Citizen Science
Monarch Larva Monitoring Project
Every year, the zoo participates in the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project (MLMP), a citizen science initiative led by the Monarch Joint Venture and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum.
Conservation Science and Learning staff observe milkweed plants within the zoo’s gardens weekly, on the lookout for various stages of monarch butterfly larva.
Data collected through this project contributes to better understanding the distribution and abundance of breeding monarchs to inform monarch conservation across the nation.
Project FeederWatch
November through April, we participate in Project FeederWatch, led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This citizen science initiative takes place across North America and encourages participants to survey birds that visit backyards, nature centers, and community centers.
You can join us in participating, even without a feeder!
Habitat Hero with John Ball Zoo
We’re working with our partners at John Ball Zoo in Michigan to help our guests become Habitat Heroes by engaging in restoring and protecting native habitat through education, awareness, and direct action. Through this initiative, we are working to provide native plants at no cost to community members to create healthy habitat corridors not just here in Delaware, but across the nation.
In 2025, with the help of Delaware State Parks, we were able to give away 250 milkweed plants across the state of Delaware!
Contribute to Science with the Snap of a Picture
Each year, The Brandywine Zoo hosts multiple BioBlitz style citizen science projects on the iNaturalist platform. iNaturalist allows individuals across the globe to share and contribute data such as images and sound files to contribute to research initiatives. Check out our upcoming or ongoing studies below!
Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz 2025
Taking place September 2025
Join the Brandywine Zoo and Delaware State Parks alongside parks across the country in a fun challenge to see how many pollinator species can be documented this September! Park and recreation agencies from across the country will be hosting Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz events throughout the month.
You can learn more about the Parks for Pollinators initiative and see which agencies are participating by visiting nrpa.org/BioBlitz.
Delaware Invasive Plant Watch
Ongoing year-round
Help us track emerging invasive plants in the state of Delaware. This is a collaboration between the Brandywine Zoo, the Delaware Invasive Species Council, and you! We are looking for reports of several “up and coming” invasive plant species in Delaware. Tracking these emerging threats will help prevent these non-native species from being big infestations in the future.
Programs & Workshops
If you want to help us make a difference, check out our Citizen Science focused programs or workshops!
Fall Moth Ball
September 7 at 7:30pm
Join the zoo’s Conservation Science and Learning team for the opportunity to learn about the moths of Delaware, all while helping to collect valuable data for their conservation! This evening mothing program will provide a chance to observe, identify, and photograph moths and other nocturnal insects while participating in our citizen science initiative, Parks for Pollinators. This free program will take place at the zoo’s Education Building.
To register for the program, email [email protected].