Everyone wants to know what it would be like to be a zookeeper but if you go to the Greensboro Science Center and participate in their ecoEXPLOERER program you can find out yourself.
"ecoEXPLORE or Experiences Promoting Learning Outdoors for Research and Education, is an incentive-based community science program for children in grades K-8. Developed by The North Carolina Arboretum," said GSC Media Coordinator Beca Morriis, "This innovative program combines science exploration with kid-friendly technology to foster a fun learning environment for children while encouraging them to explore the outdoors and participate in community science."
Here's how the program works. After signing up online, participants go outside in their own backyard or at designated ecoEXPLORE HotSpots to find wildlife species, including plants, reptiles, amphibians, insects and birds.
Then, they can use their own device and photograph their wildlife observation, noting the data, location, time, size and species observed.
The coolest part of this program is that you are actually helping research projects.
"Participants will then log into their ecoEXPLORE profile online and submit their “share” or observation. Arboretum staff will then review the data and submit all approved submissions to the iNaturalist Network, which is used by real scientists!" said Morris.