Miika Grady

I help design, build and maintain the Lab’s Citizen Science program’s websites and mobile apps, specifically for the following projects: Celebrate Urban Birds, NestWatch, and Project FeederWatch.

My job is to create a user experience that 1) educates our audience about birds and the environment, and 2) invites people of all ages and comfort levels to become active contributors to science by submitting their bird observations. Participants in our citizen science projects, or “citizen scientists,” submit their observations through our sites and apps. This important data is then collected and used by scientists at the Lab to study habitat loss, pollution, disease, and climate change.

I’ve always had a passion for both science and design, whether it be websites, graphics or music. As a designer, the most important and challenging thing I do, and what I enjoy most about my job, is to make complicated and sometimes intimidating subject matter feel approachable, understandable, compelling and fun! It’s immensely satisfying to know that I get to work on projects that empower everyday people to make valuable scientific contributions through their passion and interest in birds.