- Convenors:
-
Patrícia Tiago
(Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes)
Ann-Marie Nienaber (Technical University Braunschweig)
Aouefa Amoussouvi (ECSA - European Citizen Science Association)
Didone Frigerio (University of Vienna)
Leo Mensel (ECSA)
Anna Berti Suman (A SUD)
Sotiris Aspragkathos
Send message to Convenors
- Format:
- Workshop
Short Abstract
Citizen science has been an active and impactful approach in biodiversity monitoring. This workshop reflects on its state of the art, address current and future environmental challenges, and explore how new technologies, frameworks and policies can support joint efforts across Europe and beyond.
Description
Biodiversity monitoring is essential to understanding ecosystem health and informing conservation action. Yet traditional monitoring efforts often lack the spatial and temporal coverage needed to capture complex biodiversity dynamics. Citizen science offers a powerful complementary approach, engaging diverse publics in the co-creation of knowledge while filling critical data gaps.
This workshop, led by members of the ECSA Working Group on Monitoring Biodiversity using Citizen Science, will explore the challenges and the opportunities coming from citizen science approaches in monitoring biodiversity. Through short presentations, interactive discussion, and participatory mapping exercises, we aim to gather perspectives from practitioners, researchers, and policy stakeholders, to reflect their diverse insights on key questions such as: Where should efforts in biodiversity monitoring be focused in the coming years? What are the barriers to achieving that? What innovations in technology, frameworks, policies, or tools are needed to advance this field? How to connect local initiatives into a more global agenda?
Participants will share methodologies, tools, and case studies, identifying synergies and gaps across initiatives. We will also discuss the importance of data quality, validation mechanisms, and possible protocols that can be adopted or adapted to ensure consistency and comparability across projects. Strategies to foster long-term engagement of communities and volunteers will also be explored.
The workshop aims to co-develop a roadmap for scaling up biodiversity monitoring with citizen science in Europe and beyond, aligning efforts across disciplines and sectors. All interested in nature observation, community science, and biodiversity data, whether experienced practitioners or newcomers are welcome.
Accepted contributions
Short Abstract
The EU-funded TETTRIs project strengthens taxonomy to fight biodiversity loss. Its Blueprint guides citizen science in biodiversity monitoring, stressing local partnerships, training, co-creation, and communication. It shares lessons and strategies to build inclusive, policy-relevant initiatives.
Abstract
My relevant interests for this workshop focuses on strengthening taxonomic capacity as a foundation for effective biodiversity conservation. Within the EU-funded TETTRIs project, I have coordinated the development of the Blueprint for Taxonomic Capacity Building, which distils practical approaches for integrating citizen science into biodiversity monitoring across Europe.
I am motivated to join this workshop to exchange perspectives on how citizen science can be, supported, and embedded into policy and conservation strategies. Drawing on TETTRIs case studies, I can contribute insights into building local partnerships, designing inclusive training, and developing tools that connect scientists with communities and visa versa.
In the roundtable, I hope to share lessons learned about the conditions that enable successful citizen science initiatives, while also exploring common challenges such as sustaining engagement, ensuring data quality, and aligning projects with broader biodiversity goals. I look forward to contributing both practical examples and strategic reflections that may inform the collective development of robust, socially inclusive, and policy-relevant biodiversity monitoring frameworks.
Short Abstract
The LIFE Themis App was implemented within the LIFE Natura Themis (LIFE14 GIE/GR/000026). Its aim was to enhance citizens' involvement in reporting environmental crime and the implementation of ELD in N2000 sites in Crete, Greece. This APP will be updated and be operated in the ENFORCE project.
Abstract
The LIFE Themis Application was developed within the framework of the LIFE Natura Themis project (LIFE14 GIE/GR/000026) with the main goal of encouraging citizens to become actively involved in reporting environmental crime and supporting the implementation of the Environmental Liability Directive (ELD) in Natura 2000 sites in Crete, Greece. The application provides an accessible platform through which users can submit structured complaints and reports regarding environmental infringements, enriched with geolocation data and multimedia evidence to ensure credibility and legal relevance.
Beyond facilitating the reporting process, the application has significantly contributed to the mapping of environmental crime in Crete, offering valuable insights into the geographical distribution and frequency of illegal activities within Natura 2000 areas. This mapping function highlights both the spatial patterns of environmental pressures—such as habitat destruction, illegal logging, and poaching—and the increasing willingness of local communities to participate in environmental governance.
The experience of LIFE Themis demonstrates that digital tools can play a crucial role in raising public awareness, fostering transparency, and strengthening cooperation between citizens, authorities, and environmental stakeholders. By transforming individual reports into actionable knowledge, the application supports evidence-based decision-making and contributes to more effective enforcement of environmental law.
Building on its initial success, the LIFE Themis Application is currently being updated and will be further operated under the ENFORCE project (Project 101134447), which focuses on land clearance issues. One of its case studies is based in Heraklion, Crete, ensuring continuity and broader impact in environmental monitoring, compliance, and citizen engagement.
Short Abstract
Citizen science apps collect valuable biodiversity data, but coverage is uneven and data reliability varies. This study examines profiling strategies to detect behavioural, spatial, and temporal patterns that improve contribution quality while protecting user privacy.
Abstract
In recent years, mobile data collection apps have greatly expanded opportunities for citizen scientists to engage in biodiversity and environmental monitoring. However, the reliability and informative value of user-generated data remain uneven, influenced by individual behaviors, motivations, and contexts. This paper explores user profiling as a strategy to enhance both data quality and the overall scientific value of such platforms, while fully respecting contributor privacy.
We propose a framework for extracting and analyzing user- and app-level information to define metrics that capture behavioral, demographic, psychographic, and spatial aspects of user activity. Examples include activity duration, recurrence of observations, sustained effort, and geographic range of contributions. These metrics reveal spatial and temporal tendencies and preferences for certain activities or taxa, enabling more targeted guidance of monitoring efforts and user engagement.
Two complementary profiling approaches are considered: (a) direct profiling, based on explicit user preferences to tailor notifications and participation strategies, and (b) indirect profiling, where post-hoc analysis of collected metadata uncovers behavioral patterns that can inform app customization and data interpretation.
Our analysis, based on iNaturalist metadata, demonstrates how observation records can reveal user profiles that improve understanding of dataset structure, support better sampling design, and foster more effective participation.
While acknowledging the ethical dimensions of profiling, this work shows its potential to align user behaviors with platform goals, strengthen trust in citizen science, and maximize the collective value of participatory data collection.
Short Abstract
In the talk, I present a framework that helps explain how design and features influence user engagement and how this may impact the nature experience and the usability of biodiversity observation data for different goals.
Abstract
In the last two decades, citizen science has received a major boost through the use of technology and numerous smartphone apps have been created. Numerous mobile apps are used worldwide for plant and animal observation and identification, many of which initially appear very similar. However, a closer analysis of their human-computer interaction, design, and functions reveals distinct approaches. These differences ultimately create varying potentials and challenges for citizen science observations and the experience of nature. In the talk, I will present a framework that helps to understand how design and features influence user engagement. Drawing on literature, a systematic review of widely used apps as well as ten years of interdisciplinary work with the app Naturblick, different types of user journeys and motivations for using these apps are highlighted. I will also discuss how different apps support varying levels of involvement and how this affects both the nature experience and data usability. By critically assessing how app design impacts data usability and nature experiences, the talk provide insights for both app developers and the citizen science community to enhance engagement and data quality.
Short Abstract
We aim to share insights from the more4nature project on how citizen science data—particularly from Denmark’s national and local biodiversity citizen science programmes—can inform and populate GBF indicators and assess whether such data are being used in official CBD reporting by the Government
Abstract
Motivation
The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) was agreed by 195 countries under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in December 2022. The GBF tasks governments to report progress towards 23 targets and four goals but also “invites Parties and relevant organizations to support community-based monitoring and information systems and citizen science” to improve information for decision-making and build support for conservation efforts throughout society. Of the 365 indicators of the GBF monitoring framework, a total of 185 (51%) could potentially involve citizens in data collection (Nature Sustain. 7:1730; 2024).
As part of our work in the biodiversity cluster of the more4nature project, we are interested in:
1) Whether governments are using citizen science data in their official reporting to the CBD (7th national reports, due February 2026), and
2) To what extent data from existing local and national citizen science programmes in practice can populate the GBF indicators.
Contribution
From the more4nature project’s biodiversity cluster case studies in Denmark we can contribute information about whether data from existing citizen science programmes in Thy National Park and at national level in Denmark can populate the GBF indicators, and whether Denmark used any of the CS data from existing CS programmes in its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan submission, its targets submitted to the CBD, and its official reporting.
Abstract
We are actively engaged in Citizen Science (CS) projects focused on biodiversity monitoring, including for example the annual “City Nature Challenge” in Berlin and the “IQ Water” project monitoring species diversity at German drinking water reservoirs. Our research explores how CS, technology like artificial intelligence, and policy can be effectively linked to improve biodiversity monitoring across diverse regions. We are particularly interested in understanding how local initiatives can contribute to broader networks, ensuring data quality, participatory engagement, and alignment with policy frameworks. In the workshop, we would like to share practical insights from these projects, discuss challenges in scaling and standardizing approaches. By participating, we aim to discuss strategies for connecting local and regional monitoring efforts, fostering long-term community engagement, and supporting informed decision-making across disciplines and sectors.
Short Abstract
The divide between citizens and civil society, from public authorities and lawmakers, and businesses in tackling the challenge of biodiversity monitoring and compliance for biodiversity conservation requires building bridges between them to shape an inclusive European science-for-policy landscape
Abstract
The challenge of rapid biodiversity loss provides learning opportunities to unlock solutions to learn from science policy society interactions, how different views of the problem and solution landscape exist from the periphery to the center of biodiversity knowledge and decision making. Finding a common language to communicate and building (not expecting) trust is critical. Lack of trust in science is not a problem to be fixed but a symptom of the disconnect between society from the science for policy ecosystem, and in other systems. There is no one-size-fits-all all, and time and resources are required to build bridges.
How to ensure science for policy can deliver and have an impact? In the four-year ENFORCE projects, we are looking at what citizen science can do for policy and what policy can do for science to address national interests and global sustainable development goals. Forward-looking science–policy–action interfaces for tackling nexus challenges across scales, sectors, and actors
Getting out of our echo chambers and learn to talk to people with whom we do not agree, creating safe places for intentional dialogues, may be uncomfortable and can be risky. Building networks of trust is urgent in the current environment of polarisation and fear-based narratives. Evisights' evidence-to-insights process to empower citizen science networks to work with national government and EU-level evidence-informed policy making, and evidence-enabled law enforcement can ensure environmental management, monitoring, and compliance integrates citizen science ensuring that participatory processes become integral to compliance outcomes, for enhancing legitimacy, increasing transparency, and ensuring accountability.
Short Abstract
The use of outdoor apps to recruit citizen scientists is examined based on challenges established on Outdooractive, askingparticipants to take forest photos for research on ecological forest conditions. Their experiences, motivation, participation behavior and interest in further tasks are surveyed.
Abstract
As part of the MeineWaldKI project, this study aims to find ways to attract potential participants and increase participation rates. This approach examines whether collaboration with established outdoor navigation platforms (such as AllTrails, Komoot, or Outdooractive) would be suitable for attracting and retaining citizen scientists. These platforms have an existing community of people who enjoy spending time in nature, making them a potentially ideal place to reach people who may be interested in supporting scientific research in the field of nature conservation.
For this new research method, two challenges were offered on the Outdooractive platform, in which photos of forest structures were to be taken for later use in forest research. After participating in the first challenge, participants were asked about their motivation, participation behavior, and interest in further citizen science tasks. Preliminary results suggest that many participants recognize the poor condition of forests and want to support research on the forest condition. Many have never been active as citizen scientists but are interested in becoming more involved in similar citizen science related challenges in the future, even if these tasks were to take up more of their time. Based on these results, a second challenge is currently being offered until mid-November, which will also be evaluated using a survey. This will allow a comparison of the acceptance of challenges as citizen science tasks. Additionally, the success of two different challenge approaches, as well as the spill-over of participants from one challenge to the next will be analysed and presented.
Short Abstract
The National Monitoring Centre for Biodiversity and the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin explore the contribution of Citizen Science to national monitoring and measures to strengthen it. We share key gaps, barriers and enablers, and invite exchange on strategies, capacity building and data integration.
Abstract
In the last couple of years the German National Monitoring Centre for Biodiversity and the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin have joined forces to tap into and strengthen the potentials of Citizen Science for national biodiversity monitoring, bringing together perspectives from policy, society and science. Thereby we are aiming to better understand gaps, barriers and enablers to develop strategies for professionalizing Citizen Science and for capacity building in biodiversity monitoring. Topics range from improvement of inclusive engagement and knowledge to long-term data coverage and data quality.
For this workshop we can report results from our workshops and an extensive survey where we showcase how needs within biodiversity monitoring and suitability of citizen science come together; for what reasons citizen science projects are considered "successful"; and insights into opinions of taxonomic experts. Together with workshop participants we offer to go into further discussion and mutual learning to understand how to transform this knowledge into actionable steps. Additionally, we aim to identify and map various pillars of data- and knowledge sources within Citizen Science contributing to biodiversity monitoring.