By Renae Blum B R Bl
The Eclipse
through the eyes of citizen scientists
This sunset-looking photograph was taken during the middle of
the day during the 2017 eclipse at Verdon State Recreation Area
in Richardson County by Jeff Kurrus.
18 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
O
ne year ago, for just a couple of minutes,
the sky darkened in the middle of the day.
The air cooled, stars and planets appeared,
and the sun seemed to transform before our eyes.
The 2017 solar eclipse was a once-in-a-lifetime
experience. But as fascinating as it was, not
everyone had their eyes trained on the skies the
whole time. There was a question that needed
answering: how would animals and plants react to
the eclipse?
That was the premise behind a citizen science
project started on iNaturalist.org entitled "Life
Responds." Nearly 650 people across the United
States logged on to record their observations of
what happened in nature before, during and after
the eclipse.
One of them was Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission naturalist Holly Green, who
coordinated efforts for park visitors in central
Nebraska to make their own observations. As she
gathered and submitted data, Green got a unique
glimpse into how the eclipse affected wildlife in
Nebraska. Several observations stood out to her:
•
Unusual cicada activity. "They started being
active as it got darker and darker, and the birds
were chasing them out of the trees trying to eat
them," Green said. "The cicadas were deafening.
And then when totality happened, it was silence. It
was just eerie."
•
Confused bats. After totality, an onlooker
observed a bat clinging to a door in the women's
restroom at Mormon Island State Recreation Area.
