Does the USGS use volunteers to collect data?
Volunteers assist on some USGS projects. In all cases, the volunteers are carefully trained; then they are supervised by a federal employee while they work. In addition, to ensure quality-control, their data are checked by USGS supervisors. Volunteers must abide by the same rules, regulations, policies, and laws as employees.
Some USGS volunteer opportunities are advertised on the Volunteer.gov website. Most of those involve working from home or reporting observations that you make on your own time.
Related Content
Do you have any citizen science programs in which my students can participate?
Can I join the USGS?
Can I volunteer with the USGS?
How do I get USGS data?
Where can I find information on employment with the USGS?
Do you have internships, summer positions, or volunteer positions for teachers or students?
Volunteering to Map the Nation
As the USGS continues to celebrate “Mapping Month”, we again promote noteworthy contributors to The National Map Corps “crowdsourcing” project.
Volunteering for Science
Citizen Scientists edit structures to improve US Topo Maps and along the way earn virtual badges.
Volunteering for Science
The National Map Corps recognizes major volunteers to national mapping efforts
Community Announcement: USGS Ground Motion Study in the Walnut Creek/Concord Area Looking for Volunteers
The U. S. Geological Survey is seeking volunteers to host temporary seismic stations in the Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill/Concord California area. Volunteers will be assisting with a new ground motion study that will begin in March 2017.
Crowd-Sourcing the Nation: USGS Seeking More Volunteers
The USGS is expanding its crowd-sourcing of geographic data and is seeking more volunteers to contribute structures information to 16 more states.
The National Map Corps - Volunteers Receive Recognition
Citizen volunteers are making significant additions to the U.S. Geological Survey's ability to provide accurate information to the public. Using crowd sourcing techniques, the USGS project known as The National Map Corps (TNMC) encourages citizen volunteers to collect manmade structure data in an effort to provide accurate and authoritative spatial map data for the National...
Crowd-Sourcing the Nation: Using Volunteers for Enhanced Data Collection
The USGS is expanding the involvement of volunteers to enhance data collection about structures for The National Map.
Volunteers mark lake sturgeon at the NYSDEC Oneida Hatchery
Volunteers mark lake sturgeon at the NYSDEC Oneida Hatchery
Volunteers look for ectoparasites on a palila
PIERC volunteer measures the leg of a Hawai‘i ‘elepaio
USGS volunteer measures DBH of koa tree
Volunteers Monitor Bird and Beach Health
Volunteer, Bob Schutt, walks his assigned beach on Lake Michigan to monitor bird health and beach conditions as part of a citizen science program called AMBLE.
Volunteers Monitor Bird and Beach Health
Volunteer, Patrick Sullivan, looks for birds while monitoring his assigned beach on Lake Michigan as part of a citizen science program called AMBLE.
USGS Volunteer Student at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum
The Smithsonian Natural History Museum offers hands-on learning experiences.
USGS volunteer observes/counts members of a large bison
USGS volunteer, Halle Poppaw, observes/counts members of a large bison group on TNC’s Medano Ranch. USGS photo by Kate Schoenecker.