SALT LAKE CITY — Squirrels are everywhere, as most dogs will confirm, but now the public is being asked to track these furry creatures as a "Citizen Scientist" for the Natural History Museum of Utah.
Squirrel Fest is a week-long festival December 2-10 hosted by the museum to gather data about where they live and understand how they impact the environment.
To encourage public participation, the first 150 Citizen Scientists to submit a survey during Squirrel Fest will receive a free thank you gift from the museum.
Duties of Citizen Scientists include taking photos of squirrels in action and filling out the museum's survey.
This festival also helps biologists track new squirrel species in the state, such as the fox squirrel, first reported in Utah in 2011 along the Jordan River in Salt Lake City.
“Since their arrival, fox squirrels have increased their range along the Wasatch Front and continue to adapt to the urban environment,” said Eric Rickart, the museum's curator of vertebrates.
“This year we hope to receive observations from well-reported areas, like Salt Lake County, as well as areas where we haven’t yet recorded many squirrels, like Davis, Morgan, and Utah counties.”
According to the museum, having lots of eyes around the state has helped them tremendously.
“There is no way that the museum would be able to collect this amount of data without many observers around the state,” said Ellen Eiriksson, the museum's Citizen Scientist program manager.
Go HERE to become a Citizen Scientist this year!
