April is Citizen Science Month!
Be a part of a global celebration of public participation in scientific research.
Each April, Citizen Science Month celebrates the people, projects, and scientific outcomes made possible through public participation. In 2026, we are also working together toward a shared goal of 2.50 Million Acts of Science, marking America’s 250th Birthday through collective discovery, service, and impact.
Anyone can participate. No prior experience is needed. Every contribution counts.
No need to wait until April! Citizen science happens all year long. Join SciStarter to discover ongoing projects and receive updates about Citizen Science Month.
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You can participate in any of the ways below.
All count toward the shared goal of 2.50 Million Acts of Science.
Join a Citizen Science Project
Participate in projects about nature, space, health, climate, and history.
Find a Project
Try Michigan Outdoor Projects or
Anytime, anywhere Science Anytime
Join an Event
Attend virtual or in-person events hosted by libraries (including GLADL!), museums, schools, and community groups.
Earn Prizes
Participants who participate in and report Acts of Science are eligible for prizes and recognition during Citizen Science Month.
Come join us at GLADL as we use our eyes and ears to help log 2.5M data points in April!
#citizenscience
GLADL has events you can attend, science and craft kits to take home, and more!
GLADL’s Library of Things
Check out today a fun science kit — patrons of all ages can be citizen scientists to help contribute data for on-going projects, learn about coding, electronics, electricity, and so much more!
The Library received a grant from SKPL and IEEE to offer real science equipment like a sky meter, air monitor, and the tech for kids to learn how things work with hands-on activities in science – and that is what sparks a kid’s interest!
Science for All Ages & Every Interest!
SciStarter.org is the place to find, join, and contribute to science by providing people access to more than 2,000 searchable formal and informal citizen science research projects, events, and tools. The SciStarter website also offers a dashboard or coordinated place for members to track and earn credit for contributions across citizen science projects and platforms.
More than 150,000 people are registered members of the SciStarter community. The SciStarter team includes educators, faculty, librarians, programmers, instructional designers, communicators, and scientists, all focused on improving the citizen science experience for everyone.
GLADL is excited to partner with FLIGHT PATH on their initiative to help raise awareness of the science of birds and bird migration. Flight Path is working with HHMI Tangled Bank Studios’ award-winning Wild Hope series, creating activities and educational resources to help raise awareness about bird migration and offer suggestions for how communities can observe and protect birds during peak migration periods by doing things like, such as turning off lights and marking windows to prevent bird strikes. Every bit helps and the birds are counting on us! Join us for our in-person events on April 4, 20 and 22! More info below.
Celebrate International Dark Sky Week
April 13-20, 2026
International Dark Sky Week is a worldwide event that draws attention to light pollution, promotes simple solutions to mitigate the issue, and celebrates the irreplaceable beauty of a natural night.
How can I celebrate International Dark Sky Week?
- Get together with friends and family and go outside at night. A lot of us don’t take the opportunity to experience the nighttime environment. Go outside, look up and look around. Lots of interesting stuff is happening during the night. Looking for some adventure? Plan a trip to the dark side.
- Become a citizen scientist and collect data about the night sky in your neighborhood for Globe at Night. It’s fun, easy and you’ll be helping scientists across the globe better understand the threat of light pollution to our planet.
The Eaton Conservation District focuses on natural resource problems and solutions. Our services include protecting groundwater, watershed planning, woodland and wildlife improvements, soils information, stream bank stabilization, conserving and restoring wetlands, providing tree seedlings, conservation books and information workshops. The Conservation District serves as the link between the landowner and local, state and federal governments and conservation organizations.
Wide variety of Events from Fruit Tree pruning workshops to Adopt a Stream ECD EVENTS
The MSU Science Festival is a free festival for lifelong learners of all ages!
The Festival is a free annual celebration of science, fueled by some of the basic elements essential to scientific inquiry: curiosity, wonder, and discovery.
With events for the whole family to enjoy, the MSU Science Festival explores topics ranging from the ordinary to the extraordinary. From astronomy to music, and chemistry to microbiology; scientists and educators across the state are eager to share the wonder of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.
Exciting April Science Events with GLADL!
Code Club — Every Wednesday — 6pm – 7pm
We use block-based coding, which makes programming easy to understand, colorful, and fun—no typing experience required. Whether your child is brand new to coding or already curious about computers, everyone is welcome. Best for kids in 3rd grade and up. Code Club meets every Wednesday from 6-7pm in the Shipman Room. No coding expertise necessary & Drop-ins Welcome! No Pre-Registration required
What’s the Weather Like on Mars?
Thursday April 2 | 2pm – 4pm | Adults
Scientists want to know! Step into a new kind of space mission by looking at a set of NASA online images for signs of clouds above Mars. Every cloud you spot helps NASA scientists understand daily and seasonal weather patterns on the Red Planet, informing future missions and research.
Wonders & Perils of Bird Migration: Campfire Science & S’Mores
Saturday April 4 | 4:30pm – 6pm | Adults | Lincoln Brick Park
Dr. Susan Elbin from Capital Area Audubon presents an exploration of the benefits/costs of strategies used by migrating birds. Learn the birds to see during migration, the importance of dark skies and how to make our windows safer! Crafting of bird strike abatement materials, an early spring birding hike- & s’mores.
Transcribe documents in our National Archives to unveil American History
Friday April 10 | 2pm – 4pm | Adults
During this event, participants will help transcribe handwritten historical documents from the Smithsonian Institution. These transcriptions create searchable data that supports research, education, and public access to America’s historical records.
New Food Choices [Registration Req.]
April 13 | 6pm – 7pm | Ages 16+
Meet with VegMichigan and learn about the health and environmental benefits of eating more plant-based meals.
Game Night for Science: Stall Catchers
Thursday April 16 | 6pm – 8pm | Ages 11+
Contribute to real scientific research by playing a video game to help with Alzheimer’s research. Participants will look at brain scans to determine if blood is flowing or stalled. Participation counts toward the shared goal of 2.50 million Acts of Science.
Salamander Plot Setup Day
Saturday April 18 | 2pm – 4pm | Lincoln Brick Park
Join us for a hands-on community science event supporting local salamander research and conservation.
Friends Annual Meeting – Safer Migrations for Our Michigan Birds
Monday April 20 | 6pm – 7:30pm
We’ll hear from Nick of Capital Area Audubon on spring bird migrations & why turning off outside lights at night helps migrating birds. Materials to make windows safer for birds too, and craft a “teacup’ bird feeder! Presented by the Friends of the Grand Ledge Area District Library. Brief Annual Meeting and refreshments.
Enjoy and Help Migrating Birds
Wednesday April 22 | 2:30pm – 4:30pm | Adults
Gather with other adults for coffee and conversation! Learn about the migrating birds that travel through mid-Michigan and how to make the journey safer!
Earth Day Animal Spot-A-Thon
Wednesday April 22 | 6pm – 8pm | All ages
In this hands-on event, you’ll explore trail camera photos and help classify the animals you see. Your contributions support a NASA-supported research project that tracks changes in wildlife distributions and abundances over time—critical data that informs wildlife management and conservation decisions.
“Trees & Water & Worms–Oh My!” Earth Week Open House!
Thursday April 23 | 5:30pm – 7pm | All ages
Learn some fun hands-on STEAM Earth Science! Kids can get “hands on” with worms– nature’s recyclers– at the Vermicomposting display from Eaton County Resource Recovery, will learn about local wildlife and ecosystems from Eaton County Parks Director & Naturalist Ethan Jacobs, and will see how water moves through our ecosystem using the hands-on “EnviroScape” water display from the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services. Fun “earth friendly” crafts too! Free seed giveaways (while supplies last) and information on other green initiatives in our community. Kids who registered for a Free Tree seedling from our partner Neighborhood Forest will be notified when the trees are ready for pickup.
Salamander Survey
Saturday April 25 | 2pm – 4pm | All ages | Lincoln Brick Park
Participants will learn about local salamander species, their habitats, and the vital role they play in our ecosystem. Perfect for late elementary and middle school students.
History Makers
Monday April 27 | 6pm – 7pm | Ages 5+
Come learn about an amazing person from history you’ve maybe never heard of and create something inspired by them! This month is Wangari Maathai, the woman who planted millions of trees! This month’s craft is puzzle piece trees.