Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Volunteer Scientists are critical to the success of this project!

We could not get to nearly as many sites and have as large of a dataset without help from committed volunteers. Without volunteers it would be very hard for us to study the distribution of river herring throughout the Chesapeake Bay.

Eligibility and Time Commitment

We ask that volunteers be able to join us for one full day in the field (as a one time commitment). If you are interested in working in the lab, we ask that you come in at least one half day per week, over 3 months.

All participants must be 16 and over, because the project involves lab work.

Locations, Days, and Times

Field sampling days vary from year to year depending on when the fish are spawning, but generally occur between March 1 and May 31.

Currently, most volunteers meet us at the SERC campus in Edgewater, MD travel with researchers to the sites. Because of permitting restrictions, a member of the SERC staff must be present at all data collections. In the future, we hope to find ways for individuals to go out on their own to sample at sites convenient to them.

There are opportunities in the lab for volunteers who want to sort through ichthyoplankton samples using microscopes or help analyze DIDSON images and videos. The timing of these opportunities is flexible.

To sign up or for more information

Contact Rachael Mady, SERC Participatory Science Coordinator, at madyr@si.edu