Species Explorer | Resources

Resources

There are a growing number of organizations focused on building our global knowledgebase of species. While most are rooted in the scientific community, more and more are reaching out to involve the general public and "citizen scientists."

	Launched by E.O. Wilson as well as other prominent leaders of the natural history field, the Encyclopedia of Life is an "ecosystem of websites that makes all key information about life on Earth accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world." Its stated goal is to "create a constantly evolving encyclopedia that lives on the Internet, with contributions from scientists and amateurs alike."
	The Center for Ecoliteracy was founded in 1995 by Fritjof Capra, Peter Buckley, and Zenobia Barlow. The Center is a pioneer in providing tools, ideas, and support for combining hands-on experience in the natural world with curricular innovation in K–12 education.
	Bioneers is an organization of scientific and social innovators who have demonstrated visionary and practical models for restoring the Earth and communities. Bioneers' credo is "It's All Alive, It's All Intelligent, It's All Connected."
	The Children and Nature Network (C&NN) was created to encourage and support the people and organizations working to reconnect children with nature. C&NN provides access to the latest news and research in the field and a peer-to-peer network of researchers and individuals, educators and organizations dedicated to children's health and well-being.
	Did you know that hunters and fisherman are among the most avid supporters of conservation and protecting our natural ecosystems? In fact the mission of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is "working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The site also features a special section "dedicated to helping families connect with nature."
	To give parents and caregivers the information, tools, and inspiration to get their kids -- and themselves -- outside, the National Wildlife Federation created Green Hour.org, a website rich in family-friendly content and which hosts a supportive virtual community where families can learn, explore, and share their outdoor experiences and backyard adventures.
	The Tree of Life Web Project is a collection of information about biodiversity compiled collaboratively by hundreds of expert and amateur contributors.
	Launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, eBird’s goal is to maximize the utility and accessibility of the vast numbers of bird observations made each year by recreational and professional bird watchers.
	ITIS and the Species 2000 organisations are building the Catalogue of Life, a comprehensive catalogue that plans to include all known species of organisms on Earth by the year 2011.

Banded Orange Heliconian Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
N 45 45.533
W 85 33.462

"There is something wrong with a society that spends so much money, as well as countless hours of human effort – to make the least dregs of processed information available to everyone everywhere and yet does little or nothing to help us explore the world for ourselves."

– Edward Reed, The Necessity of Experience