Spot a squirrel? A group of citizen scientists is eager to know more about it.

When Jamie Allen noticed squirrels around him in 2011, he became curious about just how many there were. An Atlanta-based writer, Allen teamed up with a friend who shared his curiosity, and together they launched the Squirrel Census to count all the squirrels in their neighborhood. After several counts of the bushy-tailed rodents, the Squirrel Census expanded nationally.

The first count took place in 2012 in Inman Park, Atlanta, where Allen resides, followed by another in 2015. For each census, the team designed an intricate visual representation of the results for the public, whether or not they were squirrel enthusiasts. This fall, the project is growing. Allen and his fellow counters are planning the Central Park Squirrel Census for October 2018, with support from local universities, the New York City Parks Department, and other organizations.

The Squirrel Census website describes its focus as being on the Eastern gray (Sciurus carolinensis), along with its companions and rivals. With a playful website design full of animated squirrels and a mysterious pop-up of author Tom Clancy, it might seem like the wildlife census is all in good fun. And it certainly has a narrative element—the 2016 report, titled Land of a Thousand Squirrels, featured not only infographics and a map of the squirrel population in Inman Park, but also fiction and 'general fun,' as Allen shared with Mytour in an email. However, the project also incorporates real scientific methods.

The team behind the Squirrel Census includes an Emory University epidemiologist, a veterinarian, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife fire expert, a wildlife illustrator, and a dedicated group of designers, fundraisers, logistics experts, and many other supporters. To estimate squirrel populations, they use a wildlife-counting formula that has been employed in previous scientific studies, such as the Great Squirrel Migration of 1968. The team divides the area they want to study into quadrants, then sends volunteers equipped with clipboards, maps, and specific instructions to tally squirrels within a set time period.

Since launching the first census, Allen and the team have hosted events to share their findings with the public, given talks at Emory University and other colleges about their methods and results, and even developed an iPhone app called Squirrel Sighter. This app allows citizen scientists worldwide to contribute their squirrel sightings. Whenever a user logs a sighting—whether the squirrel is alive or dead—the Squirrel Census team receives an update, including the date, time, location, and weather conditions.

The purpose of the app, and the census itself, is to engage people in noticing squirrels, which are so ubiquitous they often go unnoticed. As Allen explains, it's about helping people step outside their own thoughts and take joy in something simple. Additionally, the collected data offers valuable insights for studying urban wildlife populations.

'There are many reasons for conducting a wildlife census,' Allen explains to Mytour. 'Information is empowering, it serves an educational purpose, and our data has been used in academic research on squirrel populations. But for me, the core idea behind a census allows people to see their environment from entirely new perspectives.'