Fox Squirrels in Utah: An Opportunity for Advancing Participatory Science and Forging Community Connections at a Natural History Museum

Natural history museums (NHMs) have significant potential to advance participatory science as they connect researchers, collections, educators, and the public to further both public education and scientific knowledge. However, there have been few documented efforts showing how museums can fulfill that potential. This case study of a citizen science project at the Natural History Museum of Utah: 1) offers an example that museums could follow to advance participatory science by connecting researchers, educators, and communities around an issue of significant community interest; 2) documents how multi-disciplinary scientists and educational experts created a successful, collaborative, long-term citizen science project; and 3) discusses implications and recommendations afforded by this project. The focal species, the eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), was first documented in Utah in 2011. Since then, their population has grown substantially as has their visibility and interest to the public. In a collaborative, cross-disciplinary effort, Museum personnel led the Fox Squirrel Citizen Science Project to collect data in partnership with the public, use these data to advance scientific knowledge, and engage the public through educational programming and data sharing. By collaborating across traditional museum departments and employing creative means of public engagement, this project strengthened relationships among community members and the Museum, in addition to successfully building a large dataset on a non-native species. This case study describes recommendations for how NHMs can activate participatory science and multi-disciplinary teams to address emerging ecological challenges, collect meaningful data, and strengthen connections with their communities.