Earthwatch Institute is an international environmental charity. It was founded in 1971 as Educational Expeditions International by Bob Citron and Clarence Truesdale. Earthwatch Institute supports Ph.D. researchers internationally and conducts over 100,000 hours of research annually using the Citizen Science methodology. Earthwatch's mission statement states that the organization "connects people with scientists worldwide to conduct environmental research and empowers them with the knowledge they need to conserve the planet." As such, it is one of the global underwriters of scientific field research in climate change, archaeology, paleontology, marine life, biodiversity, ecosystems and wildlife. For over fifty years, Earthwatch has raised funds to recruit individuals, students, teachers, and corporate fellows to participate in field research to understand nature's response to accelerating global change. Earthwatch Citizen Science Projects are peer-reviewed, Ph.D.-led scientific field research that allow everyday citizens to join research teams around the world to collect field data in areas such as climate change, wildlife conservation, rainforest ecology, marine science, and archaeology. Earthwatch staff also lead in-house projects, such as their Climate Change Masterclass, a virtual education program centering on corporate sustainability, Operation Healthy Air, which provides tools and training for air quality monitoring in vulnerable areas and supports action to improve air quality, and Global Pollinator Watch, a partnership with iNaturalist that supports pollinator research by enabling citizen scientists to observe pollinators in their habitat. Global Pollinator Watch participants have recorded over 495,000 pollinator observations as of 2024. By paying to spend time on a project ranging from a few days to several weeks, volunteers, corporations, and foundations support critical field research both financially and by providing a workforce to collect data. Participants gain first-hand experience with science, the scientists, and the research areas.

Organization and history

Earthwatch headquarters are in Boston, Massachusetts. They also have offices in Oxford, England; Melbourne, Australia; Gurgaon, India; and Tokyo, Japan. Earthwatch was started as Educational Expeditions International in 1971 by Bob Citron, who was a Smithsonian Institution employee, and Clarence Truesdale, the superintendent of Vermont public schools. In 1972, Brian A. Rosborough joined Educational Expeditions International as a volunteer and six months later became president of the newly named Earthwatch. The organization quickly expanded, partnering with scientists around the world to confront threats to wildlife and the environment. Since 1971, Earthwatch has made notable achievements in environmental research and policymaking. These include Earthwatch Australia is a partner in Bush Blitz, operated by Australian Biological Resources Study with co-funding by Bush Blitz founding partner BHP Billiton.

Research focus areas and impacts

Earthwatch prioritizes support for research projects that align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). All projects must contribute to one or more of the following SDGs below and incorporate actions "to combat climate change and its impacts." (SDG 13) Earthwatch-supported research has impacted scientific progress and environmental policy in a number of areas. Below are a few relevant examples.

Earthwatch expeditions

Recent research expeditions being fielded by Earthwatch scientists and volunteers from around the world include:

Previously funded expeditions

Earthwatch has been successful in completing environmental scientific research throughout its history. Some recently completed research includes: