- Start
- Product

The Incidental Steward
Reflections on Citizen Science
Akiko Busch(Author)
Yale University Press
Published on 29. April 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-0-300-20567-1 (ISBN)
Description
A thoughtful citizen scientist contemplates our changing natural world and the value of environmental stewardship
"Sensuously lush and thought-provoking chronicles. . . . A beautiful and incisive affirmation of how 'full engagement with the natural world enriches the human experience.'"-Donna Seaman, Booklist, starred review
A search for a radio-tagged Indiana bat roosting in the woods behind her house in New York's Hudson Valley led Akiko Busch to assorted other encounters with the natural world-local ecological monitoring projects, community-organized cleanup efforts, and data-driven citizen science research. Whether it is pulling up water chestnuts in the Hudson River, measuring beds of submerged aquatic vegetation, or searching out vernal pools, all are efforts that illuminate the role of ordinary citizens as stewards of place. In this elegantly written book, Busch highlights factors that distinguish twenty-first-century citizen scientists from traditional amateur naturalists: a greater sense of urgency, helpful new technologies, and the expanded possibilities of crowdsourcing.
The observations here look both to precisely recorded data sheets and to the impressionistic marginalia, scribbled asides, and side roads that often attend such unpredictable outings. While not a primer on the prescribed protocols of citizen science, the book combines vivid natural history, a deep sense of place, and reflection about our changing world. Musing on the expanding potential of citizen science, the author celebrates today's renewed volunteerism and the opportunities it offers for regaining a deep sense of connection to place.
"Sensuously lush and thought-provoking chronicles. . . . A beautiful and incisive affirmation of how 'full engagement with the natural world enriches the human experience.'"-Donna Seaman, Booklist, starred review
A search for a radio-tagged Indiana bat roosting in the woods behind her house in New York's Hudson Valley led Akiko Busch to assorted other encounters with the natural world-local ecological monitoring projects, community-organized cleanup efforts, and data-driven citizen science research. Whether it is pulling up water chestnuts in the Hudson River, measuring beds of submerged aquatic vegetation, or searching out vernal pools, all are efforts that illuminate the role of ordinary citizens as stewards of place. In this elegantly written book, Busch highlights factors that distinguish twenty-first-century citizen scientists from traditional amateur naturalists: a greater sense of urgency, helpful new technologies, and the expanded possibilities of crowdsourcing.
The observations here look both to precisely recorded data sheets and to the impressionistic marginalia, scribbled asides, and side roads that often attend such unpredictable outings. While not a primer on the prescribed protocols of citizen science, the book combines vivid natural history, a deep sense of place, and reflection about our changing world. Musing on the expanding potential of citizen science, the author celebrates today's renewed volunteerism and the opportunities it offers for regaining a deep sense of connection to place.
Reviews / Votes
"'Sensuously lush and thought-provoking chronicles... This is a beautiful and incisive affirmation of how "full engagement with the natural world enriches the human experience".' (Donna Seaman, Booklist, starred review)"More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
11 b-w illus.
Dimensions
Height: 203 mm
Width: 130 mm
Weight
272 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-300-20567-1 (9780300205671)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Persons
Akiko Busch is well known for her writings on design, culture, and the natural world. Debby Cotter Kaspari is an artist, illustrator, and designer whose work has been featured in national exhibitions, shows, and books.