50 Human Ecology Review, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2013 © Society for Human Ecology Abstract Citizen science—the partnering of scientists with mem- bers of the public to do research—is increasingly utilized in environmental research, having been credited with enabling studies that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive while pro- moting scientific literacy and empowering and engaging par- ticipants in conservation. Although the value of citizen-gen- erated data for scientific purposes is increasingly accepted, and there is a growing recognition of the role of citizen sci- ence in developing science literacy, there has been little in- vestigation of its link to conservation outcomes—particular- ly in terms of volunteers’ further engagement in conservation. This paper reviews the literature on the relationship between participation in citizen science and conservation attitude and behavior changes, and looks at the relevance of theoretical models to shed light on possible drivers of such changes. We discuss two citizen science projects in the New York metro- politan area—the Great Pollinator Project and the Earth- watch Coyote Project—as illustrations of the impact of citi- zen science on attitudes and behaviors as perceived by par- ticipants. We offer recommendations for further research on facilitating conservation outcomes through citizen science. Keywords: attitudes, behaviors, citizen science, conser- vation, public participation Introduction Involving volunteers in the collection of scientific data, popularly known as citizen science, has been cited as a way to improve linkages among research, education, and action (Brewer, 2006). It enables acquisition of large data sets need- ed to better understand environmental trends and their drivers (Bonney et al., 2009; Danielsen, Burgess, & Balmford, 2005), can serve to improve communication among stake- holder groups in natural resource management (Lawrence, 2006; Schwartz, 2006), and has been shown to promote sci- entific literacy and environmental awareness (Jordan, Gray, Howe, Brooks, & Ehrenfeld, 2011; Krasny & Bonney, 2005). Some authors have also cited the potential of citizen science to empower and engage participants in conservation actions through the development of pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors (Cooper, Dickinson, Phillips, & Bonney, 2007; Danielsen et al., 2009; Lawrence, 2010). However, this last area has been little studied and not well documented (Bonney et al., 2009; Crall et al., 2012; Evans et al., 2005; Trumbull, Bonney, Bascom, & Cabral, 2000), limiting our capacity to realize such potential. Bonney et al. (2009) use the term “public participation in scientific research” to encompass a range of research ap- proaches with various degrees of public participation. Citizen science is typically characterized by a scientist-led approach in which the public primarily serves as data collectors, and generally falls into the “contributory” model described by Bonney et al. (2009). Other categories in their typology, such as “collaboratory” and “co-created,” are more illustrative of projects that involve the public in more or all aspects of the scientific process. Shirk et al. (2012) further discuss these ap- proaches based on the degree and quality of public and sci- entist participation, and their likely contributions to meeting intended scientific, educational, and social and ecological goals. While contributory projects are created with primarily scientific aims and consequently have the lowest potential for attitude and behavioral change (Shirk et al., 2012), this model is the most widely used (Phillips, 2011; A. Wiggins, person- al communication, October 19, 2012). This paper explores possible linkages between citizen science and factors contributing to conservation attitudes and behaviors. We review studies discussed in the literature that have evaluated impacts of citizen science, describe theoreti- cal models that may shed light on possible drivers of attitude and behavior changes, and propose a model to illustrate the role citizen science plays in such relationships. We then de- Research in Human Ecology Can citizen science lead to positive conservation attitudes and behaviors? Anne H. Toomey 1 Lancaster Environment Centre Bailrigg, Lancaster, United Kingdom Margret C. Domroese Center for Biodiversity and Conservation American Museum of Natural History, New York