have questions about the Wolfpack Citizen Science Challenge, contact Danica Lewis at dmlewis6@ncsu.edu.