Heidi L Ballard
Biographic Data
| ID | 159236 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Heidi L Ballard |
| GIVEN NAMES | Heidi L |
| FAMILY NAME | Ballard |
| SIGNATURE | BALLARD H L |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of California, Davis |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7841-8293 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 26 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 113 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 26 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2006 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Learning and Distributed Expertise in Community‐Based Science
In the face of growing social‐ecological challenges, multiple forms of expertise must be brought to bear in environmental problem‐solving. As such, community‐based science has been touted as a potential way to “democratize” scientific knowledge production, allowing for multiple sources of expertise to be harnessed and for learning across stakeholders to occur in new ways. The extent to which this occurs, however, is mediated by a variety of facto…
“Seeing power” between young people and conservation professionals in the design of a community-based watershed monitoring initiative
Background Community-based monitoring provides a forum for diverse stakeholders to co-construct knowledge relevant to building social-ecological resilience. However, power asymmetries between these actors can privilege the perspectives of dominant groups, while preventing non-dominant perspectives from informing conservation science.Methods This study investigates a workshop series intended to support young people in designing a watershed monitor…
Environmental education outcomes of community and citizen science
Community‐driven science and science education
Profound equity and justice-related challenges persist in promoting community engagement with science. The intersecting effects of multiple pandemics—racial and economic injustice, COVID-19, gun violence, and climate change, among others—have all shaped when, how and why people engage with, or even have access to, science. There is also a growing public distrust in science, with broad-reaching implications. The antivaccination movement, one manif…
Data to decision-making
Youth-focused Community and Citizen Science (CCS) projects are contexts in which youth can contribute to the entire “data lifecycle”––from data-collection to decision-making with their scientific findings. But data alone does not contain the answers for what action to take and how. Using the educational context of an afterschool CCS bird monitoring program for 4th and 5th graders, this ethnographic study investigates the different ways youth iden…
Community and citizen science in schools
With the rapid proliferation of citizen science and other participatory approaches to scientific research in recent years has come an expansion of interest in the learning opportunities this approach may afford for learners of all ages, in informal settings, but especially in schools (Bonney et al., 2014 ; NAS, 2018). Empirical research on the impacts of, and effective design practices for, citizen science in formal school settings is only just r…
Online Community and Citizen Science supports environmental science learning by young people
Community and citizen science in online settings could be seen as a means for young people to engage with and contribute to authentic science. Yet, there is a limited understanding of who takes part in citizen science among young people, what they learn, and through which processes, particularly in online settings. In this exploratory study, we analysed 34 in-depth interviews and log files of young people aged 11-19 years old who took part in cit…
Examining youth participation in ongoing community and citizen science programs in 3 different out-of-school settings
We investigated youth participation in three Community and Citizen Science (CCS) programs led by natural history museums in out-of-school settings. Using second generation Activity Theory, we looked at repeated participation over time, collecting and then qualitatively analyzing ethnographic fieldnote observations on focal youth participation and components of the activity systems. We found each program provided multiple and unique access points …
Examining student environmental science agency across school science contexts
To address the limited time and support for elementary science, science instruction is sometimes distributed among classroom teachers, science specialists, and informal science educators, creating a complex school science culture. We investigate how student agency may be enabled and constrained when school science learning happens simultaneously across multiple school contexts. Using a social practice theory lens, we examine how three third‐grade…
Collaborative research as boundary work
Multi-stakeholder initiatives for biodiversity conservation on working landscapes often necessitate strategies to facilitate learning in order to foster successful collaboration. To investigate the learning processes that both undergird and result from collaborative efforts, this case study employs the concept of boundary work as a lens to examine learning between rice growers and conservation professionals in California’s Central Valley, who wer…
Social learning in conservation and natural resource management
Jadallah, C. C., and H. L. Ballard. 2021. Social learning in conservation and natural resource management: taking a sociocultural perspective. Ecology and Society 26(4):37. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-12654-260437
Engagement in science through citizen science
To date, most studies of citizen science engagement focus on quantifiable measures related to the contribution of data or other output measures. Few studies have attempted to qualitatively characterize citizen science engagement across multiple projects and from the perspective of the participants. Building on pertinent literature and sociocultural learning theories, this study operationalizes engagement in citizen science through an analysis of …
Youth-focused citizen science
Citizen science by youth is rapidly expanding, but very little research has addressed the ways programs meet the dual goals of rigorous conservation science and environmental science education. We examined case studies of youth-focused community and citizen science (CCS) and analyzed the learning processes and outcomes, and stewardship activities for youth, as well as contributions to site and species management, each as conservation outcomes. Ex…
Citizen science can improve conservation science, natural resource management, and environmental protection
Seeing below the surface
Can citizen science enhance public understanding of science
Over the past 20 years, thousands of citizen science projects engaging millions of participants in collecting and/or processing data have sprung up around the world. Here we review documented outcomes from four categories of citizen science projects which are defined by the nature of the activities in which their participants engage – Data Collection, Data Processing, Curriculum-based, and Community Science. We find strong evidence that scientifi…
Agencies, educators, communities and wildfire
We studied seven programs that engage youth from 10 to 18 years old in wildfire risk reduction in their communities in the United States through in-depth interviews to examine the nature and role of community-school partnerships in resource-focused environmental education. While the programs use a variety of strategies, from Scout badge to summer school, they exhibit several common dimensions: they all engage youth in community projects; they all…
Questions That Won't Go Away in Participatory Research
Ethical issues are intrinsic to conducting research regarding society and natural resources, but they often become poignant when engaging in Participatory Action Research. We compiled common and persistent challenges into a list of "Questions That Won't Go Away" or "QTWGAs" that are relevant to people interested in conducting participatory research to benefit communities. We discuss these questions in the context of previously published literatur…
Next Steps for Citizen Science
Strategic investments and coordination are needed for citizen science to reach its full potential.
Transformative food systems education in a land-grant college of agriculture
Public Participation in Scientific Research
Shirk, J. L., H. L. Ballard, C. C. Wilderman, T. Phillips, A. Wiggins, R. Jordan, E. McCallie, M. Minarchek, B. V. Lewenstein, M. E. Krasny, and R. Bonney. 2012. Public participation in scientific research: a framework for deliberate design. Ecology and Society 17(2): 29. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04705-170229
Volunteer guides in nature reserves
In the following case study, we examine the interplay between self-perception, environmental perception, and the interests and practice of volunteer trail guides who were recruited to provide educational services for visitors to a natural reserve in Northern California. Through semi-structured interviews with 15 guides and observations of training sessions and educational walks, we found that although individual perspectives of volunteers varied …
Participatory action research and environmental learning
How can a participatory approach to research promote environmental learning and enhance social–ecological systems resilience? Participatory action research (PAR) is an approach to research that its' supporters claim can foster new knowledge, learning, and action to support positive social and environmental change through reorienting the standard process of knowledge production. PAR is posited as being particularly suitable for use with historical…
Adaptive Management and Social Learning in Collaborative and Community-Based Monitoring
Fernandez-Gimenez, M. E., H. L. Ballard, and V. E. Sturtevant. 2008. Adaptive management and social learning in collaborative and community-based monitoring: a study of five community-based forestry organizations in the western USA. Ecology and Society 13(2): 4. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-02400-130204
Integration of Local Ecological Knowledge and Conventional Science
Ballard, H. L., M. E. Fernandez-Gimenez, and V. E. Sturtevant. 2008. Integration of local ecological knowledge and conventional science: a study of seven community-based forestry organizations in the USA. Ecology and Society 13(2): 37. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-02594-130237
Public Participation in Scientific Research
Shirk, J. L., H. L. Ballard, C. C. Wilderman, T. Phillips, A. Wiggins, R. Jordan, E. McCallie, M. Minarchek, B. V. Lewenstein, M. E. Krasny, and R. Bonney. 2012. Public participation in scientific research: a framework for deliberate design. Ecology and Society 17(2): 29. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04705-170229
Participatory action research and environmental learning
How can a participatory approach to research promote environmental learning and enhance social–ecological systems resilience? Participatory action research (PAR) is an approach to research that its' supporters claim can foster new knowledge, learning, and action to support positive social and environmental change through reorienting the standard process of knowledge production. PAR is posited as being particularly suitable for use with historical…
Adaptive Management and Social Learning in Collaborative and Community-Based Monitoring
Fernandez-Gimenez, M. E., H. L. Ballard, and V. E. Sturtevant. 2008. Adaptive management and social learning in collaborative and community-based monitoring: a study of five community-based forestry organizations in the western USA. Ecology and Society 13(2): 4. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-02400-130204
Questions That Won't Go Away in Participatory Research
Ethical issues are intrinsic to conducting research regarding society and natural resources, but they often become poignant when engaging in Participatory Action Research. We compiled common and persistent challenges into a list of "Questions That Won't Go Away" or "QTWGAs" that are relevant to people interested in conducting participatory research to benefit communities. We discuss these questions in the context of previously published literatur…
Transformative food systems education in a land-grant college of agriculture
Integration of Local Ecological Knowledge and Conventional Science
Ballard, H. L., M. E. Fernandez-Gimenez, and V. E. Sturtevant. 2008. Integration of local ecological knowledge and conventional science: a study of seven community-based forestry organizations in the USA. Ecology and Society 13(2): 37. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-02594-130237
Salal Harvester Local Ecological Knowledge, Harvest Practices and Understory Management on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington
Volunteer guides in nature reserves
In the following case study, we examine the interplay between self-perception, environmental perception, and the interests and practice of volunteer trail guides who were recruited to provide educational services for visitors to a natural reserve in Northern California. Through semi-structured interviews with 15 guides and observations of training sessions and educational walks, we found that although individual perspectives of volunteers varied …
Collaborative research as boundary work
Multi-stakeholder initiatives for biodiversity conservation on working landscapes often necessitate strategies to facilitate learning in order to foster successful collaboration. To investigate the learning processes that both undergird and result from collaborative efforts, this case study employs the concept of boundary work as a lens to examine learning between rice growers and conservation professionals in California’s Central Valley, who wer…
Seeing below the surface
Social learning in conservation and natural resource management
Jadallah, C. C., and H. L. Ballard. 2021. Social learning in conservation and natural resource management: taking a sociocultural perspective. Ecology and Society 26(4):37. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-12654-260437
Agencies, educators, communities and wildfire
We studied seven programs that engage youth from 10 to 18 years old in wildfire risk reduction in their communities in the United States through in-depth interviews to examine the nature and role of community-school partnerships in resource-focused environmental education. While the programs use a variety of strategies, from Scout badge to summer school, they exhibit several common dimensions: they all engage youth in community projects; they all…
Salal Harvester Local Ecological Knowledge, Harvest Practices and Understory Management on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington
Adaptive Management and Social Learning in Collaborative and Community-Based Monitoring
Fernandez-Gimenez, M. E., H. L. Ballard, and V. E. Sturtevant. 2008. Adaptive management and social learning in collaborative and community-based monitoring: a study of five community-based forestry organizations in the western USA. Ecology and Society 13(2): 4. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-02400-130204
Integration of Local Ecological Knowledge and Conventional Science
Ballard, H. L., M. E. Fernandez-Gimenez, and V. E. Sturtevant. 2008. Integration of local ecological knowledge and conventional science: a study of seven community-based forestry organizations in the USA. Ecology and Society 13(2): 37. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-02594-130237
Participatory action research and environmental learning
How can a participatory approach to research promote environmental learning and enhance social–ecological systems resilience? Participatory action research (PAR) is an approach to research that its' supporters claim can foster new knowledge, learning, and action to support positive social and environmental change through reorienting the standard process of knowledge production. PAR is posited as being particularly suitable for use with historical…
Volunteer guides in nature reserves
In the following case study, we examine the interplay between self-perception, environmental perception, and the interests and practice of volunteer trail guides who were recruited to provide educational services for visitors to a natural reserve in Northern California. Through semi-structured interviews with 15 guides and observations of training sessions and educational walks, we found that although individual perspectives of volunteers varied …
Transformative food systems education in a land-grant college of agriculture
Public Participation in Scientific Research
Shirk, J. L., H. L. Ballard, C. C. Wilderman, T. Phillips, A. Wiggins, R. Jordan, E. McCallie, M. Minarchek, B. V. Lewenstein, M. E. Krasny, and R. Bonney. 2012. Public participation in scientific research: a framework for deliberate design. Ecology and Society 17(2): 29. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04705-170229
Next Steps for Citizen Science
Strategic investments and coordination are needed for citizen science to reach its full potential.
Agencies, educators, communities and wildfire
We studied seven programs that engage youth from 10 to 18 years old in wildfire risk reduction in their communities in the United States through in-depth interviews to examine the nature and role of community-school partnerships in resource-focused environmental education. While the programs use a variety of strategies, from Scout badge to summer school, they exhibit several common dimensions: they all engage youth in community projects; they all…
Questions That Won't Go Away in Participatory Research
Ethical issues are intrinsic to conducting research regarding society and natural resources, but they often become poignant when engaging in Participatory Action Research. We compiled common and persistent challenges into a list of "Questions That Won't Go Away" or "QTWGAs" that are relevant to people interested in conducting participatory research to benefit communities. We discuss these questions in the context of previously published literatur…
Can citizen science enhance public understanding of science
Over the past 20 years, thousands of citizen science projects engaging millions of participants in collecting and/or processing data have sprung up around the world. Here we review documented outcomes from four categories of citizen science projects which are defined by the nature of the activities in which their participants engage – Data Collection, Data Processing, Curriculum-based, and Community Science. We find strong evidence that scientifi…
Youth-focused citizen science
Citizen science by youth is rapidly expanding, but very little research has addressed the ways programs meet the dual goals of rigorous conservation science and environmental science education. We examined case studies of youth-focused community and citizen science (CCS) and analyzed the learning processes and outcomes, and stewardship activities for youth, as well as contributions to site and species management, each as conservation outcomes. Ex…
Citizen science can improve conservation science, natural resource management, and environmental protection
Seeing below the surface
Engagement in science through citizen science
To date, most studies of citizen science engagement focus on quantifiable measures related to the contribution of data or other output measures. Few studies have attempted to qualitatively characterize citizen science engagement across multiple projects and from the perspective of the participants. Building on pertinent literature and sociocultural learning theories, this study operationalizes engagement in citizen science through an analysis of …
Examining student environmental science agency across school science contexts
To address the limited time and support for elementary science, science instruction is sometimes distributed among classroom teachers, science specialists, and informal science educators, creating a complex school science culture. We investigate how student agency may be enabled and constrained when school science learning happens simultaneously across multiple school contexts. Using a social practice theory lens, we examine how three third‐grade…
Collaborative research as boundary work
Multi-stakeholder initiatives for biodiversity conservation on working landscapes often necessitate strategies to facilitate learning in order to foster successful collaboration. To investigate the learning processes that both undergird and result from collaborative efforts, this case study employs the concept of boundary work as a lens to examine learning between rice growers and conservation professionals in California’s Central Valley, who wer…
Social learning in conservation and natural resource management
Jadallah, C. C., and H. L. Ballard. 2021. Social learning in conservation and natural resource management: taking a sociocultural perspective. Ecology and Society 26(4):37. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-12654-260437
Online Community and Citizen Science supports environmental science learning by young people
Community and citizen science in online settings could be seen as a means for young people to engage with and contribute to authentic science. Yet, there is a limited understanding of who takes part in citizen science among young people, what they learn, and through which processes, particularly in online settings. In this exploratory study, we analysed 34 in-depth interviews and log files of young people aged 11-19 years old who took part in cit…
Examining youth participation in ongoing community and citizen science programs in 3 different out-of-school settings
We investigated youth participation in three Community and Citizen Science (CCS) programs led by natural history museums in out-of-school settings. Using second generation Activity Theory, we looked at repeated participation over time, collecting and then qualitatively analyzing ethnographic fieldnote observations on focal youth participation and components of the activity systems. We found each program provided multiple and unique access points …
Community‐driven science and science education
Profound equity and justice-related challenges persist in promoting community engagement with science. The intersecting effects of multiple pandemics—racial and economic injustice, COVID-19, gun violence, and climate change, among others—have all shaped when, how and why people engage with, or even have access to, science. There is also a growing public distrust in science, with broad-reaching implications. The antivaccination movement, one manif…
Data to decision-making
Youth-focused Community and Citizen Science (CCS) projects are contexts in which youth can contribute to the entire “data lifecycle”––from data-collection to decision-making with their scientific findings. But data alone does not contain the answers for what action to take and how. Using the educational context of an afterschool CCS bird monitoring program for 4th and 5th graders, this ethnographic study investigates the different ways youth iden…
Community and citizen science in schools
With the rapid proliferation of citizen science and other participatory approaches to scientific research in recent years has come an expansion of interest in the learning opportunities this approach may afford for learners of all ages, in informal settings, but especially in schools (Bonney et al., 2014 ; NAS, 2018). Empirical research on the impacts of, and effective design practices for, citizen science in formal school settings is only just r…
“Seeing power” between young people and conservation professionals in the design of a community-based watershed monitoring initiative
Background Community-based monitoring provides a forum for diverse stakeholders to co-construct knowledge relevant to building social-ecological resilience. However, power asymmetries between these actors can privilege the perspectives of dominant groups, while preventing non-dominant perspectives from informing conservation science.Methods This study investigates a workshop series intended to support young people in designing a watershed monitor…
Environmental education outcomes of community and citizen science
Sociology (20 works) · Pedagogy (15 works) · Political science (15 works) · Geography (11 works) · Public relations (11 works) · Citizen science (10 works) · Computer Science (10 works) · Environmental resource management (10 works) · Animal and Plant Science Education (8 works) · Psychology (8 works)