Are you looking for something to make you shudder this Halloween? You can skip the scary movies and the frightening costumes. We've got projects that are creepy, slimy, scary, and above all else fun! Below, we've highlighted five spooky projects to help you celebrate Halloween.
Find more with the Scistarter Project Finder.
Cheers!
The SciStarter Team
Photo: OPAL
OPAL Soil Earthworms
Have you ever held an earthworm? It will give you a thrill! If you're in England, collect earthworms and examine the soil around them to determine the beneficial impacts the native species have on soil health.
Photo: Jakob Fahr CC BY-NC
afriBats
There are dozens of species of bats in Africa, but don't be scared; they eat fruit and insects, not blood! If you see a bat anywhere on the continent, snap a photo and submit it to afriBats. If you can't identify it, bat experts will help you.
Arizona BatWatch
If seeing a bat in person is too scary for you, this projects offers the opportunity to view these incredible animals online. You can watch video clips of bats and help researchers label their behaviors.
Colorado Spider Survey
You may think spiders are creepy and crawly, but they're also an important part of many ecosystems and sadly understudied. Help scientists in Colorado study these amazing creatures by sending in samples of the spiders in your part of the state.
California Roadkill Observation System
Seeing roadkill is gross, but reporting it can tell us a great deal about what wildlife species are most at risk from traffic. If you live in California, report your roadkill sightings online.
Roadkill Survey for Road Bikers
What's worse than seeing roadkill from your car? Getting an up-close view from your bicycle. But you can turn this icky encounter into a win for science! Report roadkill sightings from anywhere in the world to this project, and help reduce these unfortunate deaths.
The Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park in Maine is hosting Eek of Ecology on October 29, a family-friendly event exploring the creatures of the national parks. Make observations on nighttime constellations now through October 31 with Globe at Night. Want more citizen science? Check out SciStarter’s Project Finder! With 1100+ citizen science projects spanning every field of research, task and age group, there’s something for everyone!
