BugGuide as a Model for Crowdsourcing Extension Diagnostics

As the Internet, smart phones, digital cameras, tablets and more have become ubiquitous, people are collecting information and learning about their world in a whole new way. If they want to know what that pretty flower is during a walk through the woods, with a couple clicks the picture can be on its way for identification. Emails with images attached is primarily how many Extension personnel handle questions, and they are hard-pressed to keep up with the pictures filling their inbox asking things like ‘what is this that bit me?’ or ‘why is this part of my field stunted?’ But is this model the most effective way? We can better use technology to engage with our clients and at the same time share information more widely, allowing many people into the discussion, and broaden impact and educational value, including possible uses for pre-collegiate STEM curriculum. BugGuide is an example of very successful crowdsourced citizen science. Is it possible to build on this model and crowdsource diagnostics for a university–based diagnostic clinic? What can we learn from BugGuide, what are the next steps, and what could go wrong?