Earthwatch Institute

Earthwatch's programs involve a global community of researchers, conservation volunteers, educators, students, ngo's and businesses working together toward a sustainable environment. Through our field expeditions, Earthwatch engages individuals in hands-on environmental research alongside leading scientists where they actively participate in research that contributes to the understanding of environmental challenges. While we were able to open all of our supported field research projects to volunteer recruitment for our 2023 fiscal year (october 1, 2022- september 30, 2023), those recruitment numbers fell short of our participant number goals. We were able to support 162 field research teams across 28 projects within 18 countries (down from the approximately 38 field-research projects across 24 countries that were a part of our pre-pandemic programs). 878 people participated on Earthwatch public field projects. These individuals contributed approximately 45,000 hours to research data collection. Supported scientists published an estimated 18 peer-reviewed papers and/or book chapters during this fiscal year, with over 65 additional publications from previously-supported research projects. In addition, the Earthwatch model was featured in at least 35 other peer-reviewed publications in 2023. At least four graduate students that were supported in-part by the Earthwatch model completed their degrees within 2023 (3 phds, 1 msc). Earthwatch is dedicated to creating an environmental legacy through our research projects, experiential educational programs and hands-on volunteer opportunities in field research. In recognition that part of our model's continued vulnerability to this global crisis has been its reliance on travel, we continued channeling more effort in expanding several programs that appeal to both corporate partners (current and potential) and members of the public that are not as dependent on travel. In 2023, we expanded our climate change master class webinar series for corporate partners to over 2,100 participants. Operation healthy air (oha) had 753 participants for both webinar and field activities, and our inaturalist-based global pollinator watch project grew to include a total of four corporate partners that contributed over 3,300 pollinator observations, while the public version of this program has now reached over 415,000 pollinator observations, representing nearly 20,000 species by the end of 2023.