Scientists make up only a tiny percentage of the U.S. labor force. And they’re continually in need of funding for their research projects. But the Internet has created opportunities for non-scientists to participate in and contribute to scientific research. This is happening in many fields, most prominently in astronomy, ornithology and ecology. These volunteer researchers are called citizen scientists. And they’re helping real scientists achieve things they could not do on their own. For this month’s Environmental Outlook, we look at the growing importance of citizen scientists.