Does the USGS use volunteers to collect data?

Volunteers assist on some USGS projects. In all cases, the volunteers are carefully trained and are supervised by a federal employee while they work. To ensure quality-control, data collected by volunteers are checked by USGS supervisors. Volunteers must abide by the same rules, regulations, policies, and laws as employees.

Some USGS volunteer opportunities are advertised at Volunteer.gov. Most of those involve working from home or reporting observations that you make on your own time.

The USGS also collects data through volunteer citizen science programs.