SciStarter

SciStarter is an online hub which connects people with opportunities to participate in real world scientific research. It is the world’s largest citizen science community with thousands of projects, events, and tools. Any individual can go onto the website and find citizen science projects in their area; they can also create their own projects and search for interested participants. Soldiers2Scientists has partnered with SciStarter to develop projects for the Avon Park Sentinel Landscape in addition to helping national parks advertise their existing projects in their communities. SciStarter is an amazing tool for anyone who wants to get involved in citizen science.

CoCoRaHs

The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow network is a nationwide organization whose aim is to provide the highest quality data for natural resource, education, and research applications. CoCoRaHs has precipitation monitoring outposts throughout the United States, Canada, and even Puerto Rico. Citizen Scientists upload valuable precipitation data each day which is then utilized by The National Weather Service, The National Center of Environmental Information, engineers, farmers, teachers, and many others. Soldiers2Scientists has partnered with CoCoRaHs to recruit veterans who are interested in citizen science. CoCoRaHs’s rain gauge monitoring provides an excellent gateway experience for those who are interested in getting involved. Soldiers2Scientists has also partnered with CoCoRaHs to expand their operations in Florida at the Avon Park Sentinel Landscape Installation.

Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape

The Avon Park Air Force Range (APAFR) Sentinel Landscape is an area designated to support the Avon Park Air Force Range's military mission while preserving and enhancing the agricultural and ecological resources within and around the installation. Through compatible land use strategies, science, best management practices, conservation, economics, and policy, partner organizations and willing landowners work to maintain national defense while also maintaining essential working lands, natural resources, wildlife habitat and movement corridors, at-risk species, watershed health and water management, access to public recreation, and more. The APAFR Sentinel Landscape partnerships include landowners, local, state, and federal agencies, conservation organizations, and interested stakeholders to ensure the region's vitality. Soldiers2Scientists is partnering with the Avon Park AFR Sentinel Landscape Partnership to identify citizen science projects critical to the strategic priorities of the Range and to recruit and maintain a community of veteran citizen scientists who will help monitor the biodiversity and health of the landscape.

SOCOM Warrior Care Program

The Special Operation Command Warrior Care Program - Care Coalition Career Transition Team assists eligible Special Operations Forces Service Members who are preparing to separate or retire from the military. They develop and implement a customized career transition plan and arrange funded fellowships and internships where these service members can explore new careers, receive hands-on training, and benefit from mentorship from other veterans. Soldiers2Scientists’s research has shown that the National Park Service employs thousands of veterans, and we seek to help SOCOM by connecting service members with tailored internships and employment at National Parks and other conservation partners.

Great Basin National Park

Great Basin National Park is located in Baker, Nevada. It is famous for its dark night skies, making it a sought after location for astronomy experts and enthusiasts. Some famous sites to visit include Alpine lakes, Lehman’s Caves, and Wheeler Peak Glacier. It is also host to Ancient Bristle Cone Pines, which are some of the oldest known living organisms in the world; these rare trees can live for over 4,000 years in isolated groves near the tree line. Great Basin National Park has generously offered to host a two week citizen science Eco-Recon expedition in August. Soldiers2Scientists will be taking veteran participants to the park to assist park officials with critical conservation research projects!

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is located near Peninsuala, Ohio. Cuyahoga boasts over 100 waterfalls and the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad which runs along the historic Ohio and Eerie Canal. The park is a refuge for native plants and wildlife, and it hosts a range of forests, rolling hills, and open farmlands. Over the past 30 years, park volunteers have assisted in monitoring and protecting the parks flora and fauna. From butterflies to Great Blue Herons, the park has a robust citizen science program. Soldiers2Scientists is working with Cuyahoga Valley National Park to find veterans and volunteers who wish to learn more about the park and engage in some of their projects!

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is located in Prince, West Virginia. The park hosts The New River, which is considered the second oldest river in the world. Offering excellent fishing, premier whitewater boating, and some of the rarest plants in West Virginia, New River Gorge is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Soldiers2Scientists has been working with the park to promote their citizen science opportunities, particularly their Bat Emergence Program. We hope to attract veterans to the park and to promote the citizen science opportunities among the surrounding communities.

American Corporate Partners

Founded in 2008, ACP aims to ease the transition from the military to the civilian workforce. ACP is the only nonprofit organization engaged in national corporate career counseling for our returning veterans and active duty military spouses. More than 100 of America’s finest companies support ACP. We are also proud to work with a variety of best-in-class veteran service organizations, professional groups and military transition programs. ACP is a nationwide nonprofit organization. 4,465 Veterans and Active-Duty Spouses completed our Mentoring Program in 2023. Over 35,000 Veterans and their Spouses have completed their ACP mentorship. S2S is currently providing mentorship to ACP veteran proteges.

South Shore Audubon Society

The mission of the South Shore Audubon Society is to promote environmental education; conduct research pertaining to local bird populations, wildlife, and habitat; and to preserve and restore our environment, through responsible activism, for the benefit of both people and wildlife. They are continually hosting events, field trips, nature walks and more. S2S has partnered with SSAS to develop a new front in the American Kestrel Nestbox Project. SSAS has helped identify and secure approval for box installations. We are also adding tree swallow and great crested flycarcher nestboxes to establish long term monitoring projects for the local Long Island community.

The Xerxes Society

The Xerxes Society is a science based nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats. Their key program areas are pollinator conservation, endangered species conservation, and reducing pesticide use and impacts. Soldiers2Scientists works with the Xerces Society at Great Basjn National Park in Nevada, at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, across Florida, and working to expand their Bumble Bee Atlas in NY, Virginia, and North Carolina.

Hawkwatch International

Hawkwatch International’s mission is to conserve our environment through education, long-term monitoring, and scientific research on raptors as indicators of ecosystem health. Since 1986, HawkWatch International has monitored and researched raptors across the Western United States. The data inform local, state, and federal conservation actions across North America and inspire students to learn more about math and science. Combined with a team of non-releasable Raptor Ambassadors, we work to inspire the public to help us conserve raptors and our shared environment.

Manassas National Battlefield Park

Manassas Battlefield Park is located in Manassas, Virginia. It is set aside to honor the fallen soldiers who fought there in some of the bloodiest engagements of the American Civil War. In addition to historical artifacts, the park has hiking trails and driving tours available, and it boasts a beautiful bird friendly grassland habitat. Mike Cohn, founder and executive director of Soldiers2Scientists, has been working with Manassas Battlefield Park since 2013. In partnership with the Cornell Ornithology Lab and the park, Mike helped to monitor a network of American Kestrel and Barn Owl nest boxes at the park. Soldiers2Scientists is currently working with an intern to evaluate the nest boxes and maintain them to ensure they continue to remain suitable habitats for the American Kestrel, a species in decline.