In February (2006) we launched a new project funded by the National Science Foundation`s Informal Science Education Program (Rick Bonney, principal investigator; André Dhondt, Paul Allen, Caren Cooper, and I as co-principal investigators). Project NestWatch is a four-year endeavor involving a large number of lab staff as well as outside partners and advisors. The audience targeted by this project is a broad sector of the informal learning community, including those who are willing to work independently, those who participate in more structured projects with personal guidance at museums and science centers, and the online learning community. The project examines differences in learning and behavior as a function of three citizen science experiences. NestWatch involves citizen scientists in independent nest monitoring, scientist-guided nest monitoring, and monitoring of nestcams via the Internet. The evaluation will compare the learning outcomes of these different experiences.
As of mid-September, we have developed the data structure, begun building the online data entry system, developed the scientific questions, and met with partners to develop scientific collaborations. This four-year project was pilot-tested in spring 2007 following front-end evaluation of the data entry system by the Birdhouse Network participants in autumn 2006. It is funded for four years, and we are exploring a diversity of sustainability models, which include subscriptions for video-streaming of nestcams and cloning of the online data entry tools.
In spring 2006 we began testing a model that involved user donations to support bandwidth fees for streaming video cams. We conducted preliminary evaluation of the cam experience and found indicators of learning outcomes. The potential for cams to reach audiences was apparent in the narratives from people with disabilities and viewers whose desk jobs restrict their time outdoors. Learning outcomes were indicated in description of sharing of observations, research, and interpretations within families. These outcomes will be addressed formally in an evaluation project in collaboration with Seavoss Associates and as part of the dissertation research of Tina Phillips.

NestWatch is the ideal vehicle for monitoring impacts of global climate change on birds across the continent. It is a project that requires solid engagement of participants, and so it represents both a challenge and great potential for outcomes in terms of learning and environmental attitudes/behavior.

We are working toward entering 240,000 nest record cards going back to the 1960s; we have trained trainers to introduce the project and have created online tools to engage people in watching nesting behavior on cams with the hope of increasing the number of people who watch nests outdoors.

The impact of this activity is substantial online engagement with the cams with millions of hits and tens of thousands of unique visitors per month. We have detected learning impacts and do not yet know about other impacts because the project launches in full in 2008.