Citizen Science

How we’re collaborating with our community to conserve wildlife

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!

Delaware State Parks 75th Anniversary Natural Heritage Survey

Celebrate a legacy 75 years in the making by collecting important biological data across Delaware State Parks!

From the first protected lands to today, the Delaware State Parks mission remains the same: to provide safe, enjoyable recreation, responsibly care for Delaware’s natural and cultural resources, and connect people with nature for generations to come. You can be a part of this legacy by contributing to our 75th Anniversary Natural Heritage Survey! This survey will take place all year long, collecting important biodiversity data across each of Delaware’s State Parks to build a record of biological data in our historic anniversary year.

This Natural Heritage Survey uses crowdsourced data through images, audio files, and more to help us to document data about plant and animal communities that can be tracked over time and allow us to continue to protect habitats in the places that you love for the next 75 years to come and beyond.

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!

Monarch Larva Monitoring Project Workshop

Sunday, May 17, 12:30-4pm

Monarch butterfly populations are declining. Native milkweed is essential to their survival. If you have it at home, work, school, or somewhere else you can access, this citizen science project is just for you!

During the summer, participants check their milkweed for any life stage that may be present. Learn how during this workshop by our Community Engagement Specialist.

Questions? Email [email protected]

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