Citizen science can be a powerful research tool. It works especially well for studies where the necessary data does not need special training to collect. TreeSnap from The University of Tennessee Knoxville and University of Kentucky is one such project. TreeSnap uses a smartphone app to collect locations of trees. It particularly emphasizes species affected by invasive insects and diseases....

Created by the University of South Carolina and the IRIS Consortium, the Global Earthquake Explorer (GEE) "is an education and outreach tool for seismology that aims to make it easy for non-seismologists to retrieve, display, and analyze seismic data." The goal of the module, which can be downloaded on a Windows, Mac OS X, or Unix / Linux platform, is to use earthquake data to study specific wave...

This important site contains a report which summarizes Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) geotechnical research and development activities over the past 25 years. The report's author is Al DiMillio, and it is divided into seven chapters, some concluding remarks, and four appendices. The chapters cover material related to road construction and detailed maintenance and strengthening projects....

Policy wonks and other like-minded individuals will have a field day at the U.S. Energy Information Administration's website. The Administration's work involves the collection, analysis, and dissemination of "independent and impartial energy information." A highlight of the webpage is the Today in Energy area, which features key updates on timely topics, such as the U.S. supply of natural gas. On...

This U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website allows users to locate, use and share environmental information about their state and watershed. Using the interactive map, users can locate their watershed and discover geologic, chemical, and geographical information. Visitors can learn how to adopt a watershed and locate citizen-based groups. The Watershed Atlas provides data and...

How does the United States government work to protect the nation's fish, migratory birds, aquatic species, and public lands? Part of this job is accomplished by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Strategic Habitat Conservation (SHC) program. First-time visitors should look over the SHC Vision to get a sense of the program's formal mission and read a fact sheet about its activities. The Community...

Sometimes if you feel your working conditions are difficult, consider what it must be like to work at the National Science Foundation's Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Those hardy scientists are working year-round on the coldest, highest, driest, and windiest continent. In 2011, the Station celebrated its 100th anniversary, and this NSF website offers curious parties a look into the past and...

The National Science Foundation sponsors thousands of research endeavors every year, and the general public may not be aware of the tremendous breadth of work they underwrite. In recent years, their website has featured special reports on some of their work, and this latest presentation on the U.S. South Pole Station is both visually stimulating and substantive. Some visitors may not know that the...

The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) "is the leading UK body for research, survey and monitoring in terrestrial and freshwater environments. CEH has nearly 600 scientific staff, and well-equipped laboratories and field facilities at eight sites throughout the UK." Site visitors can link to information about a wide range of scientific work being conducted at the different CEH field sites...

Satellites are used for just about any purpose imaginable, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNITAR) is one that is meant to help out in "the life of communities exposed to poverty, hazards and risk." On their site, visitors should first take a look at the "What we do" area to learn about their recent achievements and work....