The 'Citizen Science' section of this website is meant to provide basic information on ways to gather and present scientific data. Having the right data can be critical for environmental issues, and litigation or agency decision-making often comes down to science and scientific experts. Luckily, there are more and more ways that citizens can gather and access data, from 'citizen science' to 'crowd-sourced' mapping.
The Louisiana Bucket Brigade is one example of an amazing organization that has used technology to its advantage. The 'bucket' is an EPA-approved $75 dollar container that can be used to gather data on air pollution. The Brigade also has an iWitness Pollution Map, which allows people to submit information on pollution emitted from factories, oil spills, and other toxic pollution.
Clicking on the link below will take you to a Google Spreadsheet of tools for gathering data on air and water quality, existing mapping resources/software, and educational research centers.
The guides will give an overview on how to collect different kinds of data.