Citizen science portal

Datastream; Gouvernement du Québec (MELCCFP); Stratégie québécoise de l'eau

 The Québec Water Collective brings together a diverse range of stakeholders, including nonprofit organizations, citizen groups, educational and research institutions, government agencies, businesses, and community groups, united by their commitment to carrying out citizen science projects related to water in Quebec.

Through the Collective’s core activities, such as meetings, training sessions, and networking events, members are encouraged to collaborate closely to advance citizen science within the province.

The Collective is coordinated by G3E and supported by a strategic committee that assists with major decisions regarding the Collective’s development and sustainability.

Dalhousie University, The Deanery Project, Diocesan Environment Network, Belle Baie Ecolle

The Eastern Shore Coastal Monitoring Network (ESCOM) is a community-based citizen science initiative where residents of Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore collaborate with researchers from Dalhousie University to monitor coastal and climate-related changes. By engaging local citizens in data collection, ESCOM strengthens community resilience, expands scientific knowledge, and supports evidence-based coastal management.

ESCOM’s goals include monitoring and documenting coastal change, empowering local communities in coastal risk governance, creating long-term standardized datasets, and fostering a greater sense of preparedness through improved understanding of coastal ecosystems. Over time, citizen scientists will help gather consistent information on key coastal parameters linked to climate threats and ecosystem health.

WATCH Citizen Science

WATCH in Wallaceburg, established in 2003, began as a community-driven initiative focused on safeguarding our local rivers and natural spaces. In 2024, recognizing the power of collective observation, WATCH introduced its Citizen Science program. This initiative empowers residents to actively monitor and document environmental changes, fostering a deeper connection with our surroundings. Through shared observations, we aim to enhance our understanding and stewardship of the natural world.

University of Toronto, The Liber Ero Foundation, Invasive Species Centre

Canadian Aquarium Hobbyists: What’s in your aquarium?

We want to hear from you!

We are researchers at the University of Toronto and we want to know more about the plants and animals that Canadian aquarium hobbyists have in their freshwater aquaria. We want to understand trends in popularity, biodiversity, and sources of species in your aquaria.

To learn more about the 10 minute survey, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/LP8KSTS

• Mycoquébec
• Biopterre
• Nature Québec
• FunDive
• Polish Mycological Society
• New York Mycological Society
• Réserve nationale de Faune du Cap-Tourmente
• La Grande Plée Bleue

Mycosphaera is the first non-profit organization in Canada dedicated to fungal conservation. Our mission is to promote mycology through education, outreach, networking, and research, bringing together enthusiasts, researchers, and citizens to better understand and protect fungal biodiversity.

Icy Project

Visitors to two national parks and three provincial parks help scientists monitor glacier change over time simply by taking and submitting photos, making every participant a contributor to vital environmental research, while capturing some stunning shots and making unforgettable memories along the way. Submitted photos are analyzed by researchers at the University of Waterloo to track glacial changes such as retreat, thinning, and disappearance—offering valuable insight into the impacts of climate change.

Living Lakes Canada

The National Lake Blitz is an annual citizen science program that invites volunteers across Canada to help monitor lakes from May to September. With accessible tools and resources, the program supports community members in deepening their connection to local freshwater ecosystems while contributing data. Volunteers can participate as Lake Biodiversity Stewards by documenting native and invasive species on or around any lake using iNaturalist, or as Lake Health Stewards by regularly monitoring water clarity, temperature, and other lake health indicators.

Public Health Agency of Canada, Let’s Talk Science Outreach (LTS) at the University of Windsor, Windsor-Essex Public Health Unit

The Tiger Mosquito Citizen Science (TIMO-SC) study is running from May to September of 2025 focusing on the Windsor-Essex region where Aedes albopictus (commonly known as the tiger mosquito) has been detected since 2016. The TIMO-CS study will complement routine mosquito surveillance in the region by encouraging residents to help identify the presence of the tiger mosquito. Learn how to make a home-made mosquito larval trap (an ovitrap) to help scientists collect mosquito eggs for identification.

Email TIMO-CS@phac-aspc.gc.ca to participate!

Parks Canada

Join other committed visitors as you explore Parks Canada destinations by volunteering for citizen science activities. Your small acts of conservation make a big difference!

Wilfrid Laurier University

The RinkWatch project asks people who maintain outdoor skating rinks in their yard or local park to pin the location on our interactive map and report daily skating conditions throughout the winter. Your data is used to track how climate change is affecting our ability to skate outdoors.

McGill University

The goal of Citizen Readers is to generate knowledge about human storytelling. With the help of citizen scientists, we will be able to train AI models to better understand how and why people tell stories across the world.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Dodder (Cuscuta spp.) is a parasitic plant – some species can cause significant damage to agricultural crops, vegetables, ornamentals and woody plants. Others are native to Canada and could play important roles in natural habitats. The Molecular Identification Research Lab at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is creating “DNA barcodes” for dodder species found in Canada. If you see these plants, join the Cuscuta DNA barcoding project in iNaturalist and report your observations - please do not disturb the plants.

University of Windsor in collaboration with Parks Canada

The Coastie initiative is a new citizen science program led by the University of Windsor in collaboration with Parks Canada. Based on the CoastSnap program developed in Australia, the Coastie initiative uses photos that you take at participating sites across the country to help scientists monitor coastal change over time.

By taking a Coastie, you participate in community science!

Parks Canada

Parks Canada is inviting the public to participate in the second edition of the Sable Island Grey Seal Count project with the digital citizen science platform Zooniverse.

Help us count grey seals in Sable Island National Park Reserve using aerial photos and modern technology! Assist in cutting-edge research and gain a deeper connection to one of Canada’s most iconic islands. 

University of Toronto

Do you have a child between 1 month and 15 years of age? Are you curious about children's music, cognitive, and language development? Every year, hundreds of families participate in studies at the University of Toronto Mississauga, and by doing so provide us with valuable information about development in the early months and years of life. You too can participate! We have developed game-like procedures that are fun for infants and children while providing important information for us. Participating families schedule a visit at their convenience to our facilities at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Most studies require one visit lasting less than 45 minutes. We are also offering online studies that can be completed from the comfort of your own home.

STEM Fellowship, RBC Future launch, Let's Talk Science, Cisco, University of Calgary, Canadian Commision for UNESCO

The Inter-University Big Data Challenge is a unique opportunity to participate in the world of academic research via a hands-on data science and/or artificial intelligence research project relating to the theme of mental health.

Environment and Climate Change Canada in coordination with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS, Patuxent Wildlife Research Centre), and the National Commission for Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO, Mexico)

The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is a standardized point count survey conducted by thousands of dedicated volunteers across North America. It is the foundation for science-based decisions concerning bird conservation and management in Canada and the United States because of its wide geographic scale, multiple-species coverage, scientifically rigorous approach, and long history.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Join a community science initiative to protect fish species in Canada by providing important information about fish sightings. Report fish health observations on the website or search for the "Wildlife Health Tracker" app. This tool was created collaboratively by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System (CAHSS) and the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC).

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

August is Tree Check Month

Every August, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) encourages everyone in Canada to take an active role in protecting Canada's plants by joining plant health enthusiasts from coast to coast to coast who will be participating in Tree Check Month.

Friends of the Muskoka Watershed Citizen Science Program

The Citizen Science Program was developed to further enhance our understanding of the benefits of residential wood ash to native tree species throughout the watershed and beyond. Citizen Scientists identify two trees of the same species, and similar size. Sample kits and filtered, chemically analyzed ash are provided and spread on a test tree, and ash is not spread on the control tree. Height, diameter, canopy cover and general health are monitored of each tree over time.

University of Toronto

Students, educators, families: Head outside this winter and investigate snow conditions in your community with this citizen science project. Is there snow on the ground? Grab your ruler and measure snow depth, and see if you can make a snowball!

Share your observations easily in the online portal, then explore your observations and others alongside true-colour satellite data in the interactive map. Follow us on Twitter @sknowledgeco for updates and learn how to get started!

Niagara Coastal

All you need is a smartphone, and a desire to walk on the beach.

Track the changing coastal conditions of the Great Lakes with VAST! Citizen scientists complete surveys and submit standardized, repeatable images to monitor changes to our shorelines over time. This information can be used to advocate for policy changes, and guide coastal management decisions.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Biodiversity is at the core of a sustainable agriculture, therefore Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada maintains collections of living and preserved biological material, predominantly of Canadian origin. These add up to millions of insects, plants, fungi, bacteria, and nematodes. With your help transcribing the specimen labels, we can bring this biodiversity data online and available for research and discovery. Join virtual expeditions with volunteers around the world on a straightforward online platform which lets you track your contributions to our Canadian collections.

Pacific Salmon Foundation

The Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) Citizen Science Program collects high-resolution data on oceanographic conditions and lower trophic levels in the Salish Sea. Contact PSF to report unusual sightings like dead fish and harmful algal blooms https://www.facebook.com/CitizenSciencePhytoplankton/

Metro Vancouver Regional District, Surrey's Natural Areas Partnership (SNAP), Surrey's Salmon Habitat and Restoration Program (SHaRP)

The City of Surrey in southwest BC is utilizing community or citizen science as a way for residents to share their daily explorations of nature. All the valuable data being gathered contributes to the City's goals around biodiversity conservation.

Canadian Wildlife Federation, California Academy of Sciences and the Los Angeles Natural History Museum

Participate in the annual City Nature Challenge! The City Nature Challenge is a four-day bioblitz that takes place at the end of April each year. Cities around the world engage in a collaborative competition to see who can get the most wildlife observations, find the most species and engage the most people in citizen science for nature.

Sierra Club Canada Foundation, Ecology Ottawa

Breathe Easy is an Ottawa-based citizen science project run by Sierra Club Canada Foundation's Ontario chapter. The project has two goals: 1) to better understand citywide air quality by supplementing permanent monitoring stations with low-cost monitors; and 2) to empower action on air pollution at all levels.

Help us understand local air pollution by becoming a program ambassador or air quality sampler!</ p>

Stop-Carcasses Laurentides invites cyclists, motorists and walkers to photograph carcasses, animals or even traces on roads and shoulders throughout the Laurentians. The photos are then compiled into a directory that will identify animal movements and road kill hotspots so that municipal and provincial authorities can plan the construction of wildlife passages allowing animals to move under and over roads without causing accidents for motorists, as well as wildlife mortalities.

Douglas College

Help Douglas College track the spread of a newly introduced beetle species across British Columbia. No experience necessary, scientists of all ages and abilities are welcome! Email iue@douglascollege.ca for more information.

Natural Resources Canada

This group brings together people interested in the progression of ice breakup in the Mackenzie-Beaufort region. All are welcome to join and submit pictures and comments!

Prairie Pest Monitoring Network (PPMN)

The Prairie Pest Monitoring Network is a prairie-wide insect monitoring program. It is designed to keep the Canadian agriculture industry informed of the risks to crop production from pest species, and to highlight and conserve their natural enemies. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter to get weekly information on crop insect and wind forecasts as well as risk maps and protocols!

Environment and Climate Change Canada

The Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) is an aquatic biomonitoring program that provides nationally standardized protocols and online tools to monitor and assess the health of freshwater ecosystems. Sign up for CABIN training to become a certified member of the network to collect and share data in the national CABIN database.

Environment and Climate Change Canada

Randomly selected Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit holders are asked to participate in two annual surveys:

• The Harvest Questionnaire Survey (HQS) and
• The Species Composition Survey (SCS).

These surveys help estimate the number of each species of waterfowl and other species considered as game bird that are hunted, and the age and sex composition of the harvest.

Brian Starzomski at the University of Victoria, John Reynolds at Simon Fraser University, BC Parks, BC Parks Foundation. Sponsored by BC Parks, Sitka Foundation, and the Pacific Wildlife Foundation.

Help document and celebrate the biodiversity of BC Parks! When you visit BC's provincial parks and protected areas, collect photographic observation of plants, animals, other organisms and natural features, and upload them to the iNaturalist website or app. These observations help researchers develop a deeper understanding of what parks are protecting and can inform management decisions to sustain these protected areas for generations to come.

Université Laval

Abeilles citoyennes is a participatory science project aimed at inventorizing the biodiversity of wild pollinating insects (bees and hoverflies) throughout Québec. Led by a research team from Université Laval, the project is using public assistance to collect data on the distribution and abundance of pollinator species in Quebec's main agricultural regions.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Through a simple monthly update, agricultural producers can report on the impact of weather and climate conditions and events in their region. The volunteers provide valuable information about the current agricultural situation and emerging risks.

Birds Canada

Every single day, Citizen Scientists (volunteers) like you share their energy, skill, and bird sightings through Birds Canada's research and monitoring programs–and this action helps inform conservation action!

Natural Resources Canada/Healthy Forest Partnership

The spruce budworm is the most destructive insect in eastern Canadian forests. Citizen scientists play a major role in providing insight into why populations rise and spread the way they do. Watch this video to learn more.

McGill Pulse Breeding and Genetics Lab

To evaluate the epidemiology of the white mold disease, we aim to build a Sclerotinia sample collection from Quebec and Ontario farms. A comparative phenotypic and genomic analysis of the collected isolates will be performed. The results would help us to unravel resistance in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to different fungal strains, as well as other susceptible crops. Please help our research by collecting sclerotia in your area, along with the coordinates of the sampled location, and send them to us.

Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC)

Contact the CWHC regional centre in your area to report sick or dead wildlife and help track the health of wild populations.

BC SUPPORT Unit: British Columbia Academic Health Science Network

You can help guide health research and improve the lives of others with similar health problems. By sharing your experiences, we can learn how pain affects different people, and together we can discover new research ideas.

McGill University

Colony B is a fast paced puzzle game specifically designed for phones and tablets. But Colony B is much more than that! Every game played enables you to help researchers working on microbes and human health. Play Colony B and become a citizen scientist!

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada/Environment and Climate Change Canada

Join this volunteer network of weather observers who measure and map precipitation (rain and snow) in their communities.

DRAW - Data Rescue: Archives & Weather

McGill Observatory

Help us uncover the story of Montreal's evolving climate captured in the McGill Observatory's historical weather logs. Your transcriptions will help scientists and historians gain a better understanding of our environment and its impact on our city and its people.

Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation

The Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation is dedicated to the study of Eagles and other birds of prey, primarily through the documentation of their spring and fall migrations along the mountains of Western Canada.

Invasive Species Centre

Join for access to workshops, training materials and resources aimed at helping citizens report and manage invasive species in their communities.

Espace pour la vie, Vermont Center for Ecostudies, University of Arizona, University of Ottawa

This website allows users to track their butterfly sightings and locations; organize, store and share photos; and make a valuable contribution to science and conservation.

EcoSpark

EcoSpark offers a variety of citizen science projects to engage youth and communities in taking an active role in protecting and sustaining their local environment. To learn more about our citizen science programs, resource guides, monitoring initiatives and how you can inspire positive change in your community, visit our website.

Public Health Agency of Canada

Become a FluWatcher and help monitor the spread of flu-like illnesses in Canada.

NatureWatch

Contribute to Canadian climate change research by helping to record and analyze when ice forms and thaws on bodies of water.

Connect with nature in a whole new way. Explore. Learn. Contribute to conservation with iNaturalist.ca

NatureWatch

Monarch butterflies need milkweed plants for their reproduction. Help track the health of butterfly populations in Canada by identifying the location of milkweed plants.

Space for Life Insectarium

Share your observations of monarchs and milkweeds to contribute to the conservation of this butterfly, a species at risk. In order to find and protect the monarch's critical breeding habitat, we invite all citizens to share their observations of monarch butterflies, caterpillars, eggs and chrysalises, as well as milkweed, the only plant on which the monarch lays its eggs.

Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science

Support bat conservation by locating bat colonies and counting the number of bats living in them.

Ocean Networks Canada

Become a digital fisher or coastbuster, and follow live video feeds to help Ocean Networks Canada study the oceans.

NatureWatch

Participate in Plant Watch to help scientists discover how, and more importantly why, our natural environment is changing.

Natural Resources Canada

Did you feel it? Help seismologists determine how your area may respond to future earthquakes by contributing intensity information on the earthquakes you experience.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Document and report your encounter with a shark. Most people don't know what to do when and if they see a shark. The answer is: enjoy the view from a safe distance. Sharks are wild animals, and deserve the same level of respect given to any other wild animal.

Environment and Climate Change Canada

Data from bird surveys provides information on population status and trends that help identify species or populations requiring conservation action. These bird surveys depend on citizen scientists of all ages and skill levels.

Water Rangers

Water testing for everyone

Our free, open-data platform, water testing kits, and online course are tools for anyone to learn about and protect our lakes, rivers, and oceans.

Parks Canada

Waterton Lakes National Park has several annual citizen science projects that allow everyday people to gain in-depth knowledge of species found in the park and the issues facing Waterton.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada/B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network

Support the conservation of marine animals by reporting sightings of whales, dolphins, and porpoises in British Columbia waters.

NatureWatch

Discover the diversity beneath your feet by participating in Worm Watch. Help scientists research all the earthworm species in Canada.

Assiniboine Park Zoo

View underwater photos of beluga whales and help Assiniboine Park Zoo's Beluga Bits project investigate their social structure, natural history, and health!

The Beluga Bits project is using underwater photos to study the beluga which spend their summers in the Churchill River estuary in Northern Manitoba, Canada. Check out the Beluga Bits project on Zooniverse.org to see underwater photos of beluga, answer questions, and help us learn more about these amazing whales!

Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Canadian Plant Health Council

Do you spend time monitoring, photographing or observing insects? If so, your help is needed to watch for and report invasive and migratory insect pests that harm plants, causing damage to Canada’s environment, farm lands, forests, parks and other natural areas. Early detection is critical for slowing the spread of these insect pests.