Climate Change and Citizen Science: Early Reflections on Long-Term Ecological Monitoring Projects in Southern Ontario

Citizen science projects have become quite popular of late but still retain some controversy. Within a particular Canadian context of declining governmental environmental monitoring, this chapter explores the ideal of enhanced civic participation and experience gained through a long-term citizen science project. We offer this as one possible expression of activism. Drawing on specific tree planting and long-term monitoring programs established by the Association for Canadian Educational Resources (Climate’s Sake) as an illustration of citizen science, we argue that these programs offer opportunities for those involved to increase their knowledge of local ecologies, share concerns and potentially contest local forest policies and management approaches linked with climate change and biodiversity conservation. We conclude by highlighting some associated tensions and contradictions.