Earlier this week, James posted about a crowd of ladybugs he spotted on a recycling bin at Emory. His account reminded me of a guest lecture in my entomology class earlier this year, when John Losey came to talk to us, in part, about the Lost Ladybug Project.

The Lost Ladybug Project, which is a citizen science similar to the ornithological projects I’ve written about previously, aims to educate participants on the values of biodiversity conservation and the importance of ladybugs as predators in ecosystems. Like Celebrate Urban Birds, The Lost Ladybug Project attempts to harness the widespread power of the community, and especially youth, to create “one of the largest, most accurate, accessible biological databases ever developed” (NSF Project Summary).

In an age when species are wavering on the brink of extinction, sometimes rebounding and often not, contributing to the protection of species such as the nine spotted ladybug can be as simple as taking a photo of the ladybug that lands on your shoulder while you’re out eating lunch, or sending your friends a link.