Community Science in Action: How I Recruited 700 Volunteers to Our Plant Ecotype Project

Desirée Narango and Ryan Rebozo running an Adopt-a-Plant Pickup event in Montpelier © Onome Ofoman

On a particularly rainy day in April, I stood with Desiree Narango and Dana Williams outside the red barn at the Intervale Center in Burlington. We had just wrapped up our Adopt-a-Plant pickup event at the Spectacular Nature Day hosted by Burlington Wildways, a coalition that cares for natural areas in Burlington. Now we were waiting for our final volunteer, who had emailed to let me know she’d been delayed. 

Turns out, this volunteer had a good reason to be running behind. When she arrived, she told us that she had brought her partner, mother, and daughter on a several-hour journey to Burlington, just to become an Adopt-a-Plant volunteer for our Plant Ecotype study. We gave her three Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) and three Cutleaf Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata), each one grown from seeds sourced from a different region of the US, and sent her on her way with instructions for taking care of them and collecting data on pollinator visits.

Her story may seem extreme, but it exemplifies the extraordinary commitment and enthusiasm of our community science volunteers, many of whom are recent converts to the cause of learning more about what plants are best for our native pollinators.

The seven Adopt-a-Plant pickup events, which we held this spring in six towns stretching across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont, were vibrant celebrations of community science. We successfully distributed over 1,500 plants, plus materials on essential plant care and insect identification. 

Author Onome Ofoman working in one of the experimental gardens. © Sammi Rizzo

Most importantly, with 700 participants signed up for the project, and 85% of them new to VCE, we expanded and deepened our connections to regular folks curious about how they can contribute to a deeper scientific understanding of pollinator habitat and plant preferences.

Reaching People Where They Are

As the Adopt-a-Plant project manager, I planned and coordinated the project throughout the winter of 2025, with a special focus on recruiting new volunteers who weren’t familiar with VCE and didn’t consider themselves community scientists…yet.

Like any good scientist, I started out by examining existing research and based my effort on strategies identified in the literature for broadening participation in ecological community science.

First, we framed our research question to align with community interests. The project’s principal investigator, Desirée Narango, drew on conversations she’d had with plant enthusiasts in the region when she first started at VCE. People wanted to know whether they should be planting seeds or seedlings of native species sourced from their particular region. The resulting experimental question that emerged was: 

How do plant ecotypes—a plant population adapted to a specific region—impact insect populations? 

Next, we got creative about recruiting participants through channels where they already hung out, including Front Porch Forum in Vermont, town Facebook groups in other states, gardening groups, and through our partner organizations.

We also created opportunities for bi-directional learning. By soliciting input and feedback from prospective volunteers through our signup form, we were able to learn more about them and use that learning to inform the design of our experiment and data collection protocols. For example, we asked participants about their willingness to collect data at different frequencies, their plant preferences, and their willingness to monitor their own plants. We then used the responses to shape the duration and frequency of data collection. We also matched plant species to participants to ensure balanced adoption of our plant species.

We developed two ArcGIS Survey123 apps to allow participants to easily submit initial information regarding planting dates and conditions, as well as weekly updates on insect visits. This eliminated the need for manual transcription from paper sheets. We also provided an option for participants to upload insect images to the iNaturalist app, which can help with identification, while creating a sense of community by enabling them to share and view each other’s observations.

We dispersed our pickup locations across three states to ensure that most participants could pick up their plant within a 1.5 hour drive from their home. This involved reaching out to dozens of non-profits. We ultimately settled on the North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier, the Intervale Center in Burlington, and public libraries in Manchester, NH, Springfield, MA, and Rutland, VT.

Picking Up the Plants

Plant plugs being grown at Native Plant Trust, 05/22/24.

We had to carefully coordinate transporting and handling the plants from a greenhouse in Central Vermont and the Native Plant Trust greenhouse in Western Massachusetts. On the evening before each event, we moved the seedlings out of one of the greenhouses and placed each one in a labelled, biodegradable plant bag. On the day of the event, we transported them in temperature-controlled conditions and handled them with care to avoid damage.

Approximately 500 participants picked up their plants and their information packets, complete with clear instructions on how to care for their species, helpful guides on identifying insects that might visit their plants, and data collection protocols, including how to use the two ArcGIS Survey123 survey apps I had created. Special thanks goes to all VCE staff members who helped assemble these packets and who greeted and interacted with participants at the different events.

Desirée Narango and Amber Jones running an Adopt-a-Plant Pickup Event at the Manchester City Library, New Hampshire © Onome Ofoman

The true highlight of this experience for me was the opportunity for us as scientists to connect with volunteers who are devoting their time to helping us collect data. For some, this was their first time taking care of a plant, and we were happy to share some extra tips and answer questions about ideal growing conditions. Others shared their personal gardening stories, their ongoing effort to provide high quality pollinator habitat on their property, and their prior experience with some of the plant species in our study. Regardless of their skill level, they were eager to help us build scientific knowledge. 

As our volunteers plant their seedlings and start collecting data, we expect that their efforts will contribute valuable insights into the connection between plant ecotypes and the success of local ecosystems. However, the stories, enthusiasm, and connections formed at these events are, in my view, equally significant. They serve as a source of inspiration and motivation, and a valuable reminder that ecological research can be a community-driven endeavor that fosters a deeper appreciation for the natural world.

Learn more about the Adopt a Plant project, and if you’re in the Upper Valley this summer, visit one of our experimental gardens to see our research in action.

Funding for the plants and staff time was provided by the One Hive Foundation, a private foundation that supports nonprofit research and community partners to promote pollinator health and ecologically responsible agriculture.