The Third Annual Citizen Science for Conservation in Southern California Symposium (CSCSCS) will be held on March 24, 2018 at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Anyone involved or interested in citizen science is invited and encouraged to attend this symposium. Attendees will include practitioners who design citizen science programs, volunteers currently participating in these programs, as well as students, educators, and anyone with an interest in becoming a citizen scientist or starting a citizen science program. The audience will represent diverse disciplines in conservation-related fields with varying levels of experience. The most important opportunities at the symposium will be those that allow participants to make connections, share their knowledge and information with others, and learn from experts and fellow citizen scientists.

Agenda (subject to change)

• 8:00am Check In & Light Breakfast
• 9:00am Welcome & Introduction
• 9:15am Keynote Speaker
• 10:30am Lightning Talks (5 min each)
• 12pm Lunch* & Optional BioBlitz (1-2pm)
• 2:00pm Moderated Panel Discussions
• 3:00pm Special Session Presentations
• 4:00pm Poster Session & Reception
• 6:00pm End of Symposium

**Participants are responsible for providing their own lunch. Participants can dine at the Aquarium or visit a nearby restaurant. For those who wish to bring their own lunch, picnic areas are located throughout Shoreline Aquatic Park (which is located behind the Aquarium and is where our optional BioBlitz will be taking place). A light breakfast and appetizers at the afternoon reception will be provided free of charge.*

Keynote

Featuring Keynote Speaker, Darlene Cavalier, founder of SciStarter and Science Cheerleader, cofounder of ECAST: Expert and Citizen Assessment of Science and Technology, and a founding Board Member of the Citizen Science Association (CSA). Ms. Cavalier is also a Professor at Arizona State University’s Center for Engagement and Training, which is part of the School for the Future of Innovation in Society.

Moderated Panel Discussion

Panel Topic: The Role of Technology in Citizen Science

Moderator: Lila Higgins, Senior Program Manager, Community Science Program, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Panelists:

• Brooke D. Simmons, Ph.D., Einstein Fellow, Astrophysicist and Citizen Science Expert, UC San Diego
• Kimball L. Garrett, Ornithology Collections Manager, Natural History Museum of LA County
• Rachel Meyer, Ph.D., Executive Director, CALeDNA citizen science program, UC Conservation Genomics Consortium, UCLA
• Shannon Waters, Smartfin Project Manager, Surfrider Foundation

Special Session Speakers

Our Planning Committee is excited to announce the following people have accepted our invitation to give 10-15 min talks on their respective citizen science programs:

• Alexandria M. Warneke, M.S. from the Cabrillo National Monument, NPS, will be giving a talk on Citizen Science 2.0 in National Parks.
• Erin McCombs, M.S. from the Aquarium of the Pacific will be giving a talk on Global Finprint which is a worldwide effort to access reef shark and ray populations.
• Alison Young & Rebecca Johnson from the California Academy of Sciences, will be giving a talk on SnapShot CalCoast which is a state-wide coastal bioblitz held annually in California.

Past CSCSC Symposiums

• 2017 Symposium Proceedings
• 2016 Symposium Proceedings