Spidey Sens-r

What is in the air that you breathe? Unfortunately for many environmental justice communities, federal air quality sensors are purposefully placed in areas away from polluting facilities. This can make it challenging for members of environmental justice communities to access accurate data that reflects their local air quality. Low-cost air monitoring sensors still cost several hundred dollars and require internet and wifi, increasing the challenges to accessing local air quality data. 

Spidey Sens-r is a low-cost air monitoring project that uses spider webs to measure air quality in environmental justice communities across North Carolina. We currently use Spidey Sens-r to test for metal contamination from coal ash in Goldsboro with Down East Coal Ash Environmental and Social Justice Coalition and in Salisbury with Catawba College. We are working on expanding our ability to detect contaminants near landfills and wood pellet facilities. If you are affected by other sources of contamination not listed here but are interested in how Spidey Sens-r might be able to benefit your community, please reach out. 

Spidey Sens-r not only provides data on local air quality, but can also help promote environmental justice education and boost community organizing efforts. While teaching about environmental injustices can be challenging due to the overall political climate, industry interests in schools, and the likelihood that students’ parents may work at polluting facilities, spiders are a non-controversial way to discuss environmental justice. Many communities like Bingham Park Environmental Justice Team, Warren County Environmental Action Team, and Environmental Justice Community Action Network have reached out to us about doing Spidey Sens-r to boost youth activism and help educate communities on environmental justice issues. 

Want to do Spidey Sens-r in your community? We would love to work with you! Reach out to NCEJN’s Research and Education team at research@ncejn.org. 

If you’re a researcher and interested in getting involved in Spidey Sens-r, there are a few ways you can help: 

• We always need day-of help for sampling events. Sign up to be a Funnel Finder and help us find some funnel weaver spiders. 
• We are interested in partnering with academic labs across the state regardless of institution size to help process and analyze webs. We’d love to partner with your chemistry, toxicology, invertebrates, environmental science, etc. class.
• We want to help develop a network of scholar activists. We often need interns to help out with Spidey Sens-r. If your institution has funding to support student interns, please reach out to discuss how we might be able to work together.