- Convenors:
-
Michael Magee
(Natural History Museum Denmark and the TETTRIs project)
Leonardo Veronesi (ECSA)
Send message to Convenors
- Format:
- Panel
Short Abstract
The panel will include people who have tested ways to engage with hard to reach target groups. This includes young people, immigrants, and minority groups. We'll hear both successes as well as failures. After a moderated discussion, we'll open the floor to questions and comments.
Description
Citizen science is a win-win for both researchers and participants. It increases the capacity for data collection (Gąsiorek et al, 2024) and analysis (Tøttrup et al, 2021), and it has the potential to strengthen scientific literacy, trust in science, and a sense of community (Ahlstrand, Tøttrup, 2023). But not everyone thinks it’s fun or has the time and means to participate in scientific research—and not everyone is reached by our communication; this is even truer for under-served communities (Fraisl et al, 2025). If we do not work actively to include marginalized communities, we risk widening social divides, reinforcing inequities in knowledge, and limiting the benefits of participation to privileged groups.
Let’s learn about what works—and what doesn’t. This panel brings together people who have tested concrete methods to engage “hard-to-reach” groups, including young people, immigrants, and ethnic minorities. Let’s examine different approaches such as art-science techniques, school-based interventions, and strategic partnerships. Let's hear what has helped shift who gets to participate.
After a panel discussion, the floor will open for questions, comments, and new ideas. Our aim is to build a better collective understanding of the practical challenges and untapped opportunities in engaging those often left out of citizen science.
(no more space for references!)
Accepted papers
Short Abstract
This pilot study explores how combining live music and biodiversity observation can enhance Nature Connectedness (NC) in young people. Using non-traditional recruitment channels to recruit participants, the approach offers pathways to engage new audiences in citizen science.
Abstract
The Natural History Museum of Denmark facilitates multiple national citizen science programs, primarily focused on gathering biodiversity observations. Participants actively seeking such projects are defined here as nature curious. As part of the EU-funded TETTRIs project, novel engagement methods were tested to reach new audiences. To explore new entry points into citizen science, targeting young people, the museum partnered with musicians from the global Sounds Right campaign—an initiative launched by the Museum for the United Nations (UN Live) to connect music with environmental action. The musicians invited their fans to join nature excursions blending biodiversity observation with live, improvised music.
This pilot study examined whether these excursions could enhance Nature Connectedness (NC), a psychological construct linked to wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviour. Four excursions in Denmark (n=51; ages 8–29) combined species identification, meditation, guided reflection, and musical co-creation. NC was measured pre- and post-activity showing a significant mean increase. Qualitative reflections highlighted sensory immersion, emotional resonance, and rediscovery of connection with the living world.
By using NC as an entry point, this art-science approach presents and promising method for broadening participation in biodiversity-based citizen science activities. With the Sounds Right initiative having a global reach, there is potential for the methods to be out scaled.
Short Abstract
The project ‘Space for Life’ engages young people age 14-18 to create and monitor green, urban areas targeting native species. We share results and experiences from collaborating with the young participants and the pedagogical staff in youth clubs.
Abstract
With the project ‘Space for Life’, the Natural History Museum Denmark (NHMD) together with a number of established youth clubs, creates a leisure offer for young people with a focus on understanding nature, biodiversity and climate crises. Together with the young participants the project creates new - or improve existing - green areas where young people spend their free time. In these urban biodiversity makerspaces habitats are enhanced to accommodate as many native species as possible. Changes in biodiversity over time are monitored together with the young participants using traditional and modern approaches such as molecular methods and image recognition.
Participants experience making a difference to their local environment, and improve their understanding of how to make space for more wild species, strengthening their connection to local biodiversity and ultimately to nature as such.
The effort is initiated, established and monitored by experts from the Danish Natural History Museum based on the young people's interest, commitment and motivation.
During the presentation we will share results and insights from the project, specifically highlighting our experience with reaching 14-18 year olds in their spare time. Building up relations with participants and pedagogical staff has been one of many key learnings from this journey.
Short Abstract
A youth-led citizen science project in the Dutch Peel Region explored how farmers perceive synergies between nature-inclusive and technological farming, showing how participatory co-design can transform 'hard-to-reach' youth into co-creators of sustainability transitions.
Abstract
While youth are often described as a 'hard-to-reach' group in citizen science, this case study from the Dutch Peel Region reverses that logic. A group of secondary school students collaborated with local farmers to investigate perceptions of synergies between nature-inclusive and technological farming. Instead of being the target of engagement, the young participants acted as co-designers and co-investigators throughout the research process.
Through a youth-led mixed-methods design integrating co-created survey instruments and qualitative inquiry, the project examined how local farming traditions, innovation pressures, and intergenerational histories shape attitudes toward sustainable transitions. Framed by Self-Determination Theory, Diffusion of Innovation, and Sustainability Transition perspectives, the study highlights how youth leadership in knowledge production reshapes understandings of motivation, identity, and context in processes of change.
The project illustrates how youth-led inquiry can bridge social and epistemic divides between farmers, policymakers, and scientists. In doing so, it redefines 'reaching' not as outreach but as the creation of shared spaces for inquiry and governance. The case demonstrates that meaningful inclusion arises when participation is reconfigured to position young people and other typically peripheral actors as equal partners in defining research agendas, interpreting findings, and translating outcomes into locally relevant action.
By foregrounding co-design and intergenerational collaboration, this contribution offers a practical and conceptual pathway for making citizen science more equitable, transformative, and responsive to the realities of rural sustainability transitions.
Short Abstract
We share insights from a citizen linguistics project with youth growing up amid linguistic diversity, whose voices are seldom heard. We highlight the importance of linguistic plurality, trust, flexibility, creative methods, and tailored communication in fostering inclusivity and engagement.
Abstract
Citizen science strives for inclusivity, yet citizen scientists often stem from “WEIRD” populations. This falls short of representing modern societies characterized by migration and linguistic plurality. Voices of those growing up amid linguistic diversity are rarely heard. Moreover, language is seldom the focus in descriptions of diversity, even though it can be a central barrier or facilitator in citizen science—and it bears treasures to uncover.
We present insights from our project “Die Sprach-Checker” (Language Checkers), in which children and adolescents with diverse linguistic backgrounds (re)discover their own language(s) and languages in their surroundings together with linguists. The project started in a highly diverse urban district marked by migration and limited educational opportunities, with activities conducted in both school classes and an extracurricular course with children. Building trustful relationships with local partners has played a crucial role from the start; local mediators assist in bridging language barriers. Methods linked to visual approaches and arts (e.g., storytelling, drawings, linguistic landscaping) and cooperation partners such as media educators have facilitated engagement. Moreover, actively involving target groups and their interests, appreciating their work, having a flexible mindset, and tailoring communication (channels) proved essential.
We will share insights into our project’s methods and our reflections from accompanying research. Furthermore, we will provide an outlook on the Forum Deutsche Sprache (German Language Forum), as a future science center and museum in Mannheim’s "diversity district" Neckarstadt-West, conceived as a home for citizen science and promoting inclusivity.
Short Abstract
Citizen Social Science (CSS) engages “hard-to-reach” groups through participatory research. Drawing on projects by OpenSystems (Barcelona) with youth, migrants, and people with mental health problems, this work highlights inclusive strategies and challenges of sustaining community ties.
Abstract
Citizen Social Science (CSS), defined as participatory research co-designed and directly driven by citizen groups united by a shared social concern, is closely linked to the challenge of engaging “hard-to-reach” groups. These shared concerns often reflect underlying social inequalities or vulnerabilities, which may stem from socioeconomic conditions in specific neighborhoods, shared health issues, or the marginalization of groups based on age, gender, or migrant status.
This presentation examines CSS practical approaches developed and implemented since 2012 by the OpenSystems research group, based in Barcelona.
Over the years, OpenSystems has collaborated with several youth communities that are often underrepresented in citizen science initiatives, including students in segregated schools or in special education programs, residents of sheltered homes, and young people engaged in NGO-led social programs. Successful approaches require an adaptation to the specificities of each neighborhood and to find ways on acknowledging and potentiating the youths’ soft skills, but the arising complexities may challenge the CSS projects implementation in these contexts.
Other OS projects engaged adults, including people with mental health problems and their families, women in prison and migrant communities. In these cases, participants lived experiences were placed at the center of the research, situated in welcoming and inclusive community spaces. The main challenges encountered were linked to the difficulty of creating and sustaining strong connections with the communities. The knowledge co-production effort is a slow process that requires time and a careful management of expectations, thus being another challenging aspect in CSS projects.
Short Abstract
How can citizen science engage hard-to-reach audiences? Through a participatory workshop, we explored creative approaches focusing on audiences, channels, places, formats, purposes, and motivations to envision pathways for more inclusive citizen science.
Abstract
Citizen science initiatives often struggle to engage groups that remain at the margins of scientific participation, whether due to social exclusion, geographic peripherality, or limited prior interest in science. To address this challenge, we organised a participatory workshop with members of various citizen science groups. The aim was to generate innovative strategies for reaching new audiences, especially those less represented or more difficult to engage in citizen science activities.
The workshop was structured around six categories — audience, channel, place, format, purpose, and motivation/benefit. Through creative dynamics, participants collectively produced lists of potential approaches for each category. In a second stage, participants used these insights to design original initiatives and projects aimed at broadening the scope of citizen science.
We collected the insights that emerged during the workshop in a report, highlighting which ideas could lead to more effective strategies. These include focusing on organised groups (e.g., professional networks, associations) and individuals connected by social challenges. Engagement could be enhanced through diverse channels and settings — from everyday spaces such as cafés, transport hubs, to unexpected events like local festivals, sports, performances, or creative workshops. Formats might be adapted to the audience (e.g., gamification, art, audiovisual content), and co-creating research initiatives with communities could strengthen participation, empower individuals, and contribute to more equitable access to scientific knowledge and decision-making.
This initiative demonstrates that participatory design and creative engagement strategies can expand the reach of citizen science to hard-to-reach audiences, enriching both the practice itself and its social relevance.
Short Abstract
Engaging vulnerable communities in Italy, Spain, Germany, and Sweden: highlighting challenges, methods, and lessons learnt in making climate adaptation inclusive and responsive. The experience of the Adaptation AGORA project in collecting voices and insights from local adaptation pathways.
Abstract
Reaching communities most vulnerable to climate impacts remains a major challenge for inclusive adaptation. Too often, the voices of marginalised or “hard-to-reach” groups are absent from decision-making, despite being disproportionately affected. The Adaptation AGORA project addressed this challenge through four pilots in Italy, Spain, Germany, and Sweden, each engaging communities often excluded from adaptation processes, rural residents, migrants, or socially vulnerable urban groups.
The project combined citizen engagement, participatory tools, and co-creation to reduce barriers to involvement, tailoring engagement to local realities. Building trust and adapting methods proved essential, yet the pilots also revealed persistent difficulties: vulnerabilities are not always easy to identify, and genuine participation demands time, resources, and cultural sensitivity. Crucially, the work showed that “hard-to-reach” is not a fixed category but a context-dependent condition shaped by social and institutional dynamics.
To share these lessons, Voice of Climate Adaptation, an online storytelling platform, was developed to amplify the perspectives of community members and practitioners. This outreach product collects testimonies and practical insights, turning lived experiences into resources for future adaptation efforts.
The session will present the methods, challenges, and achievements of Adaptation AGORA, reflecting on what it takes to ensure meaningful inclusion rather than tokenistic engagement. By linking practice with lessons learned, the project advances Theme 2 of the conference: Citizen science and inclusion. Experience demonstrates that equitable adaptation is possible when processes are flexible, participatory, trusted and responsive.
Short Abstract
This presentation addresses how structured communication, media partnerships, and constructive journalism can amplify the impact of citizen science. It offers practical tips and insights to help participants foster engagement and dialogue with societal actors.
Abstract
Citizen science holds transformative potential to connect communities, generate inclusive knowledge, and support evidence-based decision-making. Yet, to act as a bridge across geographic, cultural, social, and institutional divides, citizen science could embrace structured communication, partnerships with legacy media, and the principles of constructive journalism.
Based on cases from The University of Southern Denmark, this presentation explores how these elements can aid the societal impact of citizen science, particularly in fostering engagement across political, administrative, and disciplinary silos. Structured communication strategies are essential for ensuring that citizen-generated data is not only heard, but trusted and actionable. In connection, legacy media outlets, despite increasing fragmentation in the information ecosystem, remain influential platforms for agenda-setting. Strategic partnerships with these institutions can scale the reach of citizen science, contextualize findings, and connect local observations to global challenges. Meanwhile, constructive journalism — which emphasizes solutions-oriented, forward-looking reporting — aligns closely with the ethos of citizen science, offering a shared framework to tell compelling stories grounded in evidence and participation.
We will share key guidelines on how to build mutual trust with media partners and potentially embed citizen science in political and policy processes. Drawing on the global field of constructive journalism, the presentation will provide conceptual insights and actionable takeaways to help attendees position citizen science as a credible tool for public engagement.
Short Abstract
A representative survey of 1,000 Austrians shows who engages in citizen science (and who does not). Higher-educated persons are more likely to join, while others see it as irrelevant or “boring.” Findings highlight barriers across groups and inform strategies to reach the hard-to-reach.
Abstract
Project leaders in citizen science often claim: “Everyone can take part in our project.” But who actually participates, and, more importantly, who does not? Which demographic groups are reached through existing initiatives and platforms, and which remain excluded? Are rural residents more likely to get involved than city dwellers? Is citizen science unintentionally an “elite program”? And what motivates some people to join while others express no interest at all?
To address these questions, a representative survey of 1,000 people living in Austria was conducted. Respondents were asked about their awareness of citizen science, their willingness to participate and their reasons for engagement (or lack thereof). The findings reveal a clear educational divide: people with higher levels of education are interested in participating in citizen science projects, whereas those who are older with lower levels of formal education more often perceive citizen science as unappealing or even “boring.” Moreover, reasons for non-participation vary widely across demographic groups, ranging from lack of time and resources to unfamiliarity with the concept, to scepticism about the value of participation.
Understanding why certain groups remain disengaged (knowledge that is still scarce in the field) is crucial for designing more inclusive projects. The survey results serve as a basis to discuss implications for developing citizen science initiatives that truly broaden participation and tap into the potential of currently “hard-to-reach” groups.
Short Abstract
How can we make citizen science accessible to all? In this panel, we share insights from Children And Parents Enjoying Reading and Science (CAPERS), and interdisciplinary project using storytelling to connect scientists, families and local libraries in marginalised communities.
Abstract
CAPERS (Children And Parents Enjoying Reading Science) is an initiative designed to foster engagement with science through creative storytelling. CAPERS builds on the earlier Smalltalk project-where scientists co-authored science-themed storybooks with creative charity ‘Fighting words’.
CAPERS comprised two phases and involved engaging with children from a local primary school, in partnership with their local public library. The participating school serves an area of socioeconomic disadvantage in inner-city Dublin. The upper primary class who took part included students with diverse learning needs, including those for whom English is not their first language and those with visual impairment. Such students are typically underserved by science engagement initiatives due to a lack of suitably accessible resources. In phase one, scientists and parents acted as “reading buddies”, sharing Smalltalk storybooks. By establishing trusted relationships between reading buddies and students, phase one aimed to create a positive and inclusive entry point into science and reading.
In phase two, led by Fighting Words, the students, co-created their own science stories. This phase encouraged curiosity and self-expression while reinforcing the relevance of science in children’s everyday lives.
Thematic analysis of quantitative data from participant interviews indicated that CAPERS not only nurtured students’ interest in reading, writing, and STEM, but also strengthened connections between schools, libraries, families, and scientists. The project demonstrates how creative, contextualised, and relational approaches can help make science more accessible and meaningful to marginalised groups-particularly when language and social barriers are at play.
Short Abstract
How do we examine the accessibility of nature conservation activities for people with a migrant background? In ‘EcoUnity’, people with a migrant background explore barriers and obstacles to engagement and, together with civil society organizations, test open opportunities for participation.
Abstract
How can we increase understanding of diversity and participation through participatory research? The project “EcoUnity: Nature Conservation for All – Exploring Inclusive Participation with Citizen Science” (Jan 2025 – Dec 2026) uses a citizen science approach to investigate the accessibility of nature conservation engagement for people with a migration background.
Citizen Scientists with various migration backgrounds interview people who are interested in nature conservation but have not yet become involved, with the aim of identifying potential barriers and obstacles that make voluntary engagement difficult or prevent it altogether. The co-researchers are actively involved in all phases of the project through research workshops and individual exchange formats.
The project is being carried out as part of a science-practice partnership between the Museum of Natural History Berlin and Yeşil Çember. The latter civil society organisation is notable for its intercultural mobilisation of people in support of ecological change. In addition to joint research design, the collaboration includes the joint planning and implementation of practical nature conservation measures with nature conservation organisations and migrant organisations.
This contribution presents the results of this interview study and critically reflects on the implementation of the co-creative research process, including the collaboration with the abovementioned civil society organizations. In addition, insights from the practical project phase are provided, in which, in collaboration with the citizen scientists and based on the study results, different diversity-sensitive approaches to nature conservation measures are being developed and tested.