Citizen Scientists in the Midwest Help Experts Gather Environmental Data

A person bends down and submurges a clear bottle into a green creek. They are wearing black boots. There are orange leaves scattered around them.

A new policy brief from the United Nations argues that citizen science is crucial to global water security. Ground and surface water are facing increasing threats from pollution and climate change, and scientists need help. Citizen science, which is done by non-professional scientists, is part of the solution, according to the report. And it’s happening…

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Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Reintroduces 40 Alligator Snapping Turtles to Sunflower State

A photo of an alligator snapping turtle. The turtle is at the center of the photograph, looking straight ahead. It has dark gray coloring with pink splotches. It is being held by someone wearing tan clothing.

An aura of excitement filled the air near the Neosho River in Kansas on a hot September morning. State wildlife officials gathered around several large, gray bins, snapping photos and eagerly chatting. Why the excitement? Forty, dinner-plate-sized alligator snapping turtles, about to be released into the wild. The last known living alligator snapping turtle collected…

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