Budburst: Climate change research and big data using community science
Budburst, a community science program hosted at the Chicago Botanic Garden, pursues two primary goals: Research and education. Budburst brings together researchers, educators, and community scientists to answer critical ecological research questions about plants and climate change and plant-animal interactions. We connect with community scientists by working with community organizations, libraries, schools, and nature centers across the US.
Budburst began in 2007 and since then almost 30,000 community scientists from all over the world have contributed over 270,000 data points. This large dataset allows for many questions to be explored but there are also challenges that come along with using community science data. Budburst Director, Dr. Emma Oschrin, will share details about the Budburst dataset, how it can be accessed and utilized by the public, as well as the challenges to data use and data management.
In 2021, Budburst relaunched their website and launched a mobile application, allowing for even easier data collection. Dr. Oschrin will share her perspective on the process of leading the design and build of the Budburst website and mobile app without prior technical experience.