Become a citizen scientist by creating your own mammal feeder! A citizen scientist is any person who helps participate in scientific research, like gathering their own observations, to send to researchers trying to answer
real world questions. Make your own mammal feeder and participate in the University of Chicago’s Project Squirrel: projectsquirrel.org/index.shtml.
Materials:
- Scissors
- 2 plastic bottles of similar size
- Tape
- Stick
- String
Instructions:
- Cut the top off of the two bottles.
- Use one of the bottoms of the bottles to make a bottom for the feeder. Cut two windows opposite of one another for the animals to access the food.
- Poke a small hole directly under the feeder windows to slide the perch stick through, the place the perch stick in the holes.
- Tape the two bottle tops together, with one top facing up and the other facing down, as seen in the diagram.
- Tape the upside-down bottle top to the bottom piece with the windows and perch stick.
- Make a hole in a bottle cap and run a string through to hang the feeder.
- Screw on the bottle top and hang for your backyard squirrels to enjoy!
Until it’s time to visit SKELETONS: Museum of Osteology again, learn more about how citizen scientists help in the study of bones in the new virtual exhibit Behind the Bones at vamonde.com/adventure/behind-the-bones/1576. Learn animal facts, take quizzes and check out never-before-seen specimens and stories of the Museum of Osteology!
