Neighborhood Science Resources

Seed Giveaway

Seed Source and Quality

All seeds distributed through this program were sourced from Johnny’s Selected Seeds a respected seed company based in Maine that specializes in high-quality seed for market farmers and gardeners. All of the varieties selected for this project are certified organic and were chosen for their reliability, strong germination rates, and suitability for Southern California growing conditions.

To ensure transparency and seed quality, we are sharing the seed varieties, lot numbers, and germination testing information provided by Johnny’s.

"Seed testing," is a measurement of the percentage of seeds that are expected to successfully germinate under ideal conditions. Most of the seeds in this program have germination rates between 89% and 99%, reflecting high-quality seed stock.

Varieties Included in the Library Seed Giveaway:

Why These Varieties Were Selected

The seeds were chosen for their ability to grow well in Los Angeles gardens, containers, balconies, and community spaces. Some crops grow well year-round in Southern California, while others thrive in cooler or warmer seasons, allowing gardeners to grow food throughout the year.

The seed giveaway program will distribute 200 seed packets to each of the 72 Los Angeles Public Library branches, providing thousands of opportunities for families and individuals to grow food at home.

A Note About Seed Quantities

Seeds are packed into sample-sized packets suitable for home gardeners. Each packet contains enough seed to grow a small garden bed or container planting.

Learn More About Planting Seeds at Home

• Home Gardening Basics

Project Finder Platforms

• Scistarter
  Join this online community where you can find over 3,000 projects and events searchable by location, scientific topic, and age level. Sign up for a free SciStarter account to track your contributions and provide valuable feedback.
• NASA's Citizen Science Projects
  Want to work on some real NASA science to help NASA researchers and scientists make important scientific discoveries? Get started with one of these projects. Projects with a little person icon can be done by anyone, anywhere, with just a cellphone or laptop.
• EPA Citizen Science
  Explore and participate in the EPA-supported citizen science projects to help advance environmental protection by helping communities understand environmental problems and collect quality data used in research to improve environmental health.
• Zooniverse
  Find hundreds of projects where young people can collaborate on real scientific research.
• Anecdata.org
  Citizen science platform with 160+ citizen science projects worldwide. Sign up for an account by downloading the Anecdata.org app (iOS | Android) or through their website.

Sustainability & Open Science Education

• SDG Academy
  Free, open educational resources from the world’s leading experts on sustainable development.
• Elementary GLOBE
  Introduce K–4 students to Earth system science through story-driven modules that teach the scientific method and connect learning to neighborhood and community-based observation.
• California Academy of Sciences Citizen Science Toolkit
  An educator-focused toolkit with lessons, readings, worksheets, and guidance for integrating citizen science into school or after-school settings.
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
  The world’s largest free digital library of biodiversity literature, valuable for deeper learning about plant science, ecosystems, and sustainability topics.
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Educational Resources
  Official science education resources from a major federal science agency, including citizen science programs, Earth science activities, and “Be an Explorer!” learning modules.
• U.S. Forest Service: Citizen Science & Learning Materials
  Overview of what citizen science is, examples of projects, planning guides, and teacher materials. Includes downloadable activity books and the Natural Inquirer science journal aimed at middle and high school learners.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) – Community-Engaged Research & Citizen Science
  NIH offers resources connecting citizen science with public health and community-engaged research, useful for older students and parents exploring science applied to environmental and health issues.

Games

Fun games you can play to learn about pressing global issues. Some games help contribute to and monitor these important global issues.

• The Climate Trail (iOS | Android)
  Play this survival game as one of the climate refugees fleeing ever-worsening conditions after inaction on climate has rendered much of the USA (and the world) uninhabitable. As you journey north in search of a safe haven, you will learn from other characters who reveal how and why this climate apocalypse unfolded.
• Earthgames
  Play a game from this game developer community to learn more about the natural world and our role within it. Most games are apps available on iOS and Android platforms.
• FoldIt
  Play the game to fold and design proteins for scientific research on COVID-19. Compete with other players to discover high-scoring protein folds, which represent a protein's physical structure. The game is perfect for puzzle lovers and it does not need prior knowledge about protein folds. Registration is required.
• NASA NeMO-Net (iOS only | Windows) 
  Play the game to help NASA classify coral reefs by painting 3D and 2D images of coral and train NASA’s Supercomputer, Pleiades to classify and assess the health of coral reefs around the world.
• Questagame (iOS | Android) 
  Play the world's first mobile game that takes you outdoors to discover, map, and help real scientists and researchers understand how we can better manage and protect biodiversity in a changing world. Just snap a photo of any life (e.g, animals, insects, bugs) you come across and upload them to the app. You will earn gold for every sighting you share and more gold if you can identify the species, or if it is rare.
• Stall Catchers
  Help accelerate research on Alzheimer's Disease by playing this game. Your participation can help researchers fully understand how stalls are contributing to Alzheimer's and discover potential treatment targets.

Everyday Science Adventures

Fun, hands-on, real-world science projects you can do at home or in your neighborhood to help real scientists and make a real difference.

• Crowd the Tap (Submit your data)
  Help researchers create a national inventory of water pipes by finding out the type of water pipe in your home.
• EPA Smoke Sense (iOS | Android)
  Help EPA researchers further their study on how exposure to wildfire smoke impacts public health and improves health risk communication methods. Use the app to report your health symptoms, smoke experience, observations, and behaviors taken to reduce your exposure to smoke anonymously. The app maps current wildfire locations and provides current and forecasted air quality measures. You can also learn about wildfires and smoke health risks in your area.
• Globe at Night (Submit your data)
  Help researchers build the best global map of light pollution, the modern problem that has stolen starlight from the urbanized world. Just follow six simple steps to measure & submit the night sky brightness observations in your neighborhood or from your street.
• iNaturalist (iOS | Android)
  Come across a bug, animals, tree, or plant you've never seen before? Snap a photo and upload it to the app using your smart device or desktop computer with internet, it will help you identify your observations with the help of built-in Artificial Intelligence (AI), amateur naturalists, hobbyists, and professional scientists from around the globe, who are part of the iNaturalist community. When your observations reach Research Grade they become important data that can be used for real scientific research. You are also helping the world to learn more about the biodiversity in your community.
• Night Sky Light Pollution (iOS | Android) project on Anecdata.org.
  Help astronomers measure light pollution at night by taking photos of the sky with your smartphone. You will also need to download a DSLR camera app that allows you to adjust the ISO of your smart device's camera.
• NASA GLOBE Observer (iOS | Android)
  Make environmental observations that complement NASA satellite observations to help scientists studying Earth and the global environment. By using the GLOBE Observer app, you are joining the GLOBE community and contributing important scientific data to NASA and GLOBE, your local community, and students and scientists worldwide. Try one of the following projects (aka protocols) to start.
  • Mosquito Habitats Mapper Protocol
    Help NASA scientists track and predict the spread of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne disease outbreaks across the globe. Tutorials included.
  • Clouds Protocol
    Help NASA scientists and researchers validate their satellite data on clouds. Tutorials included.
  • Trees Protocol
    Take tree height and circumference measurements in your neighborhood to help scientists and researchers. Your observation can help improve their satellites' accuracy in measuring the height of features on Earth's surface. Scientists can also better understand how trees help us balance Earth's carbon budget. Tutorials included in the app.
• NASA Silent Earth Project. Download the Anecdata.org app (iOS | Android)
  Learn about environmental noise pollution and use your smartphone to make sound level measurements and share it on a world map. The goal is to discover the quietest outdoor places in your town, rural location, or even just right outside of your front door.
• Seek by iNaturalist (iOS | Android)
  Kid-friendly version of iNaturalist.