If you build it, they will come – Community science as a mutual resource

For the past 12 years, we have run a community science program focused on ‘kissing bugs’ (also called conenose bugs; [Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae]). Kissing bugs can spread the parasite that causes Chagas disease in humans, dogs, and other mammals. By studying the bugs that people find, we can better understand this public health disease risk. We recently passed the milestone of 10,000 bugs submitted by the public to our program. This presentation will focus on tools we’ve used, lessons learned, and future directions. Specifically, we’ll focus on outreach materials (print and online), media opportunities, data management, plain language, open science, and the incredible value of community-gathered collections. In addition, the presenter will share some resources for those working with or starting a community science program.