Earthwatch Institute is an international environmental charity. It was founded in 1971 as Educational Expeditions International by Bob Citron and Clarence Truesdale. Earthwatch Institute supports Ph.D. researchers internationally and conducts over 100,000 hours of research annually. Using the Citizen Science methodology, Earthwatch's mission statement is "to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment." As such, it is one of the global underwriters of scientific field research in archaeology, paleontology, marine life, biodiversity, ecosystems and wildlife. For over forty years, Earthwatch has raised funds to recruit individuals, students, teachers, and corporate fellows to participate in critical field research to understand nature's response to accelerating global change.
Earthwatch Citizen Science Projects are peer-reviewed, Ph.D.-led scientific field research which allows everyday citizens to join research teams around the world to collect field data in areas such as wildlife conservation, rainforest ecology, marine science, and archaeology.
By paying to spend time on a project (ranging from a few days to several weeks), volunteers, corporations, and foundations support critical field research both financially and by providing workforce to collect data. Participants gain first-hand experience with science, the scientists, and the research areas.
Organization and history
Earthwatch headquarters are in Boston, Massachusetts. They also have offices in Oxford, England; Melbourne, Australia; Tokyo, Japan; and Hong Kong.
Earthwatch was started as Educational Expeditions International in 1971 by Bob Citron and Clarence Truesdale, the superintendent of public schools in Vermont at the time. In 1972, Brian A. Rosborough joined Educational Expeditions International as a volunteer and six months later became president of the newly named Earthwatch.
Since 1971, the worldwide organization has recruited more than 111,000 volunteers who have joined scientists in the field as research assistants and between them, have contributed more than 11 million hours of their time to front-line environmental research worldwide. Earthwatch supports more than 50 vital research expeditions in nearly 40 counties.
Earthwatch Australia is a partner in Bush Blitz, operated by Australian Biological Resources Study with co-funding by Bush Blitz founding partner BHP Billiton.
Research areas
Earthwatch volunteers partner with leading scientists in the field to conduct valuable research across four vital areas:
Climate Change - Earthwatch supports research that improves the understanding of how climate change affects different environments, and they find ways to help communities reduce their environmental impact and adapt to changes. Archeology & Culture - This research highlights the combined genetic, ecological, cultural, and linguistic variation discovered in native biological and cultural communities. Wildlife & Ecosystems - This research aims to create conservation plans and help protect the planet and its inhabitants. Ocean Health - This research seeks to protect marine biodiversity, focusing on those parts of the ocean, especially coastal habitats like mangroves and coral reefs.
Earthwatch expeditions
Current research expeditions being fielded by Earthwatch scientists and volunteers from around the world include: