Citizen Science wants to make the City of Angels better, and it has big hopes for the rest of the world, too.
How? By bringing together science, beer and the community.
In fact, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is investigating a myriad of possibilities in partnership with Angel City Brewery with a new discussion series aptly called, “Citizen Science + Suds.’’ The idea is to host panelists who can share their stories and their works in a social setting, far removed from the museum’s walls. This continues a NHMLA successful history of programming which included Citizen Science + Cocktails.
“We really can see how we can meet scientific goals and educational goals by getting people excited and aware through this way of engagement,’’ said Lila Higgins, manager of the Citizen Science Office at the museum.
People are interested in science beyond the microscope. They want to explore the world around them seeking answers to questions and for pure enjoyment. Individuals worked on their own looking for answers to scientific questions. Today, the term — attributed largely to Rick Bonney in the United States and Alan Irwin in the United Kingdom — refers to the collection and analysis of data about the world by scientists, professionals and the public.
“We’ve discovered there are so many different ways to participate and we’ve decided to meet people where they’re at and be interested in what they want to do,’’ she said.
And apparently, for now at least, that involves some brews. The explosion of craft beers not only has brought numerous new products to the forefront but also has created popular destinations for people to hang out and meet.
“People want to meet and make community. We want to bring people together, many of whom have been working with various individuals and projects but on their own and now they can meet face to face. Or we want people who are interested in helping but don’t know how to get involved.’’
An answer? Combining community with food and drink. Supporters want to encourage fresh perspectives, commitment and participation from the public, showing how science happens everywhere and not just in labs.
On tap for Thursday is “Can Citizen Science Help Us Build a Better Los Angeles?” The program, which begins at 6 p.m., will look at projects having an impact in the city and surrounding areas — conservation, urban planning and homelessness. Speakers will be Miguel Ordenana, of the NHMLA Citizen Science Office; Hyeran Lee of the Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition; and Jonathan Hans of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
Other discussions are planned for March 9 (“Changing California One Citizen Science Project at a Time”) with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, Road Ecology Center and California Academy of Sciences; and April 13 (“Can Citizen Science Save the World?” with the NHMLA Urban Nature Research Center, Planetary Response Network and the Zooiverse and Greening Bourj Al Shamall & Public Lab.
In the continual spirit of citizen science, NHMLA and Angel City are partnership in an attempt to create Los Angeles’ first crowd-sourced beer. Community members are asked to vote for the beer’s ingredients and its name by coming to the events or by way of social media, via @NatureinLA, on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Votes for ingredients need to be in by Thursday and those for the beer name are due by March 9. The specially designed beer will be available for tasting at the series’ last program on April 13.
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