Pathways: Using Citizen Science to Study the Social Behaviors of a Charismatic Rare Bat Species at Mammoth Cave National Park

非正式科学教育、公民科学、蝙蝠和计算机科学方面的专家正在猛犸洞国家公园开发和评估一个混合现场/在线概念验证程序，供公民科学家通过流媒体视频观察和记录（标记）Rafinesque大耳蝙蝠的栖息行为。参与者正在帮助蝙蝠研究人员记录蝙蝠的行为，这些行为提供了对社区栖息和互动的好处的见解，这些互动有助于创造或维持社会联系和传播疾病。该项目还在开发一个概念验证移动的信息亭，将公民科学蝙蝠研究项目与猛犸洞的其他展品联系起来。项目人员正在进行评估研究，以确定最佳做法，让服务不足的人群和专业科学家参与蝙蝠行为的研究，并制定计划扩大该计划，包括来自全国其他蝙蝠地点的视频和教育资源。从该项目中吸取的经验教训将为开发一个新的、全国性的、专注于蝙蝠行为的在线公民科学项目提供信息。

Experts in informal science education, citizen science, bats, and computer science are developing and evaluating, at Mammoth Cave National Park, a hybrid onsite/online proof-of-concept program for citizen scientists to observe and record (tag) roosting behaviors of Rafinesque's big-eared bats via streaming video. Participants are helping bat researchers document bat behaviors that provide insights into the benefits of communal roosting and interactions that serve to create or maintain social bonds and spread disease. The project is also developing a proof-of-concept mobile kiosk that links the citizen science bat study program to other exhibits at Mammoth Cave. Project personnel are conducting evaluation studies to identify best practices for engaging underserved populations and professional scientists in the study of bat behavior, and developing plans for scaling up the program to include video and educational resources from other bat sites around the country. Lessons learned from the project will inform development of a new, nationwide, online citizen science program focused on bat behavior.