The with the warm weather comes the emergence of Brood X cicadas in the D.C area. They may be loud or maybe scary, but here is a fun way to enjoy them and contribute to research as a citizen scientist! The Department of Behavioral and Natural Sciences at Mount Saint Joseph University in Cincinnati Ohio is tracking Brood X cicadas. You can help them with their research by downloading the free Cicada Safari app from either the Apple or Google store.
You can also check out their website here
It is simple. When you are out walking or gardening, or just relaxing in your yard, use the app to photograph and post pictures of any cicadas you see. The researchers at the university will be able to use the photos to identify the cicadas by sex, species, and location, to better map their emergence. Your photos will become part of the historical data being collected to determine how Brood X numbers are increasing or declining.
Join the Cicada Safari! Be a citizen scientist!