Creating the Urban Farmer’s Almanac with Citizen Science Data

Prudic, Kathleen L.; Wilson, J. Keaton; Toshack, Michelle C.; Gerst, Katharine L.; Rosemartin, Alyssa; Crimmins, Theresa M.; Oliver, Jeffrey C.

doi:10.3390/insects10090294

Open AccessArticle

Creating the Urban Farmer’s Almanac with Citizen Science Data

by

Kathleen L. Prudic

^1,*

,

J. Keaton Wilson

¹,

Michelle C. Toshack

²,

Katharine L. Gerst

^1,3

,

Alyssa Rosemartin

^1,3

,

Theresa M. Crimmins

^1,3

and

Jeffrey C. Oliver

⁴

¹

School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA

²

Volunteer Experience, Adventure Scientists, Bozeman, MT 59771, USA

³

National Coordinating Office, USA National Phenology Network, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA

⁴

Office of Digital Innovation and Stewardship, Libraries, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Insects 2019, 10(9), 294; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10090294

Submission received: 31 July 2019 / Revised: 30 August 2019 / Accepted: 4 September 2019 / Published: 11 September 2019

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Small Farms and Gardens Pest Management)

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Abstract

Agriculture has long been a part of the urban landscape, from gardens to small scale farms. In recent decades, interest in producing food in cities has grown dramatically, with an estimated 30% of the global urban population engaged in some form of food production. Identifying and managing the insect biodiversity found on city farms is a complex task often requiring years of study and specialization, especially in urban landscapes which have a complicated tapestry of fragmentation, diversity, pollution, and introduced species. Supporting urban growers with relevant data informs insect management decision-making for both growers and their neighbors, yet this information can be difficult to come by. In this study, we introduced several web-based citizen science programs that can connect growers with useful data products and people to help with the who, what, where, and when of urban insects. Combining the power of citizen science volunteers with the efforts of urban farmers can result in a clearer picture of the diversity and ecosystem services in play, limited insecticide use, and enhanced non-chemical alternatives. Connecting urban farming practices with citizen science programs also demonstrates the ecosystem value of urban agriculture and engages more citizens with the topics of food production, security, and justice in their communities.

Keywords: eButterfly; iNaturalist; insect management; urban insect diversity; USA National Phenology Network; Nature’s Notebook

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MDPI and ACS Style

Prudic, K.L.; Wilson, J.K.; Toshack, M.C.; Gerst, K.L.; Rosemartin, A.; Crimmins, T.M.; Oliver, J.C. Creating the Urban Farmer’s Almanac with Citizen Science Data. Insects 2019, 10, 294. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10090294

AMA Style

Prudic KL, Wilson JK, Toshack MC, Gerst KL, Rosemartin A, Crimmins TM, Oliver JC. Creating the Urban Farmer’s Almanac with Citizen Science Data. Insects. 2019; 10(9):294. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10090294

Chicago/Turabian Style

Prudic, Kathleen L., J. Keaton Wilson, Michelle C. Toshack, Katharine L. Gerst, Alyssa Rosemartin, Theresa M. Crimmins, and Jeffrey C. Oliver. 2019. "Creating the Urban Farmer’s Almanac with Citizen Science Data" Insects 10, no. 9: 294. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10090294

APA Style

Prudic, K. L., Wilson, J. K., Toshack, M. C., Gerst, K. L., Rosemartin, A., Crimmins, T. M., & Oliver, J. C. (2019). Creating the Urban Farmer’s Almanac with Citizen Science Data. Insects, 10(9), 294. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10090294

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Creating the Urban Farmer’s Almanac with Citizen Science Data

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