Cicadas and Community Science

Keep Calm and Stop Screaming

One of the first community science projects took place in 1840 in Maryland. Scientist and newspaperman Gideon Smith was especially fascinated by nature. He was the kind of guy who didn’t do things halfway. For example, once he spent years studying silkworms and wrote a book about them. Later, he got into birds, became friends with the founder of the Audubon Society and even had a bird named after him. So, Smith, staying true to his all-in ways, eventually became obsessed with cicadas, did his usual deep dive and had so many questions. I don’t have his actual word-for-word inquiries, but having experienced the 2021 invasion of the red-eyed screechers, I’d venture that he wanted to know things like:

• Why scream?

• Why hit us upside the head?

• Why cover my whole yard?

• Why first leave your crunchy shells, then sprout your flying wings?

• Why so many of you?

• Why come back?

  

  Cicada Mail Call

Being so familiar with newspapers and the written word, Smith had the idea to put ads in newspapers asking people to write him postcards describing their cicada observations. Hundreds of people responded because cicadas typically arouse powerful feelings. Their calls, which can reach 80-100 decibels in volume—equal to the sound of a garbage disposal, lawn mower or a jackhammer—are hard to ignore. Some postcards said “they’re in my hair,” or “they attack me,” or “there are a million here, help.” Questions were mostly around the idea of when will these &%$#@*^ bugs leave?

Get Ready for 2024, the Cicadas Yelled

Taken all together, the information gained from the postcards provided a ton of great information for Smith, and his simple project is now considered one of the first community science efforts in the U.S. Today, there is an app.: Cicada Safari. Check it out and appreciate the hollerin’ headline: GET READY FOR 2024. Despite the belief that cicadas are on a 13- to 17-year schedule, stragglers actually come out each year. Global warming is causing the pattern to change to a more frequent visitation schedule because the soil temperature is higher. If you want to know more about the whole timing aspect, enjoy this article from the University of Connecticut, a university that sees its share of these insects. I love how this somber and data-filled resource also gives a professional nod to the importance of outdoor fun (weddings? picnics? graduations?) and how one may want to schedule around the actions of a loud bug.

Consider joining this old and time-tested community science project that’s been updated for today’s app-happy world!