Select COASSTers have received an email from Ben Haywood, PhD Candidate at the Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments, Department of Geography at the University of South Carolina, about his citizen science research project. On Friday, we had the chance to meet Ben face-to-face!

Trial focus group with Ben (front), L-R: Charlie, Liz, Stephanie, Matt, Tom, Chelsea, Jessica.

Ben’s project? “My research investigates volunteer participation in citizen science programs like COASST. Specifically, it aims to explore the nature of relationships between people, places, and the natural environment.”

The clickers! (Sometimes used to test large lectures at the UW, “but!” our students say, “Ben’s questions are about what you think, not what you know”).

And the next steps put Ben on-the-road, visiting a bunch of coastal communities from Washington to California. Which beaches will Ben visit? What will he eat? Who will he meet? These, and other stories will be posted on Ben’s blog – take a look.