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Poster Short Abstract

This poster presents a critical overview of current practices, gaps, and opportunities in patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) in cancer research. We reflect on lessons learned and propose concrete pathways for meaningful, equitable collaboration.

Poster Abstract

Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) in cancer research is gaining momentum, yet its implementation remains uneven, fragmented, and often symbolic. This poster maps where we currently stand in PPIE across the cancer research continuum—from basic science to clinical trials, from policy advocacy to survivorship.

Drawing from recent projects, institutional collaborations, and co-design experiences, we identify both good practices and structural barriers. Our work reveals that while cancer research increasingly acknowledges the value of patient input, mechanisms for sustained, equitable collaboration are still lacking. Key challenges include limited training for researchers, tokenistic engagement, unclear roles for patient partners, and lack of funding for involvement infrastructure.

We highlight successful PPIE strategies, including advisory boards, citizen juries, co-created communication tools, and patient-led priority-setting workshops. These examples show the transformative potential of shared leadership—when backed by resources, institutional will, and cultural change.

The poster invites attendees to reflect on the urgent need to move beyond rhetoric toward impact-oriented, inclusive PPIE. It presents a roadmap to strengthen involvement practices—through policy, evaluation, and patient capacity-building.

By asking “Where do we stand?” we hope to spark dialogue on where we go next. Our goal: to normalize PPIE as a core pillar of cancer research that is not only scientifically robust, but socially responsive and ethically grounded.

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Poster Short Abstract

PlantAlert engages gardeners to report weedy ornamentals as early warnings of potential invasions. Through OneSTOP Living Labs across Europe, we co-create tools and data pipelines to integrate citizen observations into an early alert system for biodiversity management.

Poster Abstract

Gardens represent important yet often overlooked frontlines for biodiversity change. Many ornamental species that later become invasive are first cultivated in private or public gardens, making these spaces potential sentinels for early detection of emerging risks. Under the aegis of the OneSTOP project, we aim to upscale the successful UK-based citizen science initiative PlantAlert, which mobilizes gardeners to report ornamental plants that exhibit weedy or invasive tendencies.

In OneSTOP, PlantAlert will be expanded to four additional European countries, each hosting Living Labs that bring together stakeholders from the quadruple helix—citizens, researchers, policymakers, and businesses. These Living Labs will co-create and test the citizen science tools, ensuring that technological, social, and ecological dimensions are jointly addressed. By integrating PlantAlert data streams into OneSTOP’s early warning and rapid response system, we aim to establish gardens as a scalable, participatory detection method, complementing novel technologies such as computer vision and eDNA.

Citizen observations will feed into data pipelines (i.e., to GBIF) and contribute to automated alert systems that notify relevant stakeholders, such as local conservation managers, about emerging invasive species threats. This presentation will discuss how Living Labs can foster long-term participant engagement, support co-design of monitoring technologies, and strengthen the interface between citizen science and biodiversity management, demonstrating how public participation can play a vital role in safeguarding Europe’s ecosystems.

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Poster Short Abstract

We explore whether citizen science and nature-based activities can influence rural adolescents’ attitudes and behaviors toward nature in a region skeptical of nature conservation and democracy. Initial feedback shows varied responses and highlights citizen science's potential and limits.

Poster Abstract

In regions marked by societal and landscape transformations, where skepticism toward nature conservation and democratic values is widespread, fostering nature awareness and pro-nature behavior among young people poses a particular challenge. This study explores whether participatory approaches like citizen science can contribute to changing adolescents’ attitudes and behaviors toward nature. In a rural area characterized by low engagement with and ambivalence toward both conservation efforts and democratic participation, we organized different one-day interventions for youth: (1) a citizen science birdwatching project, (2) a plant mapping activity, in which the collected data were used as part of an ongoing citizen science initiative. These interventions were designed to test whether direct engagement with nature, especially through contributing to a larger scientific effort, can influence young people's nature connectedness, environmental attitudes, behavior or motivation towards citizen science. While final data analysis is still underway, initial qualitative feedback suggests that participants responded in diverse ways to the different formats, with potential shifts in perspectives varying significantly between individuals and groups. This exploratory study provides first insights into how tailored nature-based activities might be used to engage youth in regions traditionally disengaged from conservation, and highlights the potential and limitations of citizen science as a transformative tool in environmental education.

On the poster will be presented the study design, which includes surveys of students through questionnaires and qualitative statements from students and teachers regarding the different project days. Preliminary statistical data from the interventions will be available by March, allowing for initial quantitative analyses to be shared alongside qualitative insights. I will also discuss challenges and opportunities in implementing citizen science in politically and environmentally skeptical rural contexts undergoing social and landscape transformations.

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Poster Short Abstract

The bibliometric study analyzes 55,000 Fiocruz publications (2008-25) to map Citizen Science initiatives in health research. Using 20 keywords, we identify participatory approaches and citizen engagement patterns. Findings will inform specific Citizen Science policies and indicators at Fiocruz.

Poster Abstract

The Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) is a leading health science and technology institution in Latin America. Over the past decade, it has built an extensive Open Science ecosystem and now seeks to institutionalize Citizen Science practices. This new effort centers on developing policies and indicators that extend beyond bibliometrics. To guide this process. Fiocruz is mapping internal citizen science initiatives to characterize the diversity of experiences and approaches in health research. The foundation has previous experience developing pro-Citizen Science indicators, which introduced criteria like inclusion (ethnoracial diversity, gender, and social inclusion) and impact (defined by notions such as 'new development and legacy”) to evaluate scientific endeavors.

Our main contribution to the panel is presenting initial findings from the mapping of Citizen Science at Fiocruz. In partnership with the Fiocruz Health Science, Technology, and Innovation Observatory, this research analyzes acorpus of 55,000 scientific articles produced by Fiocruz authors between 2008 and 2025 and collected from seven publication databases. The study adopts 20 keywords, aiming to capture both explicit and implicit Citizen Science projects and highlight how citizen collaboration, contribution, and co-creation work in health research.

By fostering citizen involvement in research, Fiocruz recognizes Citizen Science as a way to value lived experience, situated knowledge, and collective intelligence. These initiatives seek to directly engage society in addressing health issues, aligning with Fiocruz's understanding of health as complete well-being, not merely the absence of disease. The expanded concept of health is holistic, preventive, and focused on promoting overall well-being and quality of life.

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Poster Short Abstract

The STEM-IT approach integrates satellite-based Earth Observation (EO) into teacher education to develop climate and wildfire literacy. Through hands-on EO analysis and citizen science practices, educators design classroom activities with real wildfire data. Preliminary results will be presented.

Poster Abstract

Wildfire regimes are intensifying under anthropogenic climate change, increasing the need to connect satellite-based Earth Observation (EO) capabilities with public and school-based environmental literacy. This poster presents the STEM-IT educational approach that integrates EO data and analytical practices into STEM-focused teacher professional development to strengthen climate and wildfire competences and foster engagement with citizen science. The approach employs a suite of freely accessible EO platforms and services, enabling educators to interpret spatiotemporal patterns of wildfire activity, vegetation conditions, and fire danger indicators in locally relevant contexts.

Participating teachers engage in guided, inquiry-based activities in which they analyze active-fire detections, burned-area products, and vegetation indices to investigate recent wildfire events and post-fire ecological dynamics. These activities foreground authentic data interpretation and help teachers understand how EO can illuminate environmental change across multiple scales. Teachers then translate these analytical procedures into classroom scenarios, positioning students as “fire detectives” who combine satellite information with ground-based observations, local knowledge, and community-reported impacts. In doing so, students construct evidence-based narratives of wildfire behavior, ecosystem responses, and climate-related drivers.

The integration of EO data, STEM inquiry, and participatory science aims to develop geospatial reasoning, critical data literacy, and environmental citizenship among both teachers and students. By situating global climate and hazard information within place-based studies, the approach supports educators in designing learning experiences that are locally meaningful yet scientifically grounded. It also strengthens teachers’ capacity to act as facilitators of citizen science by linking classroom inquiry with real datasets, public monitoring initiatives, and community engagement opportunities.

The poster will present preliminary results from pilot implementations, including teacher feedback, examples of classroom artefacts, and reflections on how EO-enhanced inquiry can advance wildfire literacy and support broader participation in environmental monitoring.

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Poster Short Abstract

The Greek implementation of the SchoolFan citizen science project offered online and face-to-face training for secondary teachers. This poster outlines the shared structure, rationale, and activities used to prepare teachers to guide their students in analyzing climate misinformation effectively.

Poster Abstract

This poster presents the teacher training approach implemented in Greece within the SchoolFan project, a European citizen science project that engages school communities in recognizing and analyzing climate misinformation on social media. In the Greek implementation, the professional development program was delivered to two groups of secondary education teachers. One group participated online, and the other attended the program face-to-face, following an identical instructional sequence.

The training introduced teachers to the core SchoolFan methodology, which applies citizen science principles to classroom inquiry. This approach positions teachers and students as active contributors to the investigation of digital environments. Participants worked with sample hashtags and climate-related posts, practiced identifying misinformation patterns, examined markers of source credibility, and applied the project’s reliability scale. Through collaborative tasks, teachers enacted the inquiry cycle used in citizen science activities, including systematic observation, classification, evidence-based judgement, and shared reflection.

Alongside the components, the training examined the theoretical foundations that connect citizen science with climate education. These included the participatory nature of citizen science as a mechanism for collective knowledge-building, inquiry-based learning as a structure for guiding investigations, and dimensions of digital literacy for navigating climate information online. Teachers received the SchoolFan classroom materials and the step-by-step lesson sequence designed to transfer this citizen science process to teaching contexts.

By outlining the design, content, and pedagogical grounding of the Greek SchoolFan training programme, the poster demonstrates how citizen science methodologies can strengthen teacher professional development and support systematic, collaborative analysis of online climate information in schools.

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Poster Short Abstract

A Digital Twin integrates citizen science and an automated bird sound classifier to deliver real-time biodiversity predictions. The DT approach enables scalable and dynamic bird monitoring and empowers public participation.

Poster Abstract

Accurate environmental policies rely on timely and reliable data. Citizen science offers vast biodiversity observations, yet predictive power is often limited by data quality variability. We present a Digital Twin (DT) approach that integrates a citizen science bird sound app, machine learning, and high-performance computing to generate real-time biodiversity predictions. The DT stores raw audio to continuously refine species classifications and mitigate detection errors. Our campaign addressed spatiotemporal sampling biases via interval recordings and a permanent point count network. Over two years, 5% of Finland’s population contributed 14.5 million bird detections. Independent test data show that the DT significantly improves predictions of bird distributions. The scalable system enhances biodiversity monitoring, supports environmental policy, and fosters citizen engagement in science.

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Poster Short Abstract

The Museum of Food Waste is a citizen science project where students monitor school canteen waste, co-create solutions, and gain their first research experience—showing how science can also reach and engage less favourable or peripheral regions.

Poster Abstract

The Museum of Food Waste (MOFWaste) is a citizen science project implemented in a semi-rural region of northern Portugal, where direct access to research centers and scientific initiatives is limited within the school community. For most participating students, MOFWaste represented their first experience in approaching science, offering a hands-on and collaborative introduction to research.

The project monitors food waste in school canteens across Esposende and Viana do Castelo, engaging students aged 10–15 as active participants in every stage — from collecting and analyzing data to co-creating waste reduction strategies through participatory workshops. This student-centered methodology promoted scientific literacy, critical thinking, and a sense of environmental and social responsibility.

Initially planned for three school canteens, the project expanded to six with the support of the Municipality of Esposende and the IMPETUS program, reflecting growing community engagement. Over 40 consecutive days in 2024, 536 students recorded and categorized 6.24 tonnes of food waste, including plate leftovers, kitchen surplus, and inedible waste.

Beyond data collection, students connected their findings to broader social and ethical questions. They examined how food waste contributes to inequality and impacts vulnerable groups, while developing empathy for canteen staff and respect for their work. The project thus linked everyday practices to global sustainability goals and food justice issues.

MOFWaste demonstrates how citizen science can flourish in semi-rural contexts by transforming schools into active research spaces and empowering young people as “change agents.” It generated valuable data to inform local policies and fostered a culture of sustainability and civic participation.

The Museum of Food Waste – because food waste should be in the past received the EU Citizen Science – Diversity and Collaboration Award 2025, recognizing its inclusive, student-driven approach to tackling food waste.

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Poster Short Abstract

This paper presents how a Structuring Project at UICISA:E is fostering research on Citizen Science and promoting citizens’ active involvement in nursing research through methodological development, co-creation, and participatory practices.

Poster Abstract

Although Citizen Science (CS) is well established internationally, its integration into nursing research in Portugal remains incipient. To address this challenge, the Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA:E) launched a Structuring Project (SP) dedicated to advancing research on CS and promoting the active involvement of citizens in research projects, contributing to the institutionalisation of these practices in the health domain. Launched in 2022, the SP “Citizen involvement in research processes and knowledge extension to society” supports Associated Study Projects (ASP) focused on creating and validating methodologies that facilitate citizen involvement, as well as identifying citizens’ needs, experiences, and motivations. Currently, five research projects are underway that both investigate and apply CS principles. These projects have developed co-creation methodologies with citizens, integrated them as researchers in the projects and co-authors in publications, carried out studies on researchers’ and citizens’ perceptions of CS, organised training and awareness activities of researchers in CS, implement a CS component in the undergraduate and postgraduate Nursing School curricula, and mapped how CS is integrated and monitored within the unit’s research projects. This growing field is driving significant changes in how science is conceived, developed, and communicated. The innovative potential of CS represents a new research paradigm that fosters social innovation, the democratisation of science, and improved scientific and health literacy. The SP at UICISA:E aligns with international research trends and contributes to strengthening nursing research in Portugal.

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Poster Short Abstract

This paper presents how Citizen Science is being integrated at a nursing research unit in Portugal through awareness initiatives, participatory training, co-creation sessions, and the active involvement of citizens in research projects, fostering more inclusive and socially embedded health research

Poster Abstract

The integration of Citizen Science (CS) into institutional structures represents a strategic step towards consolidating more open, participatory, and socially responsive scientific practices. In the field of health, CS plays a crucial role in promoting scientific and health literacy, strengthening public trust, and generating more effective solutions. At the Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA:E), a strategic axis dedicated to “Extension and Citizen Involvement” has been developed to structure methodologies, processes, and spaces for systematic citizen participation. This work describes the experience of UICISA:E in promoting and implementing CS within health research. It is a descriptive study based on the analysis of initiatives organised around three complementary dimensions: (i) Awareness-raising and outreach, through public initiatives in extra-academic contexts—such as parks, shopping centres, and municipal markets—including participation in four editions of the European Researchers’ Night, involving hundreds of citizens; (ii) Capacity-building and co-creation, through participatory workshops in scientific events, training activities for internal and external researchers, and more than 30 co-creation sessions to develop clear and accessible scientific materials; (iii) Active involvement in research projects, achieved by integrating citizens in different stages of ongoing studies as a formal requirement for all projects within the unit, and by creating a volunteer registry to strengthen long-term engagement. This experience illustrates how CS can support the institutionalisation of more inclusive and socially embedded scientific practices, reinforcing the social mission of higher education institutions and bringing science closer to citizens.

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Poster Short Abstract

This paper presents findings from the ECIU’s CSSIAI project's participatory engagement pilots in Kerry, Łódź and Barcelona. We contribute practical methodologies for embedding citizen science in AI research, demonstrating how public participation can shape more responsible AI development.

Poster Abstract

The rapidly evolving field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds huge potential (e.g. healthcare), yet the development and application of these technologies often lack societal input. The ‘Citizen Science and the Societal Impacts of Artificial Intelligence’ (CSSIAI) project addresses this gap by integrating Citizen Science (CS) methodologies into the AI research lifecycle.

CSSIAI aligns with ECSA Principles by fostering meaningful participation and co-creation, and involving non-academic stakeholders and communities. This poster will present key insights and methodologies from the CSSIAI ECIU Blended Mobility Programme, exploring the process of integrating Citizen Science into the AI research lifecycle. Our poster details insights, challenges and best practices from Participatory Engagement Pilots carried out in public spaces in 2025, including libraries, festivals and university campuses.

These pilot studies employed co-creation workshops, deliberative forums and interactive AI prototypes at festivals as experimentation spaces to actively involve citizens in critical discussions about AI ethics, innovation and governance.

By documenting approaches across three diverse European contexts, this poster contributes practical methodologies and cross-cultural insights for embedding citizen science in AI research infrastructure. We share concrete lessons from our participatory engagement pilots, and offer a replicable framework that demonstrates how citizen science can effectively shape a more responsible and inclusive European AI research agenda.

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Poster Short Abstract

Through CS, this study aims at linking indoor air quality (IAQ) research and public engagement, guiding households toward cleaner air and healthier habits while promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, effective science communication, and evidence-based guidelines and policy recommendations.

Poster Abstract

IAQ is a key yet often neglected health determinant. Young children spend most of their time indoors, where complex chemical and biological mixtures remain poorly regulated. INQUIRE integrates environmental monitoring, toxicology, and citizen science to reduce exposures, enhance understanding, and inform policy.

Using a CS approach, cca. 200 households across six European countries participated in a pre-post one month-long exposure study, including sensor-based monitoring, dust and urine sampling, and activity logbooks. Indoor and outdoor samplers were installed in the most frequently used living space and an adjacent outdoor area, and participants completed weekly logs of household activities. Following baseline assessments, targeted interventions were implemented: (i) air purifiers (Portugal, UK), (ii) product replacement (Slovenia, Netherlands), and (iii) behavioural changes (Italy, Czech Republic, Netherlands). Measurements were repeated for one-month post-intervention and each household received an individual report of results. This approach challenged researchers to communicate results in meaningful and actionable ways for participants.

Citizen engagement extended beyond data collection. Semi-structured interviews (n=6–9 per intervention type, ongoing) and participatory evaluation workshops explored participants’ perceptions of IAQ improvements, and the meaningfulness of the interventions. Personalized feedback and interactive discussions enhanced participants' environmental health literacy.

Preliminary findings indicate that the CS approach integrated complex multi-method research with active participant engagement. By linking personalized exposure data to behavioural change, INQUIRE supports households in improving IAQ and advancing public awareness. It positions citizen science as strategic research infrastructure, engaging citizens, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and informing evidence-based policymaking for healthier homes in Europe.

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Poster Short Abstract

This study combines a survey of Lisbon residents with citizen science biodiversity records to assess green roofs. Results show positive perceptions of their benefits for cities and biodiversity, while citizen science highlights their ecological value and strengthens people’s connection to nature.

Poster Abstract

Citizen science does not only generate biodiversity data; it also shapes how people perceive and value the natural world. To investigate these social impacts, we studied the role of green roofs—an emerging urban infrastructure in Lisbon that contributes to climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation. We combined two approaches: (i) a survey of citizens working near green roofs to explore their understanding of these infrastructures, their knowledge of biodiversity and biodiversity loss, and their attitudes toward pro-environmental behaviors; and (ii) an analysis of biodiversity records collected through the citizen science platform iNaturalist/BioDiversity4All to assess how participation documents and validates the ecological potential of green roofs. Survey results revealed that, although many respondents were unsure of what green roofs are, they strongly recognized their benefits for air quality, energy efficiency, and biodiversity, and expressed support for policy incentives to encourage installation. Contact with nature was linked to greater awareness of green roofs and biodiversity issues. Respondents also reported pro-environmental behaviors such as recycling, responsible consumption, and sustainable diets. Citizen science data complemented these findings by showing that green roofs can host a variety of species, while also demonstrating how participation deepens citizens’ connection to urban nature and fosters ecological literacy. Together, these insights illustrate how citizen science projects can produce both ecological knowledge and meaningful social impact, strengthening environmental values, motivating behavioral change, and empowering citizens to engage with urban sustainability challenges.

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Poster Short Abstract

Citizen science can bridge researchers, citizens and institutions, yet cooperation across projects in Austria is rare. A survey of 121 initiatives shows common goals drive collaboration, but lack of resources hinders it. Shared infrastructures and capacity pooling are key to future impact.

Poster Abstract

Citizen science creates bridges not only between researchers and citizens, but also between institutions and communities. Cooperation across citizen science projects holds great potential: It can generate knowledge through the unusual combination of data, strengthen long-term monitoring and ensure that the outcomes of today’s research remain valuable for tomorrow. Yet in Austria, such cooperation remains the exception rather than the rule.

To investigate this gap, a survey of 121 projects listed on the Austrian citizen science platform Österreich forscht was conducted. Although many respondents recognize the value of cooperation, inter-project collaboration remains limited and is most often confined to the exchange of experiences. The strongest motivation for (future) cooperation lies in achieving common goals, while the greatest obstacle is a lack of capacity and resources. The role of the platform emerges as crucial in offering spaces for networking and supporting projects with stable infrastructures.

Extrapolated into the future and building on these findings, citizen science requires collective infrastructures, shared stewardship, capacity pooling and trust-building to make cooperation viable. Even cooperation among projects within the same field remains underrealized and problematic. Yet, fostering cross-disciplinary cooperation offers the potential to address complex societal challenges in a more integrated manner. Cooperation can ensure that short-term efforts feed into heritage collections or long-term monitoring or that stronger projects safeguard data from smaller initiatives.

Without cooperation, citizen science risks remaining isolated silos. Investing in enabling frameworks can transform it into a bridge connecting past achievements, present efforts and future societal and environmental challenges.

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Poster Short Abstract

The community science project, Voluntarios por el Agua has been measuring the water quality of the rivers of the Maipo watershed in Chile on a monthly basis for 4 years. Here we illustrate the geography, the socioenviromental issues, some scientific results and the bond forged within the community.

Poster Abstract

The community science project, Voluntarios por el Agua has been measuring water quality for four years, on a monthly basis in the rivers of the Maipo watershed in central Chile. We will explain the physico-chemical paremeters we chose to measure, the data issues we had to surmount and the data that has come out of the project. The repeat photography proved to be very useful, showing water levels, turbidity, weather, vegetation and they will provide a picture of the rivers and the surrounding mountains for years to come.

This project has taken a life of its own and keeps on going month after month, despite a lack of funding and organisational structure because local people enjoy their monthly meet ups and observing and immersing themselves in these Andean rivers. We provide a profile of the volunteers and an insight into what it is like to be a Voluntario por el Agua.

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Poster Short Abstract

Mosquito Watch is a citizen science initiative that mobilizes communities in Greece to monitor and document mosquito populations, with a particular focus on invasive species such as Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito), a known vector of dengue, Zika, and West Nile virus.

Poster Abstract

Mosquito Watch is a citizen science initiative that mobilizes communities in Greece to monitor and document mosquito populations, with a particular focus on invasive species such as Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito), a known vector of dengue, Zika, and West Nile virus. Through the iNaturalist platform, citizens capture and upload photos of mosquitoes or breeding sites, contributing geo-referenced observations that are validated by entomologists and integrated into the Mosquitoes of Europe database.

The project combines online campaigns, infographics, and field-based Bioblitz events to raise awareness of mosquito-borne diseases, biodiversity, and the impacts of climate change. It fosters a 360° citizen observatory that provides open-access, quality-assured data to public health authorities and researchers.

Embedded in the Horizon Europe DxHub framework, Mosquito Watch also explores the development of rapid, low-cost diagnostic tools for mosquito-borne pathogens. By bridging citizens, scientists, and policymakers, the initiative strengthens public health resilience and empowers communities as active contributors to disease surveillance and biodiversity monitoring.

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Poster Short Abstract

A practical model from SDU shows how to engage communities and tackle health inequalities through citizen science in collaboration with Research Management and Administration. Learn strategies for inclusion, recruitment, engagement, and institutional support that can inspire your own projects.

Poster Abstract

This poster presents a practical model developed in the “Ulighed i sundhed” initiative at the University of Southern Denmark. It demonstrates how citizen science can be applied to engage communities, address health inequalities, and create societal impact in public health projects.

Key insights include:

• Recruiting and sustaining participation from vulnerable groups

• Maintaining engagement over long research processes

• Building interdisciplinary collaboration

• Securing institutional support and resources

• Turning ideals into concrete actions and outcomes

The poster is hands-on: it shares concrete strategies, tools, and lessons learned, enabling participants to adapt the model to their own research and practice contexts. It complements our workshop at ECSA 2026, “How to turn ideals into action? – Citizen Science for Societal Impact,” providing a practical example of how participatory approaches can be operationalized.

This poster is relevant for researchers and practitioners looking to design citizen science projects that are inclusive, actionable, and impactful, especially in the health domain.

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Poster Short Abstract

Experiences and lessons learned from three citizen social science projects in a structural change region in Germany. Each project characterized with a different participatory level addressing one of the following topics: energy, mobility, and nutrition.

Poster Abstract

The Rhenish district in Western Germany is characterized by its lignite mining, and is therefore one of the three designated structural change regions within Germany’s coal phase-out. The project “MehrWertRevier” aims to contribute to the region’s transformation by focusing on four areas of action, one being Citizen Science.

Within MehrWertRevier three individual citizen social science projects focusing on the fields energy, mobility, and nutrition were conducted. In each project we used different levels of participation and worked together with citizen scientists from the region in several participatory workshops. In the first project (energy), we worked together with citizen scientists who were plug-in solar device owners and investigated the distribution and use of those devices. The second project (mobility) addressed the topic of sustainable mobility, especially public transportation, in villages close to the lignite mining area. Together with citizens from these villages, we applied the design thinking approach and through a participatory process determined the specific research topic. In the third project (nutrition), we worked together with young adults and also citizens volunteering in the field of nutrition (e. g. community-supported agriculture) focusing on nutritional information and nutritional skills.

With our poster, we would like to provide deeper insights into these projects and their designs. Moreover, we want to illustrate our experiences and lessons learned based on these projects. In particular, we would like to depict our learnings from working together with citizen scientists, the implementation of workshops and the work in a project team consisting of members from different institutions.

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Poster Short Abstract

The current work illustrates the barriers and challenges that inhibit the interaction between citizen science and biodiveristy policy making. It aims to show how can Citizen Science be an integral part of the Science Service for Biodiversity being developed by the Horizon project BioAgora.

Poster Abstract

Citizen science (CS) is a well-established topic in biodiversity, nonetheless its policy impact remains inconsistent across scales, local to EU level. The BioAgora project aims to connect biodiversity research with the needs of policy making through the development of fair and functional Science Service. In doing so, it aims to integrate citizen science as a vital component of biodiversity decision making and governance. This poster explores how citizen science initiatives contribute to transformative biodiversity action by engaging local communities, generating high-quality environmental data, and what can foster and hinder the interaction with policy process. Drawing on empirical insights from ongoing project BioAgora’s task on citizen science, we illustrate the linkage between citizen science and policy in domains such as marine, freshwater, pollination, nature-based solutions and agroecology. In doing so, mapping of CS projects and infrastructures were carried out. In addition, criteria were developed to assess the policy interaction and impact of the citizen science projects. Based on the criteria, semi structured interviews and online survey was developed and administered.

In our findings, we discuss barriers and opportunities for scaling up citizen science to maximize its impact on biodiversity decision-making. By positioning citizen science as a key enabler of transformative change, this work advances discussions on how participatory approaches can drive more effective and inclusive biodiversity policymaking and support in bridging the gap between science policy and society.

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Poster Short Abstract

Nature plays an essential role in the Scout method as an educational environment par excellence, where young people are the protagonists of their own growth, oriented towards active citizenship. "ScoutNaturalist" is a project that combines citizen science activities into Scout education.

Poster Abstract

Nature plays an essential role in the Scout method as an educational environment par excellence, where young people are the protagonists of their own growth, oriented towards active citizenship.

"ScoutNaturalist" is a project born from the collaboration between the Association of Italian Catholic Guides and Scouts (AGESCI) and the Institute of Marine Sciences of the National Research Council (CNR-ISMAR), as part of the national "Biodiversity Gateway" project of the National Biodiversity Future Centre. Using the tools of the Scout method, the goal of this collaboration is to involve and support all AGESCI members, both adults and children, in collecting and sharing data on biodiversity in Italy during association activities, empowering them with the typical CS approach.

The initiative included: a) two training events for leaders, to experience and explore the topics of biodiversity, Italian scientific research networks, CS activities, and the use of the iNaturalist app; b) a national nature challenge for young members (aged 8 to 21) to share biodiversity observations on the iNaturalist platform.

The planned initiatives, from training sessions for leaders to data collection events for young people, are designed to generate a lasting impact from both educational and scientific perspectives. Participation in scoutNaturalist activities aims not only to strengthen connections with the local area but also to foster the growth of active citizens, aware of the importance of biodiversity for the sustainable development of our country.

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Poster Short Abstract

Citizen Science Month or CSM (2019–2025) has grown from a single day to a global movement. This poster highlights lessons learned and impacts measured, emphasizing the role of facilitators and sharing approaches for international collaborations, especially leading up to CSM 2026.

Poster Abstract

Citizen Science Month (CSM) has grown from a single day in 2019 to a global movement that has engaged hundreds of thousands of participants worldwide. This poster shares lessons learned, impacts measured, and approaches developed over six years of scaling CSM, with a focus on the critical role of facilitators in making citizen science accessible, engaging, and inclusive.

CSM has produced measurable outcomes across participants, facilitators, and project leaders. Participants report increased confidence in participating in projects, collecting and analyzing data, and sustained engagement: 94% of Foundations of Citizen Science trainees reported growth in skills, and 100% said they were likely to participate in another citizen science project. Facilitators have gained confidence hosting and facilitating events, and nearly all rated event clarity and impact as strong. Project leaders saw increased public awareness, additional contributors, and heightened engagement: 100% reported CSM raised awareness, and 82% felt positively impacted by being part of a larger movement. Between 2024–2025, CSM events doubled, Foundation of Citizen Science badges earned rose from 183 to 2,938, and social media reach grew to 14.1 million, including 70+ projects promoted in partnership with the European Citizen Science Association.

The poster also outlines approaches for fostering international collaborations, including the partnership with the European Citizen Science Association for CSM 2025, and ongoing coordination with associations leading initiatives in preparation for CSM 2026. These examples illustrate how facilitator-driven, collaborative efforts can transform a local initiative into a global movement, inspire community engagement, and support meaningful scientific contributions.

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Poster Short Abstract

This study examines the impact of three types of science texts on science understanding in a group of eighty prospective teachers. The results of the study indicate that refutation texts have a greater impact on reducing misconceptions about science, compared to expository and textbook-based texts.

Poster Abstract

The way information is organized and presented in a science text strongly influences how students understand it. Distinct types of science texts—refutational, expository, and textbook-based—produce distinct levels of comprehension. This study examines the impact of three text types on students’ understanding of science. Covering three key topics—photosynthesis, the solar system, and optics—a group of eighty prospective preschool and primary school teachers participated in the research.

Results indicate that refutational texts were more effective in reducing misconceptions than expository or textbook-based texts, with the largest effect observed for photosynthesis, followed by the solar system and light. Although textbook-based texts are widely used, they may not optimally support conceptual understanding, whereas refutational texts actively encourage learners to confront and revise misconceptions.

This approach can be further strengthened through citizen science principles, which involve students and community members in authentic scientific practices. Our proposed model of good practice engages community participants in identifying common misconceptions in scientific topics. Using these contributions, students, teachers, and community members collaboratively design updated refutational texts that directly address misconceptions. These texts can then be reinforced through small-scale citizen science projects, including experiments, observations, or data collection.

By combining refutational texts, participatory citizen science, and community engagement, teacher education programs can foster active, inquiry-oriented learning. This model empowers future teachers to design lessons that challenge misconceptions, cultivate critical thinking, and connect classroom learning to authentic, evidence-based scientific practices, bridging conceptual understanding with real-world experience.

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Poster Short Abstract

Libraries are strategic connectors in CS, bridging communities, researchers, and institutions. Across types and regions, they may foster inclusive engagement, data literacy, and participatory knowledge and strengthening societal impact. University Library of Southern Denmark share our experiences.

Poster Abstract

All libraries may play a vital role in advancing citizen science by connecting researchers, institutions, and communities.

We at the University Library of Southern Denmark, a research library, are hosting the hub of Citizen Science, actively supporting citizen science through collaborative research facilitation, data literacy tools, and inclusive public engagement spaces.

Through active collaboration we have seen how different libraries contribute to the production of participatory knowledge. Across library types, their roles vary but remain strategically significant.

Public libraries, Research libraries, School and special libraries are in our experience all important partners. Each contributes uniquely.

Libraries are as a hole embedded in local contexts, enabling knowledge exchange across geographic and institutional boundaries. Their involvement in citizen science not only benefits society—by fostering democratic participation and community resilience—but also enhances the libraries themselves.

Engagement in citizen science strengthens their institutional legitimacy, visibility, and public trust.

Ultimately, libraries become active agents in shaping a more inclusive and participatory knowledge society, reinforcing their relevance in addressing contemporary societal challenges.

We believe that libraries of all types serve as strategic connectors between citizen science activities in both metropolitan centers and peripheral regions. Their embeddedness in local contexts enables knowledge exchange across geographic, social, and institutional boundaries.

We invite you to join us at our poster for an open dialogue, where we will showcase how we and other libraries help build communities and empower citizens with our own results and examples.

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Poster Abstract

Citizen science in Poland has roots reaching back to the 19th century, although more structured and intentional efforts began to emerge in the early 21st century. Its development has been largely driven by non-governmental organisations and academic institutions, often supported by international programmes. While citizen science in Poland is a growing field with increasing visibility, it still faces several systemic challenges. These include a lack of stable national funding, minimal integration into research evaluation frameworks, and the absence of a central coordination strategy. The poster will present the current state of citizen science development in Poland, based on a review of relevant literature and the author's own project experience.

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Poster Short Abstract

Between 2023–2025, citizen science workshops and bioblitzes engaged Ukrainian refugees in Finland. The initiative supported adaptation and well-being while contributing biodiversity data, providing a model for extending citizen science to broader newcomer integration

Poster Abstract

Between 2023 and 2025, a series of citizen science initiatives were implemented in Finland to engage Ukrainian refugees who arrived after the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The projects aimed to support social adaptation, promote mental and physical well-being, and contribute to biodiversity data collection. Refugees often face challenges related to language, culture, and climate when settling in Finland, but many show interest in exploring local nature as a source of recreation, healing, and in some cases income through foraging.

To address these interests, workshops were organized in collaboration with local NGOs in Oulu, Vaasa, Tampere, and Rovaniemi. Participants were introduced to citizen science platforms such as iNaturalist and trained in biodiversity observation methods. Following the workshops, bioblitzes were conducted to provide practical experience and to generate verifiable biodiversity records. These activities not only enhanced participants’ familiarity with Finland’s natural environment but also fostered community engagement and intercultural dialogue.

The results indicate that citizen science can serve as a valuable tool for both refugee integration and scientific knowledge production. Skills acquired through these activities are transferable and may remain useful if participants return to their home country. Furthermore, the initiative demonstrates how citizen science can be scaled to include broader groups of newcomers, offering a replicable model for other regions facing similar challenges. The presentation will discuss lessons learned, outcomes for participants, and implications for future citizen science programs supporting social integration.

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Poster Short Abstract

Citizen science plays vital role in biodiversity data generation. Our global analysis of GBIF shows that contributions from citizen science platforms are notable, and these contributions are driven more by country’s ecological uniqueness and biodiversity value than by its socio-economic development.

Poster Abstract

Among the top five publishers on GBIF, the world’s largest biodiversity database, three are citizen science platforms: the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, iNaturalist, and Observation.org. iNaturalist and Observation.org host the most cited datasets, while since joining in 2013, Cornell Lab has become GBIF’s largest contributor. Citizen science now dominates GBIF data: Cornell’s share of records rose from 18% in 2001 to 80% in 2023, iNaturalist – from 1% to 7%, and Observation.org – from 0.4% to 4.4%.

Analyses of global statistical data revealed that socioeconomic factors play a lesser role than a country's biodiversity value. Only inbound tourism and land area, which can also be indirectly related to biodiversity values, exhibit a moderate correlation (0.5 < r ≤ 0.7) with the number of identifiers, observers, observations, and species recorded on iNaturalist. In contrast, socio-economic factors such as population size, the Human Development Index, life expectancy, years of schooling, and GNI per capita show no significant impact on the development of citizen science (r < 0.5). At the same time, biodiversity indicators such as the number of endemic species, total species richness, and species with low occurrences exhibit the strongest correlations (r > 0.7) with the number of general observations, as well as with the number of identifiers on iNaturalist. Therefore, the natural factors such as land area and high, unique biodiversity may explain the greater number of recorded species on iNaturalist and eBird.

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Poster Short Abstract

Maccaferri Futura Onboard Science Project tests how small racing boats can host low-cost devices to monitor for essential Ocean parameter. This case study shows how sport and industries can easily embed participatory science, expanding data collection and awareness.

Poster Abstract

Marine citizen science is increasingly recognised as a valuable means to address critical gaps in ocean monitoring. With climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss intensifying, the need for broader, low-cost data collection is urgent. Offshore racing boats, often operating in remote regions, present an underused opportunity to expand monitoring capacity, yet most initiatives remain centred on large, resource-intensive vessels rather than enabling smaller boats and their crews as active citizen scientists. The Maccaferri Futura project addresses this challenge by exploring how small racing sailboats can be equipped as affordable, effective monitoring platforms. A Class40 yacht was outfitted with low-cost sensors and micro-sampling devices co-developed with scientific and industrial partners. These tools, integrated directly with onboard navigation systems, allow non-experts to collect oceanographic parameters such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and pH, as well as water and air samples to detect contaminants and marine-emitted molecules. Designed for simplicity, robustness, and compatibility the case study demonstrates how collaboration between stakeholders is essential in bringing citizen science to the next level, embedding into maritime sports and industries, and creating pathways for broader uptake by the sailing community and beyond. The impact of the project lies not only in generating new datasets but in showing that ocean observation can become a natural extension of boating itself. By lowering barriers to participation, Maccaferri Futura highlights how professional offshore sailing can help close data gaps and support collective action for ocean protection.

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Poster Short Abstract

We study the spatial pattern in iNaturalist observations across four different cities from the Global North and South. Our finding shows that while some patterns are similar, the spatial biases are not the same across cities, and are rather context-based.

Poster Abstract

We explore the spatial biases in biodiversity observations on iNaturalist across four cities, representing both the Global South (Colombo, Sri Lanka; La Paz, Bolivia) and the Global North (Greater London, UK; San Francisco Bay Area, USA). We ask if the data patterns we observe in different areas are the same, and if they are impacted by common factors such as population density and environmental factors. In our study, we try to understand whether the observations are randomly distributed, shaped by population density, or influenced by the presence/extent of green and blue spaces (factors that are noted in the literature). We present three models: (1) a random baseline to identify initial “hot” and “cold” spots of observations; (2) a population-based model to understand the influence of population density on contributions; and (3) a mixed model combining population density with the presence of green and blue spaces, to test our main hypothesis. Using the chi-square test, the observed (actual) value is compared to the expected values for each model, and the Pearson correlation is used to assess relationships between observations, population density, and green/blue space.

Our findings show that while certain patterns are similar across cities, biases vary across cities by context. In some cities, the hotspots are driven by green/blue spaces, while in other cities it is driven by single-user behavior. These results show that spatial biases are created by both environmental factors (green/blue space) and social factors (users' behavior).

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Poster Short Abstract

The Israel Center for Citizen Science (ICCS), launched at the Steinhardt Museum in 2025, builds national infrastructure to connect projects, support biodiversity research and public engagement, and foster collaboration. We share ICCS journey to a hub linking science, education, and community.

Poster Abstract

Natural history museums, with their long-standing collaboration with amateur naturalists, are uniquely positioned to lead and support Citizen science initiatives. The Israel Center for Citizen Science (ICCS) was launched in 2025 at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, after five years of planning and development. The Center was established to strengthen public engagement in science and biodiversity conservation by creating a national network and infrastructure to support citizen science initiatives.

ICCS was created to address the fragmented landscape of Israeli citizen science, where diverse projects operated independently without shared infrastructure or national support. The center provides technological, scientific, and social frameworks to sustain and connect projects, enhance data quality, and broaden participation. Its foundation is built on four themes—technology, science, society, and management—developed through stakeholder engagement, needs assessments, and international best practices.

At its core, ICCS established a national biodiversity data infrastructure based on the open-source Living Atlas platform, integrating Israeli projects with global standards and repositories. It also created a catalog of over 40 projects, providing visibility, shared resources, and opportunities for collaboration. Training programs support students, project leaders, and the wider public, while the center directly facilitates flagship initiatives such as the Backyard Bird Count , and the School Nature Challenge project.

Through these efforts, ICCS bridges research, education, and community action. It serves as a model for building sustainable national networks in citizen science, ensuring that public participation contributes to scientific discovery, conservation, and societal resilience.

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Poster Short Abstract

Marine Citizen Science in offshore sailing shows strong potential to enhance the global observing system. Key findings from this thesis stress collaboration between sailors and scientists, structured training, and coordinated frameworks to improve data quality, engagement, and long-term impact.

Poster Abstract

Marine Citizen Science (MCS) in offshore professional sailing presents a novel opportunity to strengthen ocean knowledge and contribute to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). Offshore racing vessels access remote and under-sampled regions that are often logistically and financially challenging for traditional research, making them valuable “vessels of opportunity.” This study combines literature analysis and stakeholder interviews to explore how MCS can be embedded in high-performance sailing, identifying leverage points and systemic challenges.

Findings show that stronger collaboration and mutual understanding between sailors and scientists are essential to improve data quality, usability of tools, and long-term engagement. Professional sailors take on a dual role: as data collectors deploying autonomous instruments and as storytellers who can communicate ocean issues to broad audiences. Boundary organizations—such as sailing classes, NGOs, and EU projects—emerge as critical actors linking science, sport, and institutions. Success factors include clear communication from the outset, structured training programs, timely scientific support, and early integration of equipment within race logistics.

However, the current MCS landscape in professional sailing remains fragmented and largely ad hoc. To achieve greater impact, initiatives must move toward coordinated, well-resourced frameworks with standardized protocols and governance. Such systemic approaches can enhance scientific legitimacy, reduce redundancy, and ensure continuity across events and campaigns. By bridging elite sport, technology, and citizen science, offshore sailing has the potential to become a key contributor to global ocean observing and a catalyst for public engagement with marine conservation.

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Poster Short Abstract

This study examines how China's digital citizen science platforms reach hard-to-reach groups and influence their participation. While these platforms potentially enhance access through technology, lack of outreach and usability issues hinder full participation, especially from remote areas.

Poster Abstract

This study explores how China's digital citizen science platforms, such as Wild Friends (YePengYou), BioGrid (ShengMingWangGe), and TingJianWanWu, reach hard-to-reach groups, and how these platforms influence their participation and promote fairness. Using a combination of the walkthrough method (Light, 2018) and textual analysis of media reports, the study finds that the platforms’ technological infrastructure, leveraging mobile Internet, AI technology, and commercial funding, has made it easier for hard-to-reach groups to participate. These resources potentially enhance access and provide greater inclusivity in citizen science projects, allowing previously excluded populations to engage. However, despite these advancements, participation remains concentrated in major cities, with rural or remote populations significantly underrepresented. This geographic imbalance can be attributed to insufficient outreach efforts, ineffective communication channels, and low public awareness, which limit the impact of the platforms in less accessible areas. Another significant finding is the affordance of the platforms. The lack of clear guidance and user-friendly interfaces makes it difficult for non-expert users to engage meaningfully, particularly those from hard-to-reach groups. This research highlights the need for a more nuanced approach to inclusivity, focusing not just on the technological potential but also on addressing the socio-technical barriers that limit access for hard-to-reach groups.

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Poster Short Abstract

This project examines the presence and distribution of the non-native freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii in the United Kingdom using citizen science, historical records, and molecular analysis to determine the genetic lineage of the UK's population(s) compared to other occurrences globally.

Poster Abstract

The freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii is a widespread non-native species found in many locations globally. However, due to sporadic appearances of medusae and the cryptic nature of other life cycle stages, a complete picture of its distribution remains uncertain. Native to China, C. sowerbii was first reported in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1880 in the Royal Botanic Garden, Regent's Park, London. Since then, there have been few reports of C. sowerbii in the UK over the last 140 years. Although harmless to people, C. sowerbii may impact other local freshwater zooplankton and potentially fish recruitment, so understanding their abundance and distribution is valuable. This research is compiling reports on the currently known distribution of freshwater jellyfish in the UK by examining the historical literature, museum collections, and citizen science observations. Despite infrequent sightings, we predict that C. sowerbii is more widely distributed in the UK than is currently known.

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Poster Short Abstract

The poster explores public engagement activities and showcases ways to involve students, educators, municipalities and other stakeholders in monitoring and combating marine pollution. It will showcase project results, such as the Toolkit for Social Impact and a playful, multilingual schoolbook.

Poster Abstract

The iMermaid project addresses the challenge of chemical pollution in the Mediterranean Sea through three pillars: prevention, monitoring, and remediation. The poster focuses on the prevention pillar and the project's societal impact efforts through participatory tools that promote awareness and empower communities to act.

To foster public engagement and agency—especially among youth—the iMermaid project developed the Toolkit for Social Impact, as well as the iMERMAID Schooling workbook:

The toolkit provides a set of participatory methods and educational resources for diverse audiences, including residents in the iMERMAID use case regions (Cyprus, Spain, Italy, Greece, Tunisia), regional stakeholders (e.g., local authorities, utilities, industry), and educators. It offers a scalable model for community-driven prevention of chemical pollution. Future plans include expanding its use and refining its content based on feedback, strengthening the role of education and participation in safeguarding the Mediterranean Sea. For a more interactive poster session, some of the tools will be demonstrated (e.g. Lego Serious Play, Deep Democracy).

The schooling workbook is a multilingual (English, Spanish, Italian, Greek and French), interactive resource featuring 16 “missions” that guide students to observe their environment, conduct experiments, and take action. As part of the workbook, iMERMAID has developed a reward system for participants in the different missions. For each completed mission, students earn starfish “badges” to promote participation. The success of the reward system will be further explored on the poster. Finally, best-practices and learnings from the implementation of the schoolbook and toolkit will be presented, including the Cyprus 2024 Summer School.

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Poster Short Abstract

The project aims to democratise knowledge production. With the poster we seek input on how to turn knowledge from the periphery into research questions, connect them with researchers, and foster fruitful collaborations.

Poster Abstract

With the project “’Spychere!’ – Knowledge from here from yesterday until tomorrow’, the Chüechlihus Regional Museum in Langnau (Switzerland) and Schweiz forscht as project partners aim to democratise the production of museum knowledge and investigate how existing museum knowledge can be expanded in a participatory manner. Langnau lies in the Emmental, a rural area on the periphery of Switzerland’s capital Bern. The project is in its early stages, and we want to gather opinions and experiences from the citizen science community using an interactive poster. Around ten people from the region will collaborate as co-researchers, representing different areas of knowledge – historical and contemporary, local and global, cultural and nature-related. Objects from the museum's collection, selected not only by specialists, serve as the starting point. They serve as inspiration for the public to share their knowledge, which will be gathered and analysed by the co-researchers. By valuing local knowledge in this way, we are also adopting a UNESCO Open Science recommendation. In order to make this knowledge, generated in the periphery, relevant for research, we are looking for inputs on how to develop research questions out of it, how to bring these to researchers and how to create fruitful collaboration out of them.

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Poster Short Abstract

This poster presents SHORE’s collaborative model and key outcomes, showing how engaging schools and citizens across diverse regions fosters sustainability, inclusion, and supports the European Mission Ocean goals through citizen science and ocean literacy.

Poster Abstract

he SHORE project (Horizon Europe Mission Ocean, Grant No. 101112815) demonstrates how citizen science and ocean literacy can be powerful tools to connect diverse communities — from urban centres to peripheral and inland regions — with ocean sustainability.

SHORE establishes a network of 10 Country Hubs and more than 50 Blue Schools across Europe, engaging students, teachers, and citizens in hands-on scientific activities. Through simple experiments, local water quality monitoring, plastic waste tracking, and creative art-science workshops, participants become active citizen scientists contributing to collective ocean knowledge.

The project’s participatory approach bridges geographic, cultural, and socio-economic divides by empowering both coastal and landlocked regions to understand their shared role in ocean stewardship. By integrating education, science, and creativity, SHORE nurtures environmental awareness, promotes data sharing, and strengthens collaboration between local communities and European research initiatives.

This presentation showcases SHORE’s key methodologies, outcomes, and lessons learned in fostering inclusive citizen science practices. It highlights how connecting central and peripheral communities through education and engagement contributes to Mission Ocean objectives — improving ocean health, supporting the Blue Economy, and empowering the next generation of ocean-literate citizens.

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Poster Short Abstract

Citizen participation in conservation builds lasting awareness and action. Before-and-after studies show volunteers in wildlife monitoring gain stronger values, attitudes, and behaviours for conservation, fostering long-term responsibility and commitment to protecting nature.

Poster Abstract

An essential challenge in addressing both local and global conservation issues is how to effectively engage local stakeholders in conservation efforts. Citizen science has emerged as a valuable tool to complement professionally based monitoring while also promoting public participation in biodiversity conservation. However, limited research has systematically reviewed the extent to which participation in monitoring programmes influences local communities’ attitudes toward conservation. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that societal engagement in wildlife monitoring fosters conservation awareness and encourages positive values, attitudes, and behaviours toward biodiversity protection. To explore this, we conducted a global systematic review of studies published between 1995 and 2023. A total of 56 case studies were analyzed, representing four vertebrate groups across 16 countries worldwide. The most notable monitoring initiatives were conducted in the United States and Australia, with birds being the most frequently monitored taxonomic group. Among monitoring metrics, population trends were the most commonly assessed. Our findings show that involving local volunteers in monitoring programmes can positively influence awareness, values, attitudes, and behaviours toward conservation. Evidence from before-and-after assessments highlights that citizen participation can foster long-term conservation consciousness and willingness to act on conservation issues. Importantly, this positive effect is closely linked to supportive measures such as training, access to monitoring materials, and financial incentives, which enhance local engagement and build trust. Overall, this study underscores the importance of fostering collaborative relationships with local stakeholders to ensure the long-term success of biodiversity conservation through wildlife monitoring initiatives.

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Poster Short Abstract

This poster showcases the role and importance of Practices in Marine Citizen Science, and the support the Ocean Best Practices System can provide for standardization and dissemination, in the scope of Horizon Europe project CS-MACH1.

Poster Abstract

Marine Citizen Science (MCS) is a cost-effective research approach which engages the public in the production of marine scientific knowledge. It supports the collection of valuable data contributing to the better understanding of our ocean - and thus to its conservation. However, the diversity and fragmentation of MCS methods and practices create a challenge for interoperability, scalability, and data uptake.

This poster highlights success stories of practices in MCS in enhancing the effectiveness, replicability, and credibility of MCS initiatives.

The Ocean Best Practices System (OBPS) comprises technological solutions and community approaches to enhance management of methods and support the development of best practices. The OBPS includes a persistent document repository, a peer-reviewed journal research topic, and training in the creation and use of practices.

OBPS offers a space to MCS initiatives to collect and gather best practices, methods and guidelines through a dedicated community on the platform, jointly with the European Citizen Science Association, covering various themes and regions. OBPS also provides document templates for citizen science practice descriptions, to support format and content harmonization. To foster its role in MCS, the OBPS will host methods and practices collected in the framework of Horizon Europe project CS-MACH1, which brings together MCS stakeholders, including practitioners, researchers, and technology developers, and supports them in mutual learning and information sharing.

Embedding practices into the life cycle of MCS projects early on is essential for maximizing scientific, societal, and policy impact – this poster demonstrates how the OBPS framework can facilitate safeguarding that requirement.

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Poster Short Abstract

Citizen science has long traditions in geophysics that go back to 1846. The development of technology has opened new possibilities both in communicating and running observation campaigns. We’ve moved from letter in horseback into an era of digital communication and collaborative databases.

Poster Abstract

The mechanism behind the formation of the Northern Lights remained a mystery for most of the 19th century. There were few instruments available to observe their formation and occurrence. Multiple observers across the country could gather information of aurora displays reliably by-passing local cloud covers.

In the 19th century, in a society largely based on agriculture, the people’s ability to write was still limited. Thus, personnel from parsonages and sea captains were regarded as capable observers. Through letter campaigns, more accurate statistics on the occurrence of the Northern Lights could be obtained. Interpreting the non-homogeneous observation data was considered time-consuming.

In the 20th century, technological advancements brought new communication methods within reach of more people. Mail was delivered faster by car, and having a radio receiver in the corner of the home was no longer uncommon. Radio also gave households the opportunity to set the time precisely.

During the International Geophysical Year (1957–1959), numerous research organizations in different countries launched observation campaigns targeting especially members of astronomical societies, radio amateurs, and pilots.

Gradually, from the 1950s onward, film cameras became more common in homes, and even hobbyists well-versed in photography could capture auroras. It wasn’t until the spread of digital cameras in the 2000s that a true golden age of photographing natural phenomena began.

The rise of the internet in the late 1990s accelerated the sharing of observation data, and today, several digital observation databases are already in use. In Finland, Taivaanvahti/Skywarden -site modernized the collection of aurora observations.

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Poster Short Abstract

Old cemeteries are valuable biodiversity refuges. This project establishes an iNaturalist to document species, bridge knowledge gaps. By linking ecological preservation to restoration of spiritual traditions, we aim to create a sustainable management model for these cultural-natural heritage sites.

Poster Abstract

Anthropogenic activities have led to a significant loss of natural habitats in the world over the last few centuries and in Ukraine. Grand-scale destruction of steppe ecosystems curried in the Soviet era in Ukraine, while today steppe remnants have survived on only 1% of this territory. Steppe flora is preserved mainly in protected areas, ravines, gullies, river terraces, sea cliffs and cultural heritage sites.

Recently, studies in different countries have recognized the natural value of old cemeteries and other cultural heritage sites.

Old cemeteries have a challenges in preserving the biodiversity of is the elimination of these sites, repurposing of the land, reburials and absent a management plan. Since preservation and spirituality are closely intertwined in, it is believed that the restoration of deteriorated sacred and spiritual traditions of local communities contributes to the preservation of natural flora (Löki et al. 2019).

684 vascular plant species were recorded in the flora of 50 old cemeteries. We recorded 65 protected vascular plant species, according to the Resolution 6 of the Berne Convention (Revised .. 1998), the Red Data Book of Ukraine (Didukh 2009) and regional red lists regions (Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council 2011; Kherson Regional Council 2013; Mykolaiv Regional Council 2012; Odesa Regional Council 2011).

The establishment of a citizen science project on iNaturalist has been undertaken with the objective of both removing this potential gap and facilitating knowledge sharing.

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Poster Short Abstract

The Flemish knowledge center for citizen science, Scivil, is developing a global repository of citizen science initiatives in freshwater management and hydrology. The platform is now live and with this poster, we aim to engage the community in sharing their project and experiences on the platform.

Poster Abstract

This repository will (a) allow policy makers to consolidate knowledge from existing water management and hydrology projects from around the world, (b) facilitate researchers and project initiators to develop new or optimize current citizen science projects in water management and hydrology, and (c) identify gaps in current citizen science and water practices.

The repository will be an online platform created for and by the community of actors working citizen science and water and will be embedded in the UNESCO IHP-IX program. It is created using a co-creative approach to make sure it offers an added value for those that will be using it. Throughout a series of workshops, different needs from the community have been captured and are used as a basis for the development of the platform.

With this poster, we like to (a) showcase the platform, and (b) gather input from the European citizen science community on their projects and on potential opportunities and barriers they see to benefit from the platform on the longer term.

The project Citizens4Water is funded by the Flemish Government (Belgium) and takes place withing the UNESCO IHP-IX program.

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Poster Short Abstract

CoMMSenso empowers citizens through composting, sensors, and an open, replicable architecture, democratizing monitoring and transforming waste into resources. Merging science and art, it turns environmental data into abstract images, fostering sustainability and social engagement.

Poster Abstract

In the context of the Anthropocene and the climate emergency, citizen science emerges as an essential tool to expand environmental knowledge, particularly in places where traditional monitoring is scarce. CoMMSenso: Awareness, Hands-on Practice, and Sensors with Organic Waste Composting exemplifies how accessible technology and community participation can generate relevant data and foster a more inclusive science, while uniting science and art by transforming data into abstract images of cultural engagement.

The project focuses on organic waste composting, converting refuse into fertilizer and empowering citizens as active environmental monitors. Its proposal is articulated around three axes: (i) Awareness, through educational activities on composting; (ii) Hands-on Practice, involving direct community engagement; and (iii) Sensors, the technological core of the project.

In this last axis, ESP32 hardware, the MQTT protocol, and REST APIs are employed for real-time monitoring and scalable data storage. The distinctive feature lies in a democratizing approach: anyone can configure and operate sensors, access results, and participate in data collection without technical barriers, thereby strengthening participatory monitoring. Moreover, it innovates by converting numerical data into abstract images, broadening access to science and establishing bridges between ecology, society, and culture.

With an open, flexible, and replicable architecture applicable to different contexts (air quality, water, noise, among others), CoMMSenso broadens impact, democratizes innovation, and strengthens community resilience, illustrating how technology and art can come together in pursuit of a sustainable future.

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Poster Short Abstract

Our poster presents findings from interviews with Laurea staff working on citizen-inclusive RDI projects. It explores what citizen participation entails and how Laurea’s information and publication services can support it through training, educational materials, publishing, and libraries.

Poster Abstract

In 2024–2025, Laurea staff working on citizen-inclusive RDI projects were interviewed to explore how information and publication services could support citizen participation. The interviews provided insights into what citizen involvement in RDI entails and highlighted areas where expert support is needed.

Identified support needs included training for citizen experts, co-researchers, and service design participants. Essential topics for capacity building include data management, research ethics, data protection, information literacy, data analysis, academic writing, and science literacy. Developing accessible educational materials on these themes is crucial for enabling meaningful participation.

Open and inclusive publishing practices were also emphasized. Providing access to educational materials, datasets, and RDI research infrastructures supports transparency and shared knowledge creation. These resources should be made available in formats that are understandable and usable by diverse audiences.

Library spaces were identified as valuable environments for increasing the visibility of RDI work and promoting citizen engagement. Both Laurea’s own library and public libraries can serve as platforms for showcasing research and facilitating interaction between citizens and researchers.

Overall, the interviews revealed that information and publication services have a strategic role in supporting citizen participation in RDI. Through training, educational materials, open publishing, and library-based engagement, Laurea can strengthen inclusive research practices and empower citizens to contribute meaningfully to development work.

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Poster Short Abstract

Reflective processes showed that co-research in health literacy empowered adolescents through co-decision, trust, youth-friendly language, and flexibility. Creative, interactive methods work best, while careful preparation and reflection help address sensitive topics and ensure meaningful engagement

Poster Abstract

Introduction

Joint reflection by researchers and adolescents is key in co-research to address power dynamics, ensure meaningful participation, and improve the quality and relevance of findings. The KoKo-Health project employed a co-research approach with adolescents to develop a health literacy model from youth perspectives and to analyse the applicability of different co-research methods. Young co-researchers selected and implemented various methods including workshops, interviews, focus groups, photovoice, and surveys.

Objectives

This study examined reflection outcomes from youth and adult co-researchers to address: What are the experiences, facilitators, and barriers of co-research in health literacy? How applicable are various co-research methods when working with adolescents?

Methods

Continuous reflection processes were conducted using a self-developed checklist with young co-researchers, adult co-researchers, and supervisory staff. Data collection included focus groups, interviews, thought protocols, surveys, and feedback forms after individual activities and at regular intervals.

Results

The checklist comprised four dimensions: context, collaboration, processes, and impact. Findings show that engagement increases when adolescents co-decide on topics, methods, and communication. Trustful relationships, youth-friendly language, and flexible processes and methods are essential. Co-research with vulnerable groups or sensitive topics requires careful preparation and debriefing. Facilitators include adolescent-friendly communication channels, fair compensation, and adaptable timelines. Barriers include bureaucratic consent forms and risks of over- or under-involvement. Creative methods such as photovoice, peer exchange, and persona-building strengthen interaction, reflection, and motivation.

Conclusion

Co-research with adolescents in health literacy requires preparation, flexibility, and continuous reflection. Self-determination and creative methodological approaches are key success factors

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Poster Short Abstract

In order to make complex biotechnological topics more accessible to students and the general public, a team of 50 researchers used audiovisual media. By breaking down barriers to interdisciplinary science, it promotes broader participation and early engagement as key tenets of citizen science.

Poster Abstract

Citizen science is often associated with public participation in data collection and fieldwork, but its foundation begins with how science is learned and who has access to understanding complex scientific systems. In this context, education itself becomes a critical but often overlooked dimension of citizen science.

In Germany, an interdisciplinary network of 50 early carrier and experienced researchers has collaboratively developed a novel audiovisual curriculum to make biotechnology more accessible to students and learners. Biotechnology, a key sector for sustainable innovation in food, pharmaceuticals, and green chemistry, demands cross-disciplinary understanding. However, the general public and many students struggle with the complex interface between life sciences, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

By creating media rich learning modules and ondemand workshops, the project redefines science education as an inclusive, participatory space. Early career scientists contributed digital innovations, while experienced scientists contributed their expertise, reflecting the collaborative spirit of citizen science. The curriculum enables learners to better understand processes, tools and workflows, empowering them to become more confident and competent participants in scientific investigations.

This work positions education as an important entry point for expanding the outreach and diversity of citizen science. It encourages a broader discussion about how we can prepare and empower the next generation of contributors, not only as students but also as citizen scientists, through science communication.

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Poster Short Abstract

Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) is considered a glacial relict species in Finland. We used environmental DNA to map the presence of unknown populations of arctic charr in eastern Lapland. Citizen scientists collected water samples from 94 water bodies. The study was more successful than expected.

Poster Abstract

When the continental ice sheet began to retreat, ice lakes formed at its edges, such as the Salla Ice Lake in eastern Finnish Lapland. As the lake receded, smaller water bodies formed in its area, enclosing organisms such as the cold- and deep-water species arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus), an example of a glacial relict in this area. In this research, we used the environmental DNA (eDNA) to investigate whether unknown relict populations of arctic charr exist in the waters of eastern Lapland.

We used citizen science to collect water samples from 94 waterbodies. We recruited participants through a press release posted on the University of Oulu webpages and several national newspapers. We defined the research area, but within it, we allowed citizens to choose the water bodies themselves, ensuring that no pond or lake was sampled twice. Easy-to-use equipment, rubber gloves, and instructions were posted to citizen scientists. In return for their work, the participants will receive eDNA mapping results of the water bodies they sampled. The study ended up being more successful than we expected, and more people were willing to collect samples than we had equipment for, thus showing high public interest in participating in fish eDNA sampling.

We did not find any new relict populations of arctic charr, but we confirmed their existence in known ponds. These few ponds must be protected urgently before the relict charr disappears.

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Poster Short Abstract

OpenRadiation is a platform aiming at fostering public engagement in radiation measurements in the environment. This provides complementary data for environmental monitoring and is a useful tool for pedagogic purposes.

Poster Abstract

Following the Fukushima accident, public demand grew for accessible ways to measure and share ambient radioactivity data. The OpenRadiation project started in 2013 in this context of a growing demand, especially from people living in the vicinity of French nuclear power plants. The Openradiation platform was officially launched in January 2017, using an open source and open data approach; It is composed of three interacting elements:

• Calibrated detectors, able to detect low-level, environmental gamma rays.

• A smartphone app to drive the detectors and to collect metadata (Date, time, GPS location, altitude)

• A website with an interactive map where all the data are published. This web site is also an exchange platform for users.

The aim of the OpenRadiation project is to empowers the public to measure environmental dose where and when they want. In routine conditions, the project complements existing environmental monitoring data, strengthens radiation background knowledge, triggers alerts if issues arise, and promotes public education through clear, accessible information. During emergencies, it delivers spontaneous, real-time data to support crisis management and public communication and may be useful in supporting the development of a practical radiation protection culture.

Developed through a partnership between scientific organizations and public associations, the platform gathers over 360 users which have contributed more than 1,000,000 measurements, fostering transparency and community engagement in radiation monitoring.

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Poster Short Abstract

IT sourcing partnerships often fail because early signs of misalignment go unnoticed. This project combines Action Design Research with Citizen Science principles, engaging practitioners in co-creating a methodology to detect and act on early warning signals before they escalate.

Poster Abstract

IT sourcing partnerships are meant to provide flexibility and innovation for organizations, yet many fail because early signs of misalignment go unnoticed and escalate into costly breakdowns. Existing research mostly explains such failures retrospectively, offering little guidance for timely intervention. This project develops a methodology to detect and interpret early warning signals in real time.

The approach integrates Action Design Research (ADR) with Citizen Science (CS) principles. ADR structures iterative cycles of design, testing, and evaluation in organizational settings, ensuring rigor and theoretical grounding. CS brings in participatory knowledge production: practitioners work as co-researchers, shaping questions, co-designing tools, and interpreting results. Unlike many CS projects involving the public, this study adapts CS principles to professional communities, showing how collaboration with practitioners can advance both science and practice.

Grounded in Schön’s concept of reflective practice, the project emphasizes learning through cycles of action and reflection. Practitioners’ involvement ensures that the methodology is context-sensitive, interpretable, and directly applicable in practise.

The contributions are threefold:

1. Methodological: a co-research framework that combines ADR and CS in organizational studies.

2. Theoretical: extending governance and reflective practice theories toward proactive misalignment detection.

3. Practical: a transferable methodology that helps organizations identify and address misalignments before they escalate.

By positioning organizational research as an unconventional dimension of citizen science, this project extends CS beyond its usual domains while showing how participatory approaches in professional communities enrich ADR and support resilient, sustainable IT sourcing partnerships.

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Poster Short Abstract

ScienceUs fosters citizen science via a Europe-wide competition that selects scalable and impactful projects for climate adaptation and policy integration.

Poster Abstract

The ScienceUs project has pioneered an innovative approach to identifying and promoting citizen science initiatives aligned with the EU Mission “Adaptation to Climate Change.” Central to this effort was the organization of a Europe-wide competition aimed at selecting the most relevant and impactful ongoing citizen science projects that could contribute to climate resilience and adaptation strategies after their upscaling.

The presentation will outline the key elements (e.g., selection criteria, dissemination, and evaluation process), challenges (e.g., competition with other funding schemes, diverse project maturity), and lessons learned (e.g., supporting diversity) from the competition process.

The presentation will raise critical questions: What defines relevance in the context of climate adaptation and citizen science? Which criteria best capture scientific value, community engagement, scalability, and policy impact? How can priority topics—such as urban heat, water management, coastal resilience, biodiversity loss, and social vulnerability—be effectively integrated into the selection framework? Who must be the target of dissemination activities?

The competition design involved a multi-stage evaluation process that combined expert review with participatory assessment and climate adaptation background from the ScienceUs project and from the Stakeholder Advisory Board. Challenges included balancing scientific rigor with inclusivity, ensuring geographic and thematic diversity, and aligning with EU Mission objectives. The experience highlighted the importance of transparent criteria, clear communication, and capacity-building support for applicants.

It demonstrated the potential of citizen science to inform climate adaptation policies and empower communities, while revealing the need for sustained support and strategic scaling of successful initiatives.

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Poster Short Abstract

Citizen scientists were involved in co-creation from identifying the research question to testing methods and collecting data. Citizen scientists monitored water quality at sewer overflows on 25 locations in the Netherlands. The results are used to empower the citizens as water quality lobbyists.

Poster Abstract

Urban waters face a lot of pressures including eutrophication, micro-pollutants and altered habitat structure, yet Dutch urban waters remain mostly unmonitored under the Water Framework Directive. At the same time, many societal actors, i.e. municipalities, water authorities, and nearby residents interact with these systems. Our co-created study investigates the impact of sewer overflows on urban aquatic ecosystems through a participatory citizen science approach. Together with 45 citizen scientists, we developed the research question, refined methods, and monitored 25 sewer overflows across Dutch cities. The research question is: Can we find indicators of undesirable water quality conditions due to sewer overflows in urban waters using a high-level participatory citizen science approach? The citizen scientists investigated on a bi-weekly to monthly basis a broad range of water quality parameters such as Secchi and sediment depth, plant coverage, decomposition, suspended solids and macro-invertebrates. They also collected water samples to determine nutrient content in the water. During seasonal visits we measured pH, conductivity, turbidity, oxygen levels, greenhouse gas fluxes and collected samples for nutrient and micro-pollutant content. Preliminary results show that at sewer overflow locations the Secchi depth from the citizen scientists is lower compared to reference locations, confirmed by higher turbidity. The results of our study will be used by our project partner, a Dutch green NGO, to propose policy changes and/or measures and solutions. By increasing the environmental literacy of the citizen scientists, we empower the citizen scientists as water quality lobbyists to engage with their municipalities about the results.

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Poster Short Abstract

The poster aims to share experiences and discuss the strategies of the National Institute of Science and Technology in Citizen Science, in Brazil, to scientific dissemination of the citizen science’s field. Key actions include a webinar series, social media campaigns and journalistic articles.

Poster Abstract

An important stage of scientific production is its dissemination, that may include, for example, the sharing of results, the dissemination of methodology or the communication between scientists. In 2013, Sir Mark Walport, former UK Chief Scientist, said something that summarizes the importance of this step: “Science is not finished until it’s communicated.” In the field of citizen science, it could not be different. The stage of scientific dissemination is also essential to achieving certain goals: it may help engage more citizen scientists in a project or can propagate new knowledge gained through research. This work shares the experiences and strategies employed by the National Institute of Science and Technology for Citizen Science (INCC) in promoting scientific dissemination in the field of citizen science, particularly in Brazil. The Institute aims to foster the advancement of scientific and technological knowledge, with an inter and transdisciplinary character, for development, innovation and the dissemination of concepts, practices, methodologies and applications of citizen science in Brazil. INCC has seven lines of action and research. Line 5 - Social Dissemination and Policy Support focuses on promoting communication initiatives and disseminating the results and activities developed. Among the strategies developed by Line 5 are the following initiatives, which will be presented in this poster: The webinar series “Diálogos em Ciência Cidadã”, streamed on YouTube; The series “Dicas do INCC”, published on social media, especially Instagram; Short videos production for Instagram (Reels) and YouTube (Shorts); A comic book creation and Journalistic articles for the Institute’s blog.

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Poster Short Abstract

Citizen science in Serbia is in its formative years, mostly clustered around two major University centers. This poster presents CPN’s efforts to decentralize, build regional hubs, and create sustainable frameworks to foster inclusive citizen science across the country.

Poster Abstract

Citizen science (CS) in Serbia is still in its formative stage, with the majority of initiatives concentrated in Belgrade and Novi Sad. While these projects have laid important groundwork, they also highlight a pressing need for decentralization and broader participation across the country. The Center for the Promotion of Science (CPN) has taken on the role of a national facilitator, working to establish the foundations for a more inclusive and resilient CS ecosystem.

This poster presents CPN’s strategy for the period 2025–2028, which emphasizes three key goals: (1) decentralizing citizen science by supporting the development of regional hubs and local initiatives, (2) fostering institutional and policy recognition of CS as an integral part of science communication and research, and (3) building capacity through education, training, and digital infrastructure.

By showcasing concrete steps, such as Serbia’s first open call for citizen science projects, the creation of new regional partnerships, and alignment with European best practices, the poster demonstrates both achievements and challenges in shaping a citizen science landscape in a politically and institutionally complex environment.

The poster also reflects on Serbia’s contribution to European citizen science networks and highlights opportunities for collaboration. In doing so, it invites dialogue on how decentralization, inclusivity, and sustainability can be advanced not only in Serbia but also in other countries where citizen science is emerging.

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Poster Short Abstract

Although civil servants’ views are known to hinder CS in governance, they remain underexplored. Using Q-methodology, we reveal four perspectives—Enthusiasts, Educators, Promoters, Cautious Conservatives—ranging from support to skepticism, with tailored recommendations to bridge gaps.

Poster Abstract

Citizen science (CS) can provide valuable input for public policy, but its realization depends on how key stakeholders perceive CS, which can be contradictory. We explored environmental civil servants’ perspectives on CS within Estonian environmental governance, addressing a notably under-researched stakeholder group. As we were among the first in the CS field to employ the increasingly recognized Q-methodology, we identified four distinct perspectives, which have not yet been articulated in the CS literature: Enthusiasts regard CS as pivotal for data collection, Educators prioritize public awareness, Promoters see it as enhancing organizational visibility, while Cautious Conservatives express skepticism. The study identified numerous barriers, leading to civil servants' uncertainty about leveraging CS effectively. This research is pioneering in its detailed examination of civil servant perspectives, with tailored recommendations for each viewpoint. We advocate the structured integration of CS to enrich environmental governance practices internationally, while accounting for perceived barriers of CS.

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Poster Short Abstract

How can citizen science bridge the gap between coastal climate adaptation and citizens' everyday lives? Drawing on the ClimateBlue project, we present how citizen science can generate a deeper, more meaningful understanding of citizens' experiences on the Baltic coasts of Denmark and Germany.

Poster Abstract

Climate adaptation in coastal areas poses not only technical challenges, but also complex sociopolitical ones. The impacts of climate change push communities to negotiate the (im)possibilities of coastal protection in the context of dynamically changing environmental conditions, biodiversity, livelihoods, costs, and ultimately, the values of coastal living. Conventional forms of citizen involvement, such as consultation, can be insufficient as they fail to capture what people cannot articulate: the 'unknown unknowns' of risk perception, complex relationships, everyday experiences and place-based attachments.

The Interreg project ClimateBlue aims to co-create long-term adaptation strategies for the Baltic Sea coast in Denmark and Germany in the face of future challenges, using citizen science. We combine participatory data collection (e.g. story mapping of coastal experiences, intergenerational interviews and interactive workshops) with dialogical processes. This approach enables citizens to share and reflect on their experiences and recognise the plurality of perspectives held by neighbours, local authorities, scientists and non-human coastal actors, such as local biodiversity.

Through citizen science, we aim to capture not only lived experiences and sociocultural values, but also connect the complexity of coastal climate change and adaptation (the interaction of climate, sea, land, biodiversity, science and politics) with citizens' everyday lives in coastal communities. Our poster will present the citizen science activities developed in the project, along with the initial findings and the challenges encountered. We will also discuss citizen science as a bridge between knowledge production, public engagement and coastal governance.

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Poster Short Abstract

We present a co-designed citizen science framework for snow isotope sampling in Scandinavia. A 2025 test in Norway showed high kit pick-up but relatively low returns, highlighting tensions between scale, engagement, and community. Insights will guide the larger 2026 citizen science campaign.

Poster Abstract

Snow plays a crucial role in Scandinavian water systems. Too much snow can increase the risk of flooding during rapid melts, while too little can contribute to water shortages later in the year. Understanding these extremes is vital for communities and decision-makers, but existing models struggle to capture future changes. Within the ISOSCAN project, we use water isotopes to better model how water moves through the landscape and to improve future predictions.

To gain large-scale isotope data, we co-designed a scalable citizen science framework for surface snow sampling. The framework was developed iteratively with scientists, citizens, active nature users, and representatives of the tourism and leisure sector in Tromsø, Norway, emphasizing simplicity, accessibility, and two-way interaction. In spring 2025, we conducted a first test, inviting locals and tourists engaged in winter outdoor activities to collect samples using an easy-to-use kit supported by instructions, a web form, and an outreach website.

Initial results showed that while many participants collected kits, many did not return them. Because no personal data were gathered, follow-up communication and community building proved difficult. This highlights a core tension in designing scalable frameworks: balancing reach and inclusivity with engagement, and sustained participation. To be effective, scalability must still consider ownership of the citizen science process by all those involved – citizens and facilitators. The poster will describe the design of the framework and its underlying co-design considerations, the results of the first test, and insights to guide the larger citizen science implementation planned for 2026.

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Poster Short Abstract

Citizen science can be romanticized as a low-cost approach to engaging the public and collecting data at scale. We propose a cost-benefit survey and framework to quantify the project costs and impacts to guide project managers, policymakers, and funders.

Poster Abstract

Many citizen science projects launch with the hope of engaging the public in data collection, achieving a scale and reach beyond any research team working in isolation. While the ‘crowdsourcing’ approach is compelling, it also requires significant resources with hidden costs, notably in mobilizing and maintaining volunteer involvement, developing and maintaining technological infrastructure (e.g. mobile apps), continuous engagement with the public and stakeholders, training, ensuring data quality through data management and validation, upholding ethical standards of conduct, and common ongoing management inherent in any project. Though many ‘how to’ guides for citizen science exist, these rarely catalogue what resources (personnel time, money) are required to make citizen science a success. To close this gap, we will conduct a survey of citizen science initiatives and methodologies, cataloguing costs in terms of (i) scientific capital, (ii) human capital - learning and empowerment of citizens, and (iii) project outcomes. Our results will provide a crucial baseline for would-be citizen science project managers, policymakers, and funding bodies.

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Poster Short Abstract

The Brazilian Citizen Science Network (RBCC) decentralizes debates dominated by Euro-American frameworks, promoting inclusive, Latin American perspectives. By fostering open governance and valuing diverse knowledge, it reimagines citizen science from the Global South.

Poster Abstract

The Brazilian Citizen Science Network (RBCC) was founded in 2021 as a collective initiative to foster dialogue, cooperation, and critical reflection on citizen science in Latin America, beyond the Euro-American frameworks that often dominate the field. Anchored in Brazil but regionally oriented, RBCC has consolidated itself as a network that connects academic institutions, civil society, and public agencies, while promoting diverse epistemologies and practices.

Through open governance, the Network has established a Council with rotating leadership (2023–2025; 2025–2027), developed strategic plans, and facilitated democratic participation in its decision-making processes. Its initiatives include training courses, such as the UFABC outreach course on the ethical and epistemological dilemmas of citizen science, which is explicitly decolonial-oriented and calls for inclusive, context-sensitive approaches. Moreover, RBCC has advanced institutional dialogues with public health, education, and environmental sectors, aligning citizen science with urgent societal challenges in the Global South.

By promoting transparency (e.g., through publicly available governance documents), knowledge co-production, and critical debates on power asymmetries, RBCC contributes to rebalancing the global discussion of citizen science. The Network demonstrates how citizen science can serve as a bridge between centres and peripheries, not only geographically but epistemologically, by valuing Indigenous knowledge systems, community practices, and historically marginalized voices.

We argue that RBCC exemplifies how citizen science can be reimagined from the South, reshaping global narratives and fostering more equitable and plural forms of knowledge production.

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Poster Short Abstract

The ECODOC project engages citizens through slam poetry workshops on forest ecology, promoting dialogue, knowledge sharing, and participatory democracy.

Poster Abstract

The ECODOC citizen science project asked itself how citizens could be truly integrated into the project. We hypothesized that engagement depended on the possibility of appropriating the subject, of allowing for a personal and unique interpretation that would enable participants to grasp it according to their own concerns. Our aim was therefore to encourage the expression of all existing points of view on the research topic, to reject asymmetries of power and knowledge (Owen, 2023), and ultimately to engage our project in a form of dialogical democracy (Callon et al., 2014).

Because the relationship between the arts and sciences has long shown that their synergies play a social role in both scientific transmission and the renewal of the imagination, we decided to use poetry as a tool for reformulating the scientific narrative, enabling the encounter and dialogue between emotions, ideas, and knowledge. To this end, we have set up, in partnership with the slam association Street Def Records, “science slam” writing workshops and invited participants to write slam texts based on the research data of forest ecology researchers as a prerequisite for joint research work on access to scientific information on forests.

This poster will be an opportunity to present these scientific data slam workshops and share the initial results in terms of collective creation.

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Poster Short Abstract

Natural history museums can mobilize citizens for biodiversity monitoring through citizen science. Based on a visitor survey in Berlin, we identify distinct audience groups and discuss strategies to foster inclusive engagement, strengthen participation, and reduce barriers.

Poster Abstract

Natural history museums operate at the interface of science, society, policy, and conservation, providing a unique platform to engage broad audiences in biodiversity issues. They hold particular potential to mobilize citizens for participation in biodiversity monitoring through citizen science. While citizen science has gained recognition in research and policy, and its value for nature conservation is increasingly acknowledged, public awareness and active participation remain uneven, with many demographic groups not yet reached.

To better understand engagement opportunities and barriers, we conducted a comprehensive visitor survey at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin with over 200 participants. The study explored the extent to which citizen science in nature conservation is known and actively practiced, and which factors influence involvement. We examined demographic characteristics alongside key dimensions such as interest in nature, connectedness to nature, conservation knowledge, and previous experience with citizen science. In addition, we assessed perceptions of motivation, self-efficacy, and barriers to participation.

Our findings point to distinct audience groups that can be characterized by these dimensions. Building on this, we further analyze demographic backgrounds and the specific needs, potentials, and challenges of these groups. Based on these results, we offer strategies and recommendations for natural history museums to foster inclusive engagement, strengthen participation, and reduce barriers.

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Poster Short Abstract

Urban wildlife, here hedgehogs and badgers, face unique challenges in cities. Using citizen science data from Vienna, 356 hedgehog and 918 badger sightings (2012–2023) were analyzed. Habitat use varied by slope and land type, with hedgehogs avoiding areas with badgers present.

Poster Abstract

Urban environments present unique challenges and opportunities for wildlife species, with some adapting successfully to these habitats. Understanding the distribution and habitat preferences of urban wildlife is crucial to mitigate potential conflicts with humans and their pets. This study examines the spatial ecology of European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus or E. roumanicus) and badgers (Meles meles) in Vienna, Austria, using data from two citizen science projects: stadtwildtiere.at and roadkill.at. The study area, Vienna, is home to two million residents and consists of 50% green space. Between 2012 and 2023, 356 hedgehog and 918 badger sightings were reported. Both species were frequently observed in areas with a mix of built-up spaces and green habitats, such as meadows and shrubs, but were less common in arable land, likely due to reduced food availability, avoidance of open terrain and reduced detectability by citizen scientists. Slope influenced the two species differently: hedgehog sightings declined with increasing slope, while badger sightings increased in sloped areas with moderate urbanization. Interestingly, hedgehogs were rarely reported in areas where badgers were present, suggesting potential spatial avoidance or competition. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of citizen science in monitoring urban wildlife and provides valuable insights into species-specific habitat use and interactions.

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Poster Short Abstract

Bibliometric mapping shows citizen science thematic structures in academic literature related with underrepresented groups in Digital Humanities and GLAM, through keyword co-occurrence analysis of 3,250 records across digital humanities and GLAM sectors.

Poster Abstract

Academic literature searches related with citizen science and participatory approaches, face challenges due to heterogeneous and incompatible disciplinary taxonomies across academic databases. Traditional searches in Scopus and Web of Science yield incomplete or overly broad results despite conceptually sound queries. This study employs bibliometric scientific mapping (using SciMAT) based on term co-occurrence patterns to reveal their latent structures and overcome these limitations. The citizen science and co-creation focus contributes to future literature systematic reviews while maintaining its richness and multidisciplinarity.

The methodology built a representative sample using strategic search equations with focused, proximity, and broad operators (W/n, NEAR/n, wild cards *, field-specific labels) for metadata extraction from Scopus (2,657 records) and Web of Science (613 records) from 2014–2025, yielding 3,250 unique records after deduplication. After systematic refinement, the thematic network generated (14,151 nodes and 231,319 edges), was analyzed into two five-year periods (2014–2019 and 2020–2025). It was built based on bibliometrics of 45,650 retrieved and normalized keyword co-occurrences and clustering algorithms, ensuring thematic coverage while minimizing bias through manual selection. Results focused on thematic positioning of citizen science topics, co-occurrence patterns of marginalized communities within the dataset. A better understanding of academic production allows literature reviews to analyze the complexity of promoting inclusive and equitable public spheres. They can also address representational gaps in data usage and information retrieval, particularly concerning women, intersectionalities, and underrepresented groups. For the conditions to ensure engagement, meaningful and plurivocal digital solutions are necessary to emerge them with the appropriate social contexts.

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Poster Short Abstract

The project aims to empower Social Economy Organizations (SEOs) to carry out Engaged Research (ER). It addresses the needs of workers-employees of SEOs to carry out ER, enhancing skills and visibility to tackle urgent societal challenges and adapt vocational education to labor market needs.

Poster Abstract

The current societal challenges demand for solutions that are not only developed within and by academics but are co-created with the deep and meaningful partnerships between Social Economy Organizations and research organisations/academia. However, a significant skills gap often prevents non-academic organisations, such as SEOs, from engaging in impactful research projects as equal partners. This is due to the fact that SEOs frequently lack the tools and methodologies to effectively navigate the research landscape.

This presentation introduces the RISE project, an EU-funded initiative designed to directly address the above mentioned gap. We posit that for research to be truly impactful, non-academic actors must be empowered with the skills to become champions in the evidence-based work, not merely beneficiaries of it. The project moves beyond traditional dissemination models to focus on building core competencies through the development of an engaged research training programme directly addressing identified gaps and barriers, with the knowledge and skills necessary to become equal research partners, and raising awareness of the field of ER as such.

Drawing on initial findings from our training programs, we will share best practices and lessons learned through impact and sustainability plans. This session is particularly useful for academics interested in equitable partnership models, leaders from the third and public sectors seeking to enhance their evidence-based practice, and policymakers aiming to foster a more robust and applied knowledge ecosystem. Through the RISE approach we aim to provide a tangible blueprint for building a more collaborative, effective, and socially engaged research culture in Europe.

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Poster Short Abstract

CO-VALUE tests how citizen-science principles can inform startup innovation. Through participatory co-creation processes connecting citizens and startups, the project explores new models for knowledge valorisation that enhance trust, transparency, and social relevance.

Poster Abstract

Citizen science is well established in public-sector and academic contexts, yet its uptake in private-sector innovation and knowledge valorisation remains limited. Policy now explicitly encourages citizen engagement for valorisation (EU Code of practice on citizen engagement), but evidence on how to operationalise this with startups is sparse. CO-VALUE addresses this gap by translating citizen-science logics, such as co-design, participatory evidence generation, and transparent feedback loops, into startup workflows.

CO-VALUE, an EU-funded Horizon Europe project (2024–2027), responds to this challenge by exploring how citizen-science logics can be integrated into startup development processes. The project connects technology-driven startups with citizens from diverse social and geographic contexts, fostering co-creation processes where societal needs and lived experiences inform sometimes challenging innovation pathways. For example, citizens across Europe collaborated in a participatory mapping exercise on online scams, transforming collective experience into design requirements for a startup developing counter-fraud solutions.

Using a strong methodological approach aimed at meaningful citizen engagement, participatory facilitation and reflexive evaluation, CO-VALUE investigates how public input can influence innovation outcomes beyond typical practices such as marketing and consumer studies. Early findings show that such processes help startups identify unmet needs, build transparency around design decisions, and create innovations that are both market-viable and socially grounded. By positioning citizen science as a bridge to the startup world, CO-VALUE expands the scope of the field beyond academia and NGOs.

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Poster Short Abstract

While often seen in the periphery, language (research) belongs at the core of citizen science. Drawing on diverse projects at this juncture, we show how language may function as object, barrier, catalyst, and method, with unique potential to foster interest and engagement in science.

Poster Abstract

Citizen humanities—and more specifically citizen linguistics—are often seen at the periphery of citizen science. We bring them to the center of consideration. Language permeates our everyday lives and citizen science projects. It is inherently intertwined with communication, identity, and societal processes. It is for a reason, the term “citizen science” itself is debated—because language matters, and language always carries meaning. As language is inherently social, there is indeed a long history of participation in linguistics.

We highlight the various roles language may play in citizen science—as the object of investigation (e.g., dialects), as a barrier (e.g., different language [styles]) or as a catalyst (e.g., as a fascinating topic, as a means to build relationships), and as a methodological approach (e.g., transcriptions). We will provide insights into the multifaceted nature of projects situated at the intersection of language research and citizen science, based on a conference we hosted on this theme in Mannheim, Germany, in 2025, encompassing over 20 projects from German-speaking areas. They covered topics ranging from linguistic diversity over mental health to artificial intelligence, and involved participants across diverse age groups. The breadth of projects illustrates that language is a tangible and relatable domain, offering various opportunities and synergies for and with citizen science. We maintain that language and language research belong to the very core of citizen science, holding unique potential to foster inclusivity and interest in science.

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Poster Short Abstract

We are releasing a mobile app that allows users to independently assess their physical functioning using video-based pose estimation. It provides an accessible way to monitor physical functioning over time and supports individualized physical activity counselling and rehabilitation monitoring.

Poster Abstract

The decline in physical functioning with age, together with the well-documented global rise in physical inactivity in recent decades, calls for new approaches to monitoring physical functioning and promoting physical activity in aging populations. Mobile applications offer a unique opportunity to deliver easily accessible physical functioning tests for both large populations and clinical use, while simultaneously facilitating data collection for research purposes. However, this approach remains underutilized to date.

We are releasing a freely available mobile application, in which users can independently test different aspects of their physical functioning, such as lower extremity power, balance, and range of motion. The application is based on a pose estimation algorithm that detects key body landmarks from the mobile phone camera feed. Joint angles and repetition times are estimated in real time using custom algorithms, which have been previously validated against measures derived manually by a physiotherapist. The prototype of the application has also been tested with hospital patients to assess the feasibility of its unsupervised use.

This application will provide citizens with an accessible way to gain insight into their physical functioning and monitor its longitudinal changes. The resulting information can serve as a tool for individualized physical activity counselling and for tracking rehabilitation progress by health-care providers and fitness professionals. In addition, the data collected through the application will generate novel evidence to support further research on the promotion of physical functioning and physical activity.

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Poster Short Abstract

The “language picnic” is a playful format where citizen participants reflect on language-related issues. It intends to bridge the gap between lay expertise and academic inquiry. In the poster, I describe the concept, the method and an occasion which resulted in a co-created research project.

Poster Abstract

One of the central challenges in citizen science is how to meaningfully engage citizens in research. Most approaches focus on inviting participation through contribution to pre-designed scientific projects. However, less attention has been paid to instances where citizens initiate their own involvement as producers of relevant knowledge. This paper introduces the “language picnic”, a sociolinguistic outreach method inspired by the format of philosophical cafés. Since 2022, these informal gatherings have brought together citizens to discuss language-related societal issues in a playful, moderated setting. Drawing on my experience organizing and facilitating these events, I interpret them as a form of citizen sociolinguistics, where participants reflect on their linguistic environments drawing on their own expertise. Rather than contributing to traditional data collection, they co-construct new knowledge through dialogue. The language picnic also served as a launchpad for a co-created citizen science project investigating the recognizability of authorship in Hungarian AI-generated versus human-written texts. The idea, implementation, and dissemination of the research were all shaped by citizen input. I argue that researchers should invest in activities that, while not strictly scientific in nature, foster meaningful bridges between civil society and academic inquiry. Such initiatives can empower citizens to become active agents in knowledge production and redefine the boundaries of participation in sociolinguistic research.

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Poster Short Abstract

This contribution presents a framework for climate risk assessment that combines climatic data for hazard characterization with qualitative data based on stakeholders’ participation to assess vulnerability and response capacity. This participatory methodology will be tested across diverse contexts.

Poster Abstract

The impacts of climate change are expected to further increase in the future and, as widely recognized, their effects will not be equally distributed among the population. For this reason, climate risk assessment is considered a crucial tool for implementing effective and tailored adaptation strategies. While various methodologies exist for assessing climate risks, particularly those based on the hazard’s characterization, novel approaches that integrate diverse forms of knowledge beyond quantitative data remain still limited. Nevertheless, an extensive body of literature in climate research has already recognized a range of benefits associated with stakeholders’ participation, such as overcoming knowledge barriers, increasing trust and transparency in the process, enhancing social acceptability of measures proposed.

Within this framework, we aim to more effectively integrate stakeholders’ knowledge into the assessment of key risk components, as defined in the Sixth Assessment Report of the IPCC (2023), namely vulnerability and response capacity. By doing so, our research proposes both theoretical and empirical contributions to participatory climate risk assessment domain, highlighting how more inclusive processes can improve the robustness and relevance of the results obtained. Specifically, this contribution will present the preliminary results of a novel step-by-step framework that successfully integrates climate information with qualitative data, derived from the active participation of stakeholders, throughout the entire risk assessment process. Finally, the proposed framework will be tested in diverse geographical contexts including rural, urban, coastal and mountain areas within the implementation of three EU-funded research projects, demonstrating its applicability across different environments.

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Poster Short Abstract

To inform our design of a new wildlife tracking project in Trondheim, we explored spatial bias, sampling effort and detection via a simulation framework that mimics citizen science data collection. Results support improved design of future citizen science projects.

Poster Abstract

Citizen science data related to wildlife observations is often affected by participatory bias – linked to where, when, and how participants make and register observations. To explore and mitigate these challenges, we developed a simulation framework that mimics citizen science data collection under varying conditions and scenarios.

We developed this framework to support our design of a new structured citizen science program conducted in Trondheim, Norway, where participants follow a standardized protocol to collect photos of animal tracks. The study area is a developed urban landscape centered around a green corridor, and the research objective is to assess whether the number of wildlife observations can be explained by corridor status (corridor vs. non-corridor), in combination with other landscape variables.

Data collected through the program combined with publicly available citizen science data from GBIF is used to model a baseline scenario, describing the expected distribution of animal species. To evaluate the potential and the data requirements of the program, we conduct a range of simulations on scenarios of participant behavior and spatial sampling patterns. The scenarios are based on insights from the citizen science program and other existing literature on realistic participatory bias.

The simulations allow us to estimate the data volume and participant numbers required to confidently address the research objectives under different conditions typical of citizen science projects. Ultimately, this framework can support the design and evaluation of future citizen science projects by helping anticipate data needs and optimize study design.

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Poster Short Abstract

CS-NL developed a method using language models to map citizen science in the Netherlands, identifying both top-down and grassroots projects with Dutch partners. This interactive poster shows our findings and invites others to explore applying the method in their own country.

Poster Abstract

Citizen Science NL (CS-NL) has developed a method for continuously mapping citizen science across the Netherlands. This approach provides insights into where, how, and by whom citizen science is being conducted. As part of this effort, we created a search strategy based on Large Language Models to identify both top-down projects (funded by research agencies) and bottom-up initiatives (funded through grassroots or alternative sources).

Our analysis focuses on projects with at least one Dutch partner, offering a detailed view of the national citizen science landscape. This helps reveal the scope, distribution, and nature of citizen science activity throughout the country.

In this interactive poster, we present both the method and the results of our mapping work. Visitors are invited to explore how this approach can be adapted for use in other countries and contexts, potentially supporting similar mapping efforts elsewhere.

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Poster Short Abstract

In a rapidly changing Arctic dimension, the implementation of community science approaches in research can foster collaboration between Western scientists and indigenous communities, promoting a deeper comprehension of polar environments and the preservation of their bio-cultural integrity.

Poster Abstract

The Arctic is home of diverse indigenous peoples that keep a centuries-old knowledge of their environment, which they still are close related with. At the same time, their communities have to face with the enduring legacy of colonization: poverty, alcoholism, various forms of abuse and the loss of traditional cultures. In this context, the very word “research” can suggest predatory dynamics, involving scientists visiting communities, extracting data and leaving with no further communication about their achievements. Focusing on people involvement, community and citizen science approaches represent powerful tools to help reshape Arctic research culture with the opportunity to align research goals with community priorities, improve power-balances and ensure the dissemination of results. In 2025, we visited Tasiilaq, a remote settlement in East Greenland. The journey was aimed at exploring the opportunities to develop an interdisciplinary research project in collaboration with local people to save their invaluable bio-cultural heritage, threatened by globalization dynamics. We applied LICCI protocol guidelines (https://www.licci.eu/) to approach the investigation of relationships with key components of local environment (animals, plants, weather patterns and ice dynamics), to trace changes induced by climate change (winter hunting routes, sea ice formation) and recognize past landscapes through historical photos. Our experience suggested how, leveraging on individual observational skills and empirical knowledge, citizen science and participatory could offer innovative approaches and methodologies to assess changes and predict impacts or opportunities associated with global changes in the Arctic.

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Poster Short Abstract

In 2024, crop trials of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) with wood biochar were co-created with gardeners in community garden settings at Oxford and Dartington, UK. The research also integrated artistic practices in performance, drawing and land art. Thus an Integrated Research Practice resulted.

Poster Abstract

In 2024, ten crop trials were undertaken in community garden settings in the UK at Oxford and Dartington. Each trial comprised an intervention plot, enriched with biochar (charcoal from wood) and planted with potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), and a matching control plot, planted with the same number and variety of potatoes without biochar. These co-created trials allowed for differing cultivation practices and growing conditions.

In two of the crop trials in Oxford and Dartington, artistic practice involving the performance of community and co-created drawings using charcoal/biochar demonstrated that embodied practices may yield artistic research and material outcomes in an Integrated Research Practice.

Documentation through photography, drawings and journals resulted which are included in this poster. Practice findings included an understanding of the challenges of this approach and the adaptations necessary for successful outcomes.

Note: An abstract for a paper describing the crop trails has been proposed for this conference under 'Paper proposal for panel T0051 at ECSA2026'. See: 'Co-created potato crop trials of biochar in community garden settings' by Andrew Wood and Karl Wallendszus.

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Poster Short Abstract

My doctoral dissertation examines the influence of language proficiency requirements from the perspective of adult immigrants through co-creative citizen science, in which adult immigrants act as researchers. The first phase of my research focuses on identifying shared concerns.

Poster Abstract

The language proficiency requirements for immigrants have become increasingly stringent in Finland and across Europe, impacting access to, e.g., higher education, employment, and citizenship. My doctoral research is the first venture to study such issues. As a part of the IMPACT project (https://www.jyu.fi/fi/hankkeet/impact), my doctoral dissertation examines the influence of language proficiency requirements from the perspective of adult immigrants through co-creative citizen science, in which adult immigrants act as researchers. The first phase of my research focuses on identifying shared concerns, with the aim of educating and preparing the research community before engaging in co-designed research with adult immigrants (Robinson, Delany & Sugden 2024, 4). The first research question is: What themes related to language proficiency requirements and high stakes language testing in Finland do adult immigrants consider important to investigate? To explore this question, I analyze the multilingual survey data collected in the IMPACT project (around 200 responses). I will use thematic analysis to identify themes in the data that are relevant to the research conducted in collaboration with adult immigrants. In my poster, I will present preliminary research findings to the first research question on the basis of this data.

Reference: Robinson, D., Delany, J. & Sugden, H. (2024). Beyond Science: Exploring the Value of Co-created Citizen Science for Diverse Community Groups. Citizen Science: Theory and Prac-tice, 9(1): 13, 1–13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/cstp.682

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Poster Short Abstract

Our citizen science project brings metabarcoding of environmental DNA into schools to supplement regulatory aquatic monitoring with additional data for overlooked smaller rivers. Primary and secondary school students collect water samples, get to know aquatic life, and conduct water body surveys.

Poster Abstract

Streams are vital ecosystems from an ecological, economic, and social perspective. Protecting these ecosystems is an important task for society (see SDG 6). Various programmes and initiatives are established in the EU to protect and restore these ecosystems, including detailed monitoring obligations about the current ecological status. However, so far official monitoring data is limited to selected water bodies. This is where our citizen science project comes in: We want to evaluate to what extent participatory science with school students can support the ecological status assessment of smaller streams. During our three-year project, primary and secondary school students collect water samples from water bodies close to their school. These samples are then analysed for environmental DNA (eDNA) using metabarcoding at the university laboratory. eDNA metabarcoding is a molecular technique used to identify biological communities from DNA residues present in the environmental sample. In return, schools will receive information of the identified species from their water sample in a web-based application complementing their own observations at the stream. By integrating water protection-related content into biology and general science classes, we want to raise students' awareness and interest in protecting these water bodies, the trustworthiness of scientifically collected data, and knowledge of modern research methods. In addition, we provide teaching materials and a platform where participants can enter their observations and view the results of other groups. The project is funded by the German Environment Agency (UBA).

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Poster Short Abstract

Maarallee.be is a citizen science project collecting and transcribing Flemish speech to improve AI’s understanding of regional accents and dialects. Anyone can contribute by recording short audio clips and helping refine transcripts. This poster presents our approach, faced challenges and results.

Poster Abstract

Speech technology is becoming part of everyday life — from automatic subtitles to voice assistants. But most AI systems are trained with data in the standard language, and often only sequentially or not on regional accents or dialects, which is the case in the Dutch-Flemish region. This makes it hard for this technology to understand how people in the periphery really speak. Regional accents, dialects, and speech patterns are often overlooked or ignored.

Maarallee.be aims to change that. It’s a citizen science project that invites people across Flanders to help build a large, representative database of spoken Flemish. Through a user-friendly web app, participants record short audio clips in their own voice, accent, and dialect. Volunteers then help improve the transcripts of these recordings. This data is used to train automatic speech recognition (ASR) models — systems that convert speech into text. By including a wide range of Flemish voices, we make AI more inclusive and better suited to real-life communication.

This poster presents the approach we co-designed with our target groups, highlights the barriers we encountered, and shares the solutions we tested to overcome them. The project specifically focuses on participation from underrepresented groups in speech and language data such as youth, women and multilingual speakers. Every voice matters.

Maarallee.be is a collaboration between KU Leuven (PSI), Scivil (the Flemish knowledge center for citizen science), and the Flemish government (WEWIS), supported by the Flemish AI policy plan.

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Poster Short Abstract

To overcome the high cost of noise sensors, a distributed citizen science model was tested in Flanders. Sensors were shared via local coordinators, enabling flexible deployment and broad participation. This approach proves scalable and policy-relevant for environmental noise mapping.

Poster Abstract

Environmental noise affects quality of life and health, yet traditional measurement methods are costly and limited in scale. As part of the Programme for Innovative Public Procurement on Environmental Noise, a proof of concept was developed for a large-scale citizen science project in Flanders. The central question was: How can we efficiently and reproducibly measure source-specific noise exposure and perceived annoyance among as many citizens as possible?

The project tested an innovative distributed model in which sensors are passed between citizens via local coordinators such as schools, associations, and municipalities. Participants conducted measurements and completed surveys about their noise experience. This approach reduces costs, increases flexibility, and activates citizens to map their sound environment.

The distributed model proved effective in leveraging existing networks and significantly reduced the operational burden on the central team. It enabled flexible reuse of a limited number of expensive sensors, supported by local coordinators, and showed potential for scalable deployment. Key success factors included clear role definitions, accessible visualisations, and continuous support. Schools emerged as particularly strong partners due to their structured environment and educational value. The approach offers a promising pathway for inclusive, cost-efficient, and policy-relevant noise monitoring.

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Poster Short Abstract

We explored the impacts of participation in the Tiny Forest citizen science programme in London on nature connectedness, place attachment, and ecological responsibility through surveys, interviews, and observation.

Poster Abstract

Human societies face unprecedented ecological crises that demand not only technological and policy responses but also fundamental shifts in how people relate to nonhuman nature. A growing body of research highlights the “extinction of experience”—the decline in everyday encounters with nature due to urbanisation—which has been linked to reduced ecological concern, diminished wellbeing, and weakened nature connectedness and place attachment.

Citizen science (CS) has emerged as a promising approach to address this disconnect, offering opportunities for meaningful engagement with the natural world. In addition, participation in CS projects grounded in the local context can foster place attachment and lead measurable individual and collective change. However, most research on CS participant benefits has focused on cognitive benefits such as knowledge acquisition and learning outcomes, leaving its potential to cultivate nature connectedness and place attachment underexplored. This is despite growing evidence that nature connection and sense of place are both possible key levers for sustainability transformation.

We present findings from a pilot study investigating participants in the Tiny Forest CS programme across six locations in London through surveys, ethnographic observations and interviews. The study examines the extent to which participation in CS fosters nature connectedness, place attachment, and local ecological responsibility and how individual and site-specific factors shape participant outcomes.

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Poster Short Abstract

With the aim to explore perception of citizen science among Italian young adults, an online survey was launched to investigate familiarity with CS, field of interest, but also barriers to participation and training needs.

Poster Abstract

In 2024, the Italian Citizen Science Association activated an internal working group dedicated to the promotion of citizen science among young adults (18-35 age group). Together with gender, income and level of education, age is another factor affecting participation in citizen science with lower levels among younger age groups compared to middle-age and older people. With the aim to explore the perception of citizen science among Italian young adults, between 2024 and 2025, the Citizen Science Giovani working group launched a survey specifically addressed to people between 18-35 years old coming from as diverse an audience as possible. The questionnaire investigated multiple dimensions: personal information (e.g., level of education, job position), general knowledge of CS, ability to recognize correct definitions and real-world examples, prior experiences in CS initiatives and perception of benefits it can contribute to. In the second part, questions were customized according to few possible profiles: young researchers, association members or general citizens, allowing to highlight different needs to improve projects accessibility and attractiveness, but also barriers to participation or mean of communication preferred (e.g., video, podcast). In the final section, availability in taking part in new projects, type of activity to be involved in and field or subjects of interest were also inquired. Despite the limitations in terms of representativeness always linked to online distribution of surveys, our results provided a first insight into perception of citizen science among young adults and a valuable orientation for shaping a more inclusive and youth-oriented CS strategy at national level.

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Poster Short Abstract

A framework for the assessment of citizen science initiatives is proposed. It consists of a series of descriptive, analytical and explanatory questions along the axis of the social and epistemological studies of science.

Poster Abstract

Sociological and epistemological descriptions, analyses, and explanations of citizen science (CS) can focus on the innovative organizational and research practices that arise when producing knowledge at the intersection of institutional science and publics that may not be professionally dedicated to science but hold diverse forms of expertise on their locales. Recognizing the prevalence of demographic and impact metrics, and the relative scarcity of other sociological and epistemological evaluations in the field, a framework for assessing CS is proposed. Regarding the sociological dimension, the framework consists of descriptive questions for participants about the organization, objectives, and motivations for their project. It also includes analytical questions that evaluators ask themselves about the groups involved, the dynamic of consensus/controversy, and group interpretations of science and citizenship. It concludes with explanations regarding how socioeconomic situations shape the type of knowledge produced and how it, in turn, shapes the groups—that is, the coproduction between social and technoscientific order. On the other hand, the epistemological dimension describes the group's program and paradigm, what they consider to be their source of knowledge, and what epistemic operations they carry out during research. These inquiries allow for an analysis of the predominant epistemic culture and model and the type of investigation being conducted, thereby explaining how the group conceives and performs knowledge and, possibly, technology. These social and epistemic dimensions may encourage a normativity turn regarding the ethics of CS, for instance, in issues related to cognitive exploitation, quality of knowledge, and socioenvironmental justice for a better science.

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Poster Short Abstract

ENHANCE empowers higher education to integrate citizen science and future-oriented learning. By training researchers, piloting Futures Workshops, and engaging diverse citizens, the project fosters inclusive participation, supports SDGs, and co-creates sustainable futures.

Poster Abstract

The ENHANCE project (Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships, 2023–2026) addresses the urgent need to empower researchers and citizens to co-create sustainable futures in the context of climate change and environmental challenges. Citizens often feel disconnected from decision-making, while researchers lack the training to facilitate authentic citizen participation. ENHANCE responds by building researcher competencies through participatory methods, especially the Futures Workshop approach, combined with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Over 36 months, ENHANCE is training researchers from six European universities, establishing a Futures Citizen Science Network, and piloting 12 Futures Workshops across partner countries with the engagement of 180 citizens, including minority and underrepresented groups. Project outputs include a methodological guidebook, an online interactive platform, open training resources, and a European conference to disseminate results.

By bridging citizen science and higher education, ENHANCE contributes to the European Green Deal and UNESCO’s Futures of Education initiative, while promoting civic engagement, inclusion, and democratic participation. The poster will showcase the project design, pilot experiences, and early lessons, inviting dialogue with the citizen science community on how higher education can strengthen participatory approaches for transformative change.

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Poster Short Abstract

Mental health is unequally distributed in Sweden's elderly population. Still, solutions are often shaped by preconceived notions and ageism. In this citizen science project, we invite elderly persons to shape the project and share their stories, answering the question: How do you feel good?

Poster Abstract

The mental health of the elderly is frequently overlooked, even though there are obvious unmet needs, especially in some subpopulations. Suggested solutions are often shaped by preconceived notions, while the voices of the elderly are less often heard; older people are often talked about and rarely talked with. Therefore, we invited elderly people to participate in a citizen science study using focus group discussions, science cafés and narratives.

As a first step, focus group discussions (FGD) with stakeholders were conducted, to map current discussions and interests. In the next step, we used the insight from FGDs to arrange science cafés; a dialogue between researchers and the public. A reference group was established with the help of civil society organisations and via science cafés. They helped us shape our data collection: narratives from the elderly around mental health during ageing, answering the question ‘How do you feel good?’, which was analysed together with the reference group. Through this, we aimed to reach insights that were both rooted in the narratives from the elderly themselves and analysed in collaboration with them.

This study is part of a larger EU-funded research project, Re-MEND (Building REsilience against MEntal illness during ENDocrine-sensitive life stages), where mental health in sensitive life stages is examined more broadly. As such, our findings will be fed into other projects within REMEND. We are currently in the processing of analysing the narratives and will present thematic findings and our experiences of working with this method and target group.

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Poster Short Abstract

This study examines how Citizen Science and Artificial Intelligence interact in biodiversity monitoring, analyzing project designs, scientific outcomes, citizen engagement, and broader societal and policy impacts.

Poster Abstract

Citizen Science (CS) and emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), hold significant potential for monitoring biodiversity. However, little is known about the ways CS and AI interact and how these interactions influence scientific, societal, and policy outcomes. Our study addresses this gap in the context of the project “IQ Water: AI-supported Analysis and Prediction of Biodiversity and Water Quality in Drinking Water Reservoirs”. We (i) provide an overview of the different applications of CS-AI in relation to biodiversity and (ii) analyze the design elements of these initiatives and their impacts on scientific results, citizen engagement, and broader societal and policy implications. We conduct a systematic literature review, including a SCOPUS and WEB OF SCIENCE keyword search for peer-reviewed articles, bibliometric analysis to map the field, and in-depth content analysis focusing on applications, project design, and observed outcomes. Results are will be complemented by expert interviews and community feedback at CS- and AI-related conferences. This poster presents the first results and invites discussion on opportunities and challenges for integrating CS and AI in biodiversity monitoring.

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Poster Short Abstract

The City Nature Challenge Berlin engages citizens in biodiversity monitoring. Analysis of 2023–2024 data highlights the role of highly active participants and species experts in generating quality observations across diverse taxonomic groups

Poster Abstract

Human-induced biodiversity loss calls for innovative, resource-efficient monitoring approaches, such as Citizen Science, to complement traditional methods. BioBlitz events are an established Citizen Science format that generates as many species observations as possible in a short period within a defined area, through collaboration among scientists, citizens, and nature enthusiasts. The City Nature Challenge is the most prominent large-scale urban BioBlitz worldwide. Participation in the City Nature Challenge Berlin increased from 184 contributors in 2023 to 361 in 2024, reflecting growing public engagement. Analysis of observations revealed that while a few highly active participants contributed disproportionately to total observations, their involvement strongly influenced data quality and coverage. Comparison with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility reference dataset showed that taxonomic groups such as birds, reptiles, fish, and mammals were more likely to reach “Research Grade” on iNaturalist, while fungi, lichens, insects, arachnids, protozoans, and chromista were more dependent on expert contributions. Of 2,440 reference species, 1,027 (42%) were detected during the 2023–2024 events. These findings highlight that BioBlitz events provide valuable, high-quality data that complement long-term biodiversity monitoring and help address research gaps, particularly for endangered, invasive, and conservation-relevant species. We encourage researchers to explore large BioBlitz datasets in other regions or at larger geographic scales to maximize the potential of citizen-generated biodiversity data.

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Poster Short Abstract

Citizen science (CS) can democratise access to scientific research, by allowing anyone to participate in knowledge production. Through Asteroid Search Campaigns based on high-quality telescope data, StAnD and IASC demonstrate of how CS reduces inequalities in access to scientific participation.

Poster Abstract

Scientific knowledge is typically produced within centres of power and scientific attention, such as universities and metropolitan hubs, making it less accessible for communities outside those centres to contribute to its advancement. However, citizen science has the potential to democratise access to scientific research, by allowing anyone - independently of their location or background - to participate in knowledge production.

The StAnD (StudenTs As plaNetary Defenders) project and the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) provide good examples of how citizen science can reduce inequalities in access to scientific participation, by giving students in different regions the same opportunities to engage in scientific discovery based on high-quality data.

StAnD introduces students to planetary defence, uncovering asteroids, meteors, and other cosmic phenomena that may threaten Earth. The project includes 12 meteor cameras installed across 4 countries and over 40 schools contributing to scientific discoveries through Asteroid Search Campaigns, organised with IASC. These initiatives allow students to access and analyse observation images and data from robotic telescopes from Haleakala Observatory and Las Cumbres Global Observatory. Results obtained contribute to discovery and monitoring of asteroids and near-Earth objects, allowing students to become involved in the planet’s defence.

The remote use of robotic telescopes facilitates the participation of students across the globe, giving schools in peripheral regions the ability to work with the same high-quality data as those in metropolitan centres. Thus, these initiatives reduce access barriers and foster inclusivity, while developing students’ digital and STEM skills and inspiring new generations to pursue scientific careers.

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Poster Short Abstract

The tool Rapportera Fästing has gathered 28,000 reports since 2023 and enables cost-effective, scalable surveillance of endemic and exotic tick species. AI-based tick recognition will boost accuracy, while public participation strengthens One Health preparedness and awareness of tick-borne diseases.

Poster Abstract

Climate change is reshaping the distribution of ticks across Europe, including Sweden, where exotic tick species are seen more often and cases of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) are on the rise. Traditional field-based surveillance is resource intensive, and therefore the Swedish Veterinary Agency launched ‘Rapportera Fästing’ in 2023, a citizen science tool for nationwide tick monitoring. The tool enables users to report tick encounters, upload images, and submit specimens for further analysis.

Between May 2023 and September 2025, more than 28,000 submissions were received from all Swedish municipalities. Ixodes ricinus (castor bean tick) was the dominant species, but several exotic ticks were also identified, including the first Swedish record of Dermacentor marginatus (Ornate sheep tick). I. ricinus was reported as active year-round, previously only thought to be active from spring to autumn, with records even from northern regions where the species was previously considered rare. Submitted ticks from 2025 will be analysed using molecular methods for species identification and TBE-virus detection, providing a unique link between geographic occurrence and pathogen presence.

Our findings demonstrate that citizen science offers a cost-effective and scalable surveillance system for both endemic and exotic ticks, as well as for TBE-virus monitoring. Ongoing development of AI-based tick recognition is expected to further improve accuracy and strengthen the role of this tool within One Health preparedness strategies. The study also demonstrates that citizen science can serve as an educational tool, increasing the public’s awareness of ticks and tick-borne diseases.

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Poster Short Abstract

Cat and dog owners from nearly 60 municipalities across northern Sweden collected thousands of ticks that underwent large-scale molecular screening, revealing 39.5% of them carried pathogens. This citizen science effort highlights the power of public participation in tracking emerging health risks.

Poster Abstract

Climate change is reshaping ecosystems across northern latitudes, driving the rapid geographical expansion of disease vectors such as Ixodes spp. ticks. This study harnesses the power of citizen science to map tick distribution and assess pathogen prevalence across ten provinces of northern Sweden. By engaging pet owners to submit ticks collected from their cats and dogs during 2018–2019, nearly 3700 specimens were gathered, offering a unique window into regional tick ecology. A subset of 961 ticks was analyzed for six tick-borne human and veterinary pathogens. Results show that 39.5% of ticks carried at least one pathogen, with Borrelia spp. (27%) and Rickettsia spp. (12%) being the most common. Co-infections were observed in 11% of the positive specimens, while tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus was absent. This collaborative approach enabled broad geographic and seasonal coverage, spanning nearly 60 municipalities north of 60˚N, and provided valuable data on tick species, sex, and developmental stages, and how infection risks may vary for different hosts. The success of this initiative highlights the value of citizen participation in scientific research, especially in remote regions where environmental surveillance, i.e. flagging of questing ticks, is limited. Citizen science not only expands data collection capacity but also fosters public awareness and engagement in environmental, animal and human health. These findings underscore the importance of community-driven monitoring to inform public health strategies and respond to emerging ecological challenges.

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Poster Short Abstract

The Floral Traces, Beastly Places project invites citizen scientists to record and map wild bluebells and other ancient woodland indicators in Belgium’s Sonian Forest, using plants as archaeological witnesses to bridge the divide between nature and heritage, humans and non-humans.

Poster Abstract

The Floral Traces, Beastly Places project invites citizen scientists to help tell the multispecies stories that lie hidden in the Sonian Forest (Belgium). Beneath the trees, wild bluebells bloom briefly each spring – floral traces that mark the ghostly outlines of old pastures and forgotten animal presences. These plants are more than just flowers: they are feral archives, living witnesses that remember the infrastructures of grazing and dwelling that once shaped this forest. Landscape biographies often tell human-centred stories, keeping non-humans to the periphery of archaeological narratives of landscape. Yet forests, especially those at the edges of cities, are woven from the shared labours of people, animals, and plants. By involving volunteers in data collection during the brief bluebell flowering season, the project builds connections between scientific, ecological, and local communities. Through this collaboration, citizens become active participants in re-membering the forest’s layered pasts. The data gathered will be compared with historical maps and archival sources, tracing how past grazing regimes still whisper through today’s forest floor. In this way, Floral Traces, Beastly Places explores how citizen science can extend archaeological practice – by listening not only to what lies buried (the core of most archaeological inquiries), but also to what still grows, blooms, and remembers in the living landscape.

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Poster Short Abstract

A new mosquito reporting platform has been developed for Scotland, allowing members of the public to report mosquito sightings and bites alongside images. This platform has been instrumental in providing insights into temporal and spatial variation in human exposure to mosquitoes in Scotland.

Poster Abstract

Mosquito surveillance is essential for monitoring mosquito distributions and ecology, which are critical parameters for the prediction of mosquito-borne disease (MBD) emergence and establishment. Active mosquito surveillance methods such as trapping remain indispensable for understanding population ecology at high resolutions, but these measures are labour-intensive and are typically limited to high-risk locations. Passive surveillance schemes can complement active mosquito monitoring by filling gaps in surveillance and giving broader insights into mosquito distributions and seasonality. Citizen science is one such measure which is increasingly being integrated into mosquito surveillance programs in Europe. Here, we report on the first two years of results of a new online citizen science platform (www.mosquito-scotland.com) for mosquito reporting in Scotland. The platform enables members of the public to submit reports of mosquito sightings, including the date, location, mosquito life stage and human bite status of the encounter, with the option to submit a photograph or specimen for identification. Since the reporting platform launched in May 2024, over 1100 reports have been received, with approximately 30% of these confirmed as mosquitoes. Of the confirmed reports, eleven different species were identified. The most frequently reported species were Culex pipiens s.l. (56% of identifiable specimens) and Culiseta annulata (22%). Human biting was reported in approximately 53% of sightings of adult mosquitoes. Data from this survey has enabled the identification of several mosquito biting hotspots in Scotland and will be used alongside field surveillance data to model MBD risk under current and future climatic conditions.

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Poster Short Abstract

This review examines 241 citizen science training processes, highlighting methods, formats, learning outcomes, and proposes a measurable learning domain for preparing educators and facilitators for citizen science projects

Poster Abstract

Recognizing that participant training is central to both data quality and the attainment of educational goals in citizen science, this study presents a systematic literature review on training processes in the field. The review analyzes formats, methodologies, learning outcomes, and evaluation approaches. From Scopus and Web of Science, 219 articles describing 241 training processes were identified and categorized. The findings indicate prevalent trends in citizen science training, such as the strong influence of the United States in the scholarly output, the predominance and significance of in person modality, and the dominance of biological and environmental sciences as thematic areas. This review also underscores the prominence of the learning outcome skills for science inquiry within training processes. While broad, this outcome appears central to the educational aims of citizen science training processes. In this sense, we suggest that future research should further detail the subdomains encompassed by this outcome to better capture its formative dimensions. Furthermore, it proposes the inclusion of an additional learning outcome relevant to citizen science training: teaching and mediation for citizen science. We believe this domain is particularly pertinent for the development of coordinators, instructors, and educators and merits further exploration.

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Poster Short Abstract

The Wildfires Citizen Observatory enables Sicilian citizens and municipalities to co-create the Wildfire Registry, enhancing data literacy and legal compliance. This participatory platform allows citizens to gather wildfire data, strengthening legal compliance and fostering participatory governance.

Poster Abstract

Sicily faces an escalating wildfire crisis, with incidents and burned land vastly exceeding comparable Mediterranean regions. Over two-thirds of wildfires are intentional and human-induced, highlighting the urgent need for prevention, environmental compliance, and overall improved governance. The association Fenice Verde has established the Wildfires Citizen Observatory, with the support of Sicily Environment Fund, to fill a gap in operational tools with an interactive and participatory platform that supports public administrations and local communities in monitoring, preventing, and managing intentional fires (osservatorioincendi.org).

The Observatory enables communities to report fires and possible outbreaks, contributing data that can be used by municipalities to compile the Wildfire Registry annually, as demanded by Italian Law 353/2000. Despite its pivotal role in regulating post-fire land exploitation, around 70% of Sicilian municipalities fail to compile the Registry annually due to a lack of capacity.

In 2025, the framework was piloted in collaboration with two municipalities. Citizens reported 122 wildfires, and 11 associations joined the Observatory, establishing a network. The project is part of the EU Citizen Observatories network under the EU-funded CitiObs Horizon project, promoting equitable access to environmental data and integration of participatory science into policy implementation.

By aligning citizen-generated data with municipal responsibilities, the project demonstrates how Citizen Observatories can reinforce environmental governance, foster community resilience, and contribute to wildfire prevention across the Mediterranean. This model strengthens both data literacy and institutional accountability by linking public participation with enforceable legal outcomes. Its innovative approach transforms citizen awareness into actionable policy engagement, bridging the citizen–policy–research interface.

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Poster Short Abstract

Ratios between the number of species per number of observations collected trough citizen science differ in terms of urban district income levels. These ratios are lower in districts with lower income, and so such discrepancies have the potential to further enhance environmental social injustice.

Poster Abstract

Observations of the surrounding biodiversity recorded through citizen science can further increase the spatial and temporal resolution of biodiversity assessment efforts that are conducted by researchers, which tend to be commonly conducted by means of space- and time-constrained campaigns. Yet, when combined with additional sources of information, biodiversity observations recorded through citizen science can also reveal social and socio-ecological latent aspects. To explore human-nature interactions within part of the HMA-LTSER Helsinki Metropolitan Area platform, we explored the relationship between the income level associated to the different districts within Helsinki city and the number of biodiversity observations within each of the districts, using the observations uploaded to iNaturalist, a free, global and online platform/mobile app where users record, share and identify biodiversity observations. We further explored the relationship between district income and district species richness. Results show that both the number of biodiversity observations as well as the number of species observed are maximum in districts with an income level similar to the average for Helsinki city. Yet, when considering the number of species per number of observations at the district level, many of the lowest income districts score low ratios. As citizen science data collection efforts differ among districts with contrasting income levels, discrepancies can further enhance environmental social injustice as, for instance, political decision-making supporting conservation efforts favouring higher-income districts.

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Poster Short Abstract

This research seeks to understand current and potential citizen science initiatives in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With an initial focus on biodiversity, the approach has the potential to advance a variety of urban and social issues, from forests and beaches to the outskirts of cities.

Poster Abstract

This research sought to explore citizen science experiences in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and to systematize an overview of this knowledge. Currently, biodiversity monitoring can be considered the main focus of citizen science in the region, particularly with bioblitzes and birdwatching. Other notable fronts are projects related to the coast, such as monitoring beaches, turtles, and whales. These are activities that attract the most enthusiasts, and are usually conceived by groups from universities, museums, parks, and environmental institutions. A voluntary interest in research on these topics can lead citizens to participate in NGOs, crowdfunding projects, anti-pollution campaigns, and even propose changes to public policy. Furthermore, the participatory methodology can be applied to social sciences, addressing the most pressing problems in peripheral areas. New shared spaces with a maker approach offer interesting potential in the region. These spaces can develop innovative and tropicalized practices, in tune with the digital culture of the internet and apps, sensors, and drones, and adapted to the realities of cities. It's worth highlighting the intersection with other approaches, such as Open Knowledge, Hackathons, FabLabs, and Citizen Innovation Laboratories, such as those organized by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). These programs have a more direct impact on communities, such as those promoting thematic maps, collaborative networks, and social observatories in neighborhoods or favelas, coordinated by NGOs, residents' associations, or public university extensions. Finally, this research seeks to further disseminate this citizen science approach, which is incipient and diverse in the region.

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Poster Short Abstract

FunDive aims to embark citizen scientists across Europe on collating data on fungal occurrences to achieve shared conservation goals. Although various communication channels and activities are used, the degree of citizen scientist engagement varies greatly among countries and regions.

Poster Abstract

To understand and monitor drivers of fungal diversity patterns, high-quality mapping of species distributions is needed. However, even in Europe, which has a long history of mycological research, the distribution of many species remains unknown or is only assessed at country level. The overall goal of FunDive, a collaborative project funded by Biodiversa+, is to develop and improve methods for mapping and monitoring fungal diversity, and to analyze drivers of its distribution patterns, also by encouraging citizen scientists (CS) to participate in generating fungal occurrence data across national borders. We created a central project webpage (https://fun-dive.eu/en/get-involved/), use a common biodiversity platform - PlutoF (https://plutof.ut.ee/) to integrate data, and developed a network of country-level coordinators who facilitate CS participation. We use different channels of communication (including social media posts, press releases in local languages, in-person meetings with mycological groups and societies), and activities (e.g., guided walks, joint forays, workshops, and individual engagement in targeted campaigns). Despite these efforts, the degree of CS involvement varied greatly depending on the country and region. Of the 3089 fungal records collated during the first season, most originated from Finland (642), followed by Italy (353), Poland (332), and Hungary (290). Although 29 out of 44 European countries contributed, several regions are still underrepresented. A better understanding of the factors affecting CS engagement in different European regions is needed to more effectively motivate people and encourage their active involvement in fungal diversity conservation efforts across the continent.

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Poster Short Abstract

This poster presents the Urban ReLeaf Blueprint designed to foster the creation of inclusive citizen science across diverse urban contexts, addressing participation barriers and supporting equitable community engagement in monitoring activities for data-driven decision making.

Poster Abstract

How can citizen science genuinely engage socially vulnerable communities without reinforcing existing social inequalities? Despite its democratic promise, most citizen science initiatives continue to overrepresent privileged groups, excluding those most affected by environmental injustices through structural barriers such as digital exclusion or socio-economic disadvantage. In the Urban ReLeaf project, we respond to this challenge by developing a Blueprint for Inclusive Citizen Science: a practical guide that centres inclusion as a core design principle rather than an afterthought.

Grounded in participatory action research and co-developed with local stakeholders across six European cities, the blueprint takes into consideration both the causes of exclusion and the practicalities of implementing inclusive engagement strategies. It provides cities with phase-based, actionable guidance to identify community-specific vulnerabilities, co-create adequate engagement campaigns, and design accessible data collection methods. The blueprint is structured across four phases: preparing, planning, interacting, and monitoring for inclusion. Each phase contains several steps with concrete activities such as stakeholder ecosystem mapping, participant persona development, recruitment strategies, and the co-design of accessible tools and tasks. The approach centres "non-traditional" participants, including older adults and youth, females, and citizens with lower socio-economic status to ensure their knowledge, priorities, and lived experiences eventually shape cities' decision-making processes.

By embedding principles of accessibility, adaptability, sensitivity, and safety, the Urban ReLeaf blueprint goes beyond generic participation frameworks by offering phased and actionable strategies that directly address social vulnerability, making citizen science a driver of equity in data-driven decision-making.

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Poster Short Abstract

The Citizen Science Scan maps Belgian citizen science projects (2023 & 2025) using a relatively low-effort, replicable method. This poster shares results, key trends, insights and a method easily transferable to other regions to map and support citizen science.

Poster Abstract

In 2023, Scivil conducted Belgium’s first comprehensive inventory of citizen science initiatives, analyzing 150 active projects across diverse domains. The Citizen Science Scan revealed a vibrant ecosystem, with biology and biodiversity (35%), archaeology and history (25%), and climate and environment (22%) as the most represented themes. The study highlighted the diversity of project initiators—including government bodies, non-profits, and academic institutions—and the widespread involvement of schools and local communities.

To monitor trends and developments, the inventory was repeated in the summer of 2025, in collaboration with UC Louvain. This poster presents preliminary results from the 2025 scan and offers a comparative analysis with the 2023 data. Key insights include shifts in thematic focus, participation patterns, and organizational involvement.

The inventory was conducted using a method which can be easily implemented in other regions or countries: combining web search engine queries with targeted exploration of citizen science platforms and social media. This approach proved to be a valuable and replicable tool for mapping the prevalence and diversity of citizen science, and for fostering dialogue on its role in society. By sharing our findings and methodology, we aim to support similar efforts in other regions and contribute to the strategic development of citizen science ecosystems.

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Poster Short Abstract

Sweden has a long tradition in monitoring biodiversity and population dynamics through voluntary efforts based on standardised protocols. The databases are trusted by governmental authorities for management decisions, regional, national and international reporting and are used in courts of law.

Poster Abstract

Civil society organisations are fundamental for maintaining the competence, motivation and support for monitoring species diversity and wildlife population dynamics in Sweden. BirdLife Sweden, the Swedish Botanical Society, the Swedish Entomological Society, the Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management and more contribute in invaluable ways to monitoring efforts. By joining forces with experts and researchers within these organisations and at universities and governmental agencies, standardised protocols for data collection, archiving and distribution have been developed, which in turn has generated public trust in these volunteer observations. The validated databases are used when trying to find solutions to sensitive decisions and dilemmas, may it be for management, negotiations or in court cases.

Lund University runs the Swedish Bird Survey and the Swedish Butterfly Monitoring Scheme in grateful cooperation with volunteers. The Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management and the Swedish Veterinary Agency encourage the public to submit data on alien species, ticks, dead, injured or sick wildlife for surveillance monitoring. The Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management runs monitoring systems for population dynamics of wildlife (e.g. moose) and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences hosts Artportalen, where occurrence data are collected for any taxa.

Despite their collaborations between science and volunteers, the Swedish monitoring systems rarely call themselves citizen science and are lacking from the European Citizen Science Association community. In this poster, we will shortly discuss if these experienced systems think that the methods of citizen science can help cover gaps in biodiversity monitoring.

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Poster Short Abstract

The goal of this poster is to shine light upon the phenomenon of citizen science in the field of natural/environmental sciences in Estonia during the Soviet occupation. The goal would be attained through historical study of the society and its trustees in the Estonian SSR.

Poster Abstract

Scholarly societies have existed around the world for centuries, and the same thing can be said about Estonia. Some prominent examples are Learned Estonian Society (Õpetatud Eesti Selts, est. 1838), Livonian Public Benefit and Economic Society (Liivimaa Üldkasulik ja Ökonoomiline Sotsieteet, 1792-1939), and importantly in the context of given poster the Estonian Naturalists’ Society (Eesti Looduseuurijate Selts, est. 1853) — a scholarly environmental sciences society for which the main objective to this day is the development, promotion, and popularisation of scholarly work in the field of environmental sciences in Estonia. The organization also existed during the Soviet occupation (since 1946) and it consisted of full-fledged and honorary members, and trustees. The latter group also participated in ENS’ conferences, seminars and did scholarly field work out in nature — in other words, these people are amateur/citizen scientists.

The goal of this poster is to shine light upon the phenomenon of citizen science in the field of natural/environmental sciences in Estonia during the Soviet occupation. The goal would be attained through historical study of the society and its trustees in the Estonian SSR.

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Poster Short Abstract

IMPETUS would like to share the experience of the IMPETUS team in supporting new and ongoing citizen science projects through our IMPETUS accelerator programme, as well as promote the work that IMPETUS has achieved behind the scenes of the accelerator programme, in terms of methodology and policy.

Poster Abstract

As the IMPETUS project nears the end of its journey, we celebrate supporting three cohorts of citizen science initiatives as they chart their course toward success. Along the way, we’ve equipped them with the tools and resources needed to embark confidently on their adventures — proudly flying the flag for citizen science.

By its conclusion, IMPETUS will have launched 100 new citizen science projects and provided advanced guidance to help 25 ongoing initiatives achieve greater impact. Yet, this voyage has not always been smooth sailing.

In this session, we’ll share the highs and lows of supporting citizen science projects and reflect on the practices developed through the IMPETUS calls and accelerator programme. We’ll also highlight the outcomes and insights gained behind the scenes by the IMPETUS consortium, from creating new methodologies and policy contributions to fostering lasting impact across Europe. Through this work, IMPETUS has helped empower communities to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the European Green Deal.

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Poster Short Abstract

We know so little about species numbers and distribution. We need the power of citizen science to help us record biodiversity observations. On May 23rd, the TETTRIs project leads a global to highlight the importance of naming species. How can we protect what we don’t know? #NameItToSaveIt.

Poster Abstract

Every species has a story—but without a name, that story may never be told. The TETTRIs project is a coalition of Europe’s leading natural history museums and botanical gardens. We are calling on the world to celebrate taxonomy – the science that names, classifies, and describes life on Earth.

Join the #NameItToSaveIt Movement

We’re asking everyone—scientists, students, nature lovers—to help make taxonomy visible. Here’s how you can participate:

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Poster Short Abstract

AI has potential to rapidly advance citizen science, but its limits and impact must be understood. This study explores how the citizen science community defines and applies responsible, ethical, and trustworthy AI, considering its opportunities, drawbacks, volunteer impact, and future advancement.

Poster Abstract

The use of AI techniques (machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision) is increasing rapidly across citizen science. Such techniques are used throughout the research process, such as cleaning data before presenting it to volunteers, using volunteers to contribute to the training of machine learning models, in the field data collection aided by computer vision, and creating collaborations between humans and AI to make tasks more engaging and of higher quality. Whilst this can improve the scientific process, it is important to understand the limitations of the use of these techniques, as well as consider the impact on how volunteers understand their role in participatory science. How practitioners communicate the use of AI to volunteers and continue to emphasize the importance of their contributions is also extremely important.

To be beneficial to all in the citizen science community, the use of AI must be responsible, ethical, and trustworthy. However, it is not always clear what this means and how it can be applied. This talk presents results of a study into how those who work in citizen science consider these terms when it comes to the use of AI. What are the opportunities and drawbacks of using AI techniques? What does it mean to be responsible, ethical, and trustworthy? How does the use of AI affect volunteers, and how can we ensure they remain engaged and understand their vital role in research? And how does the participatory science community think the use of AI should be advanced?

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Poster Short Abstract

Experiences from teaching 2 courses in Citizen Science for PhD students are presented. We had 28 participants in total from all 5 faculties at our university. Exercises gave the participants important knowledge about collaboration with citizens and 6 of them are conducting CS projects now.

Poster Abstract

Our experiences from organizing 2 Citizen Science courses for PhD students at University of Southern Denmark are presented. The courses were 4 full days, and we had 28 participants in total. The aim was to teach the participants about the principles and possibilities of Citizen Science and enable them to apply these methods to their own projects. Cases presented by researchers with experience in developing and running CS projects were part of the course and gave good insight and started relevant discussions among the participants.

The poster will reflect on the following themes:

1. Aligning CS models with PhD students’ projects

2. The scare of involving actual citizens

3. CS across disciplines

4. Teaching CS in practice

The importance of communication and giving something back to the citizens was challenging for some of the participants but the exercises helped to comprehend this: Making a research teaser and then designing and running a pilot workshop with citizens gave an impression of the skills needed to engage the public in the research process.

From the course evaluations we can conclude that many of the participants are very likely to or to some extent intend to use CS methods in their future research projects. Follow-up has revealed that at least 6 of the participants are conducting CS projects now.

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Poster Short Abstract

Urban ReLeaf engages citizens in six European cities to monitor heat, air quality, and greenspaces using sensors, apps, and mapping tools. By combining technology with lived experience, residents and authorities co-create climate adaptation strategies for greener, healthier cities.

Poster Abstract

European cities face escalating environmental pressures including air pollution, heat stress, and uneven access to green spaces. Urban ReLeaf positions citizen science at the heart of inclusive urban greening, helping cities design nature-based solutions that strengthen climate resilience, biodiversity, and social equity. The project demonstrates how citizen science can close knowledge gaps, inform evidence-based decision-making, and empower residents, particularly those from vulnerable or marginalised groups, to shape greener, healthier cities.

Urban ReLeaf supports six pilot cities introducing campaigns testing innovative approaches to citizen science for policy impact. In Athens, residents and municipal workers combine wearable sensor data and lived experiences with a participatory tree registry to tackle heat stress and improve tree management. Cascais participants map thermal comfort, producing maps of hot spots and comfort zones that guide climate adaptation planning. Dundee engages families, students, and vulnerable groups in monitoring air pollution and park quality to inform inclusive greenspace upgrades. In Mannheim, volunteers gather heat perceptions while supporting a participatory tree registry, linking personal comfort with environmental data. Riga residents trace their own routes with sensors and comfort logs, complemented by community air quality monitoring to shape greening in traffic-heavy neighborhoods. Utrecht citizens map hot and cool spots with sensor data feeding a Digital Twin, ensuring diverse voices influence climate resilience strategies.

Together, these cities showcase how inclusive citizen science methods strengthen partnerships between residents and public authorities. By embedding citizen science into governance processes, Urban ReLeaf advances more equitable, data-driven urban planning and transformative strategies for sustainable urban futures.

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Poster Short Abstract

Community gardens can serve as living labs where researchers and civil society co-create biodiversity interventions. Here we present our approach, focusing on how changing roles and expertise across various formats of collaboration created dynamic partnerships for urban ecological transformation.

Poster Abstract

The urban ecological transformation requires cooperations that extend beyond disciplinary boundaries and traditional institutional structures. In our project with community gardens in Berlin and Munich, Germany, we have linked ecological research on pollinators with gardeners’ practical expertise and the facilitation of civil society organizations. Over the past five years, we jointly developed and tested multiple collaboration formats: from citizen science data collection over co-created guidelines for biodiversity interventions to environmental education, science communication and the implementation of interventions in the gardens and surrounding neighborhoods. With each project phase, new actors joined and roles evolved, creating a dynamic interplay of expertise and responsibilities. This process not only generated strategies for shaping biodiversity-friendly cities but also insights into how collaboration formats and shifting roles themselves become drivers of innovation. On our poster, we present examples of these practices and reflect on the lessons they offer for building sustainable partnerships between science and society.

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Poster Short Abstract

Showcasing a collection of papers on Citizen Science and it's potential for science education, this work highlights the publication of a special issue of IJSE Part B and represents the shared expertise of the ECSA Learning and Education working group.

Poster Abstract

This poster showcases a collection of papers that were published in a special issue of the International Journal of Science Education, Part B on Community and Citizen Science (CCS) and young people in formal and informal learning settings. This work represents the shared expertise of the ECSA Learning and Education working group. Three overarching themes are addressed in the papers included in our special issue, these are:

• The learning setting as the sum of the design features, facilitation aspects and the learning opportunities created

By considering CCS activities as learning settings, we can utilise and critique established research approaches from the science education field to gain a deeper understanding of participant experiences during the CCS process.

• Capacity building in educators, teachers and other facilitators

In youth-focused settings, educators, teachers and other facilitators are key stakeholders in implementing CCS with young people. They often act as gatekeepers for participation, take on critical roles in guiding youth participation, and serve as mediators between projects and youth.

• Outcomes in the light of design features

A measure of ‘learning outcome’ is a desirable feature of citizen science projects, enabling effects to be measured for the people involved alongside the data-driven outcomes on the scientific issue in question. A focus on ‘outcomes’ is part of the puzzle, but communication between scientists, young people, and educators in citizen science projects is a vital consideration.

Our poster will share insights and findings from the ten articles that make up this inspiring collection of papers.

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Poster Short Abstract

Mapping citizen involvement in the projects of a nursing research unit in Portugal reveals progress and challenges in implementing citizen science principles in nursing research.

Poster Abstract

Introduction: The Nursing School of the University of Coimbra has stood out as a pioneering institution in Portugal by integrating citizen science (CS) as a strategic axis of development within its research unit, UICISA:E (Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing). Objective: This study aimed to map citizen involvement in research projects registered within UICISA:E. Methods: This is a qualitative study developed in two stages. In the first stage, a documentary analysis was conducted of the ongoing and completed Associated Study Projects (PEA), based on information available on the institutional website. In the second stage, between April and July 2025, seven focus groups were conducted across the different research clusters of UICISA:E, involving 39 researchers. Notably, a citizen participated in the development of the focus group guide. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results: As of March 11, 2025, 69 ongoing PEAs were identified, of which 18 (26.1%) included some level of citizen involvement; however, only 10 specified the adopted approach (collaborative, consultative, and/or co-creation). Among the 10 completed PEAs, only two described citizen involvement. The focus group discussions highlighted researchers’ experiences in implementing CS-oriented investigations, the potential of CS to strengthen nursing research and foster closer connections between science and society, as well as the challenges encountered. Conclusion: The institutionalization of CS within UICISA:E requires researcher training, incentives, and the dissemination of best practices for citizen involvement in nursing research.

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Poster Short Abstract

Most participants in the citizen science project Lakes in Leisure Time see their involvement as research. They base this on the university backing, use of scientific methods, and knowledge creation — though few feel they can “do research” themselves.

Poster Abstract

Lakes in Leisure Time is a citizen science initiative in Denmark where children, youth, and adults collect ecological data on lakes via Lake Camps for children (2021–2024) and Find a Lake events for everyone. This poster presents findings from questionnaires investigating whether participants believe the activities constitute “research” and why. Overall, 73–86 % of Lake Camp respondents (n=74) and 100 % of Find a Lake respondents (n=70) judged their engagement as research. Their explanations clustered around three themes: (1) institutional authority — the projects are run by universities and researchers; (2) methodological rigor — participants use scientific tools and systematic measurement; and (3) production of new knowledge — data contribute to understanding lake ecology and water quality. Younger participants often emphasized the use of instruments and learning, whereas adult respondents more frequently associated research with institutional affiliation and scientific credibility. Many stated they “help researchers” and see their contributions as part of the research process. Yet, while many reported increased confidence to assist scientists after participation, only a minority felt empowered to conduct research independently. These results suggest that citizen scientists’ recognition of “real research” is grounded both in institutional legitimacy and participatory experience. Understanding these perceptions can help design more inclusive and credible citizen science projects, fostering deeper public engagement in scientific knowledge production.

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Poster Short Abstract

Citizen science (CS) projects have the potential to foster nature connectedness (NC), however less is known about how CS project design can nurture such connection. We share a systematic review of CS and NC literature and examples to spark discussions about CS project adaptations.

Poster Abstract

There is a growing body of evidence which points to the many benefits of engaging in environmental citizen science projects, such as increased knowledge, self-efficacy skills, pro-environmental behaviours, to increasing someone's sense of belonging with the natural world, also referred to as nature connectedness. These effects are lauded as possible solutions to addressing the pressing climate and biodiversity crises. How CS experiences foster nature connectedness through project design is yet under-explored. This poster will present results from an exploratory multidisciplinary literature review about how CS activities can enhance nature connectedness. We will also introduce dimensions for creating inclusive citizen science experiences by drawing on traditional knowledge, philosophical and relational systems about people's inseparable relationship with nature. By sharing examples of CS projects which have been purposefully designed to emphasize the stimulation of nature connectedness and through our literature review, we will engage in thoughtful conversations with ECSA conference attendees by discussing potential adaptations that can be made to their or others' CS projects. Our aim is to use these discussions to map emerging themes and co-develop initial practical guidelines for integrating nature connectedness into citizen science activities.

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Poster Short Abstract

RE4GREEN’s micro-module trainings, developed and piloted with researchers and citizen scientists, address the lack of practical ethics tools for climate related citizen science. This poster highlights the collaborative process behind their creation and presents key training outcomes.

Poster Abstract

Citizen science is increasingly used to address climate and environmental challenges, yet ethical and justice based considerations within these issues remain underdeveloped in practical training and guidance. A series of micro-modules have been developed under the EU-funded RE4GREEN project to address this gap, supporting researchers, students, and citizen scientists in navigating ethical issues in climate-affected contexts.

The open-access training materials include tools such as the ethics-based conversation cards that guide users through real-world dilemmas across the research cycle, exercises for mapping environmental justice concerns, and reflection activities on planetary health and justice. These trainings prompt participants to consider issues like shifting vulnerabilities, ethical presence in disaster-affected areas, and the recognition of indigenous knowledge in collaborative research.

This poster illustrates how micro modules aim to strengthen equitable knowledge production in citizen science by bridging ethical, epistemic, and institutional divides, particularly in contexts where resource inequalities, indigenous knowledge systems, and diverse vulnerabilities persist. It also highlights lessons learned from piloting the tools and invites conference participants to provide feedback on their relevance to their own projects.

By focusing on values based and adaptive ethics training, these materials aim to enhance the capacity of citizen science initiatives to act as a bridge between research institutions and communities, in line with the ECSA 2026 theme of inclusive and transformative citizen science.

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Poster Short Abstract

The new.y established Czech and Slovak Citizen Science Platform connects researchers, educators, and communities across Central Europe. It fosters collaboration, inclusivity, and open science practices to strengthen citizen science between urban and peripheral regions.

Poster Abstract

Citizen science in Central Europe is rapidly evolving, yet its visibility and cooperation across national borders remain limited. The newly established Czech and Slovak Citizen Science Platform aims to fill this gap by connecting researchers, educators, NGOs, public institutions, and citizen groups engaged in participatory science. The platform fosters dialogue between Czech and Slovak initiatives and links them to the broader European network.

Through joint workshops, data-sharing tools, and open calls for collaboration, the platform supports the co-creation of research addressing local environmental, social, and cultural challenges. It reflects the spirit of inclusivity expressed by the ECSA 2026 theme “Citizen Science between Centre and Periphery”, bridging not only urban research hubs and rural areas but also national contexts with diverse historical and linguistic backgrounds.

The poster presents the platform’s vision, founding members, and online hub CitizenScience.cz, connecting Czech and Slovak communities. It also invites researchers and citizens from other regions to collaborate, exchange experiences, and contribute to shaping a more connected and resilient citizen science ecosystem in Central Europe.

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Poster Short Abstract

The iNaturalist Tagger lets citizens describe biodiversity images with tags. User inputs are compared with large language model outputs to study how invasive and endangered species are described. Evaluation includes completion rate, skip rate, and tag diversity.

Poster Abstract

Images of organisms in natural settings are an increasingly important source of information for biodiversity records. However, beyond species names and occurrence records, richly descriptive tags can capture habitat context, behavior, visual traits, and human perceptions, information that is often not included in traditional metadata. Semantic tagging thus enhances data integration, searchability, and downstream applications such as ecological modelling, automated classification, and conservation assessments. The iNaturalist Tagger is a citizen-centered web app that allows citizens to add image description into already published records in iNaturalist. Built in R Shiny, the GUI asks users to annotate randomized animal images from the Helsinki Metropolitan Area HMA-LTSER (Finland) published on iNaturalist. In each image, the user is asked to provide short tags about the image (describing the animal, the habitat where it is, and/or the user feelings towards the image and/or the animal in question). The species vernacular name (common name) and contextual badges (species conservation status and invasiveness in the study area) appear below each image providing additional information to users. The tags provided by the users will be used for comparison with large language model (LLM - chatGPT) outputs to understand the variation in semantic descriptions of invasive and endangered species between humans and LLM. Planned evaluations include completion rate, skip rate, tag diversity. Through a user-friendly interface and lightweight infrastructure, iNaturalist Tagger offers a reusable template for citizen science that improves semantic annotation of online biodiversity images.

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Poster Short Abstract

Oeiras Experimenta transforms a historic farm in Portugal into a living lab for drought-resilient crops research, engaging citizens, scientists, and communities to co-create sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food systems.

Poster Abstract

Oeiras Experimenta, implemented in Portugal through a partnership between ITQB NOVA and Oeiras Municipality under the Ciência + Cidadã program, is an innovative citizen science project fostering active public engagement in sustainability research. The project transforms the historic Quinta de Cima do Marquês de Pombal into a living laboratory focused on drought-resilient crops, including grass pea, sorghum and dryland rice. It unites scientists, citizens, policymakers, and local associations to collaboratively explore sustainable agroecosystems.

Three ITQB NOVA laboratories are involved with 15 researchers, including Masters and PhD students, generating early findings on crop resilience and stress tolerance that inform sustainable food strategies. Citizens engage in several research stages—from planning and sowing to field maintenance, monitoring, data collection, analysis, and co-decision processes—enhancing knowledge co-creation and research relevance. Over 2,000 participants across generations and social groups have joined through collaboration in research, participatory visits, public events, and activities with local organizations, social inclusion partners, restaurants, and artists.

Oeiras Experimenta emphasizes inclusion, equity, and intergenerational collaboration, creating tailored materials for underrepresented groups and adapting the model to new contexts, such as the Centro Padre António Oliveira juvenile detention centre. Recognised by the European Union Prize for Citizen Science and the IMPETUS program, the project highlights both opportunities and challenges of citizen science in living lab contexts.

By linking research, community engagement, and cultural initiatives, Oeiras Experimenta offers a scalable model for resilient, inclusive food systems. Future directions include advancing sustainable crop research, strengthening local food networks, and promoting public awareness of food security.

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Poster Short Abstract

CircleUp explores how citizen science can connect citizen engagement, data collection and policy action in circular economy transitions, using participatory methods to transform citizens from consumers into active co-creators of circular and data-driven governance.

Poster Abstract

The transition to a circular economy requires not only technological innovation but also active citizen participation and data integration across governance levels. Yet, a persistent gap remains between citizens’ engagement, and how this evidence informs decision-making. CircleUp investigates how citizen science can bridge this gap through participatory approaches that connect behavioural data, social learning, and governance. Existing research recognises citizens as political and social actors in circular transitions, moving beyond the role of consumers to actively influence how circular systems are governed (Ortega Alvarado, 2023; Korsunova et al., 2021).Building on this evidence, CircleUp explores how participatory methods can embed citizen agency within environmental governance frameworks. The project examines behavioural patterns (e.g. waste separation, repair and sharing practices), digital data practices (e.g. apps or platforms that record waste amounts), and collaborative interpretation processes. It tests how citizen-generated data can inform circular economy strategies and contribute to transparent and inclusive decision-making. Implemented across four pilot sites in the United Kingdom, Latvia, Norway, and Germany, CircleUp demonstrates how citizen science can strengthen accountability and civic ownership in circular economy governance, reframing circularity as both a social and data-driven transformation.

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Poster Short Abstract

An updated mapping of CS initiatives to SDGs, which maps and quantifies alignment across 79 indicators. This evidence roadmap addresses "vague policy language" hindering Citizen Generated Data uptake in Environmental Compliance Assurance for zero pollution, biodiversity, and deforestation.

Poster Abstract

This poster presents the systematic results of an updated mapping of Citizen Science (CS) contributions against the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators. Building on previous analysis that identified potential contributions to 76 indicators, our work systematically categorises contributions as "already contributing," "could contribute," or "no alignment present".

The analysis highlights the expanding and vital role of CS, confirming that the greatest contributions lie in the environmental domains, specifically SDG 15 (Life on Land), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). This systematic mapping serves as a critical, quantifiable resource for fostering collaborative Environmental Compliance Assurance (ECA).

Integrating this technical evidence with findings from More4nature’s policy landscape analysis reveals a key barrier: despite influential policies such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) increasingly referring to CS, the resulting policy language is often vague or ambiguous regarding the formal uptake of Citizen Generated Data (CGD). This ambiguity leads to inconsistent national implementation, hindering the institutionalisation of CGD in ECA.

The quantified potential provided by the mapping offers the necessary clarity and strategic evidence base to address these policy gaps. The More4nature project utilises this approach in 40 real-world cases (Z/B/D) to strategically engage national agencies and authorities, demonstrating how leveraging empirical data can drive transformative shifts toward robust, collaborative ECA.

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Poster Short Abstract

The Thundercloud Project engages citizens in observing winter lightning in Japan's Hokuriku region using gamma-ray detectors. Participation enhances understanding of lightning and fosters community-science connections, showing how local citizen science can bridge science study and society.

Poster Abstract

The Thundercloud Project is a regionally focused citizen science initiative that aims to elucidate the mechanisms of lightning. The Hokuriku coastal region of Japan experiences frequent winter lightning, providing an ideal environment for such study. However, this unique natural phenomenon remains largely unrecognized by local residents. Since 2021, we have collaborated with citizen supporters to install a compact gamma-ray monitor, named "CoGaMo", in their homes to monitor lightning during the winter season. The project not only contributes to science but also encourages residents to perceive lightning as a regional natural resource rather than merely a hazard. In this study, we explore what participants have gained through their involvement in the project, based on semi-structured interviews and questionnaire surveys. The findings indicate that participation deepens understanding of lightning phenomena, enhances scientific curiosity, and fosters a sense of connection both to the community and to science itself. Moreover, we describe the development of the project through continuous feedback, technological updates, and the integration of participants' experiences into the research process. This study demonstrates how regionally grounded citizen science can serve as a bridge between scientific inquiry and local engagement, offering insights into the sustainable operation of community-based research and the cultivation of new relationships between science and society.

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Poster Short Abstract

In the framework of soil blitzes, school classes across Austrian assessed soil health using simple methods. Over 400 data entries were analysed to raise awareness of the importance of soil as a resource and to contribute to the development of efficient soil health indicators and monitoring thereof.

Poster Abstract

Soils are vital for humans, animals, plants and the environment, yet 60% of them are currently considered unhealthy. As part of the Austrian Citizen Science Award 2025, the SoilBlitz Austria project enabled over 30 school classes across Austria to actively measure hands-on soil health indicators. Between April and July 2025, the students used five simple methods to evaluate soil texture, soil colour, water infiltration rate, earthworm presence, vegetation cover and root depth. Train-the-trainer sessions were held for teachers to introduce all methods and materials to ensure independent execution. The data was collected via a mobile app, documented, and scientifically validated. Students received immediate feedback and info cards summarising the health of their local soil. SoilBlitz Austria supports the development of harmonised soil indicators within the Horizon Europe BENCHMARKS project and fosters awareness and motivation among young participants regarding soil health.

This initiative was implemented in collaboration with Earthwatch Europe, AGES - Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, OeAD - Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation and the Austrian Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research as part of the Horizon Europe project 'Soil Health Benchmarks'. All materials and results are publicly available at www.ages.at/soilblitz and www.farming.earthwatch.org.uk/pages/soil-blitz-osterreich and https://youngscience.oead.at/de/mitforschen/citizen-science-award/aktuelle-projekte/soilblitz.

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Poster Short Abstract

This poster presents the main citizen science outputs from the Iliad project [https://ocean-twin.eu], which developed over 20 localised digital twins of the ocean. Several twins featured citizen science as a core component. The poster summarises lessons learned and reusable results from the project.

Poster Abstract

This poster presents the main citizen science outputs from the Iliad project [https://ocean-twin.eu], which developed over 20 localised Digital Twins of the Ocean (DTOs). Several of these DTOs featured citizen science as a core component. These citizen science DTOs covered a wide range of ocean fields including biodiversity (jellyfish swarms and invasive species), oil spills, aquaculture, harbour safety, and cultural heritage.

Key developments include: (i) an Ocean Information Model for semantic interoperability of (citizen science) marine data; (ii) new citizen science apps for data collection; (iii) an online course about citizen science for digital twin developers hosted within the Iliad Academy; (iv) tools to help generate semantic knowledge graphs (including OntoWeaver and SemFlow); (v) contributions to a global catalogue of marine citizen science which identified over 1200 marine citizen science initiatives; and (vi) the establishment of a citizen science community within the UNESCO IOC Ocean Best Practices System Repository. The key outputs from the project are all made available through the Iliad Marketplace [https://ocean-twin.eu/marketplace].

These outputs demonstrate how citizen science can enhance digital twin development and marine monitoring, while also fostering public engagement and knowledge exchange. The poster summarises lessons learned and highlights tools and practices that can be reused in future projects (such as methods and best practices).

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Poster Short Abstract

Drawing on extensive bibliographic and documentary research, this article examines the main legal challenges associated with the use and governance of different types of data in citizen science projects, considering regulations concerning both individual and collective rights

Poster Abstract

Citizen science projects use and generate diverse types of data, ranging from simple facts and figures to sensitive medical reports containing personal information, from sensor data to videos captured by cameras. The use of such data is governed by multiple legal frameworks that regulate both collective and individual rights, including intellectual property, personal data protection, and the use of traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.

Drawing on extensive bibliographic and documentary research, this article examines the main legal challenges associated with the use and governance of different types of data in citizen science projects, considering regulations concerning both individual and collective rights. An analysis of the legal issues discussed in the citizen science literature reveals a predominant focus on personal data protection, privacy, and intellectual property. In contrast, matters related to the protection of traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions receive limited attention, reflecting a potential bias towards the interests and contexts of the Global North.

Other aspects highlight the inadequacy of the current legal framework when applied to citizen science projects. These include the narrow scope of copyright limitations and exceptions available for research and non-commercial purposes, and the uncertainty as to whether citizen science initiatives qualify as “scientific research” or academic endeavours for the purpose of applying legal flexibilities. Moreover, there is an ongoing tension between the openness of data generated by citizen science and the restrictions on access to certain types of data, driven by the need to protect individual privacy, collective rights, and environmental interests.

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Poster Short Abstract

Study highlights the potential of Marine Citizen Science and cost-effective technologies in advancing coastal ocean observing. Challenges such as poor data documentation, limited access to affordable technologies, poor MCS coordination and motivation, especially in the Global South, hinder progress.

Poster Abstract

The coastal oceans, particularly in developing countries, remain largely unexplored, as most global efforts focus on open seas, resulting in significant data gaps in shelf and coastal waters. Citizen Science (CS) approaches, coupled with increasingly affordable technologies, offer a promising way to monitor the coasts by collecting extensive spatial and temporal data over shorter periods. This study reviewed 1127 marine citizen science initiatives (MCSIs) worldwide, emphasizing their contributions to environmental monitoring and coastal observing. Only 9% of the initiatives focused on environmental monitoring (physics, biogeochemistry, cross-disciplinary). Results revealed a continuing decline in new MCSIs globally since 2020 across all topics. The United States and global projects led in environmental monitoring MCSIs, while resource-limited regions had minimal representation. Temperature, Depth, Salinity, and dissolved oxygen were the most monitored oceanographic variables, and showed strong co-occurrences with other variables. Photography, low-cost sensors, and other oceanographic technologies were the primary tools used by MCSIs in environmental monitoring. Mobile apps and websites facilitated stakeholder connection, enabling data upload and access. However, data quality control methods were often poorly documented, affecting the trust in CS-generated data. The study recommends supporting under-resourced regions in adopting CS approaches for coastal observing to bridge the data sparse gap, as well as improving data quality documentation and adopting best practices. MCS has demonstrated a significant potential to complement existing coastal observing systems, as evidenced by examples from New Zealand, Tanzania, and the North-East Atlantic.

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Poster Short Abstract

We analysed iNaturalist data within the LTER-Italy network to explore their potential contribution to long-term ecological monitoring. These observations may help enhance spatial and temporal coverage and could complement existing datasets across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine sites.

Poster Abstract

The increasing availability of smartphones and sensors has significantly expanded the potential for biodiversity monitoring, allowing the collection of scientifically valuable data by a broad community of contributors. Among the digital tools enabling this process, iNaturalist plays a central role as a global platform for documenting and sharing biodiversity observations. Currently, iNaturalist represents the fourth largest data provider to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), highlighting its relevance in supporting large-scale ecological research.

In this study, we analysed data collected through the iNaturalist platform within the framework of the LTER-Italy umbrella project. The Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) network is an international initiative devoted to the long-term monitoring of ecosystems, aiming to detect environmental changes, understand ecological processes, and support sustainable management of natural resources. The Italian branch (LTER-Italy) includes a wide range of terrestrial, freshwater, transitional, and marine sites distributed across the country, each contributing long-term datasets to national and global research infrastructures.

The LTER-Italy iNaturalist umbrella project automatically aggregates all biodiversity observations recorded within LTER site boundaries. Our analysis evaluated the scientific contribution of these data to ongoing research activities, their spatial and taxonomic coverage, and their potential for integration with established long-term datasets. The results demonstrate that iNaturalist observations could enhance the temporal and spatial resolution of ecological monitoring within LTER sites, fostering synergies between citizen-generated data and institutional research frameworks.

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Poster Short Abstract

During their fieldwork excursions, Biology students at RWTH Aachen monitor biodiversity and soil quality in a food forest as citizen scientists. We present initial results on students’ perceptions (N=230), biodiversity findings, and a 360° learning environment.

Poster Abstract

It is often said that higher education is too distant from real-life applications. At RWTH Aachen University, biology students now experience a different approach. Already in their second semester, they conduct ecological monitoring of a food forest during their ecology field trips. At “Natuurlijk Berghof”, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and herbs are grown sustainably and economically without the use of fertilisers or pesticides on former conventionally used grassland, according to the basic ecological principles of a natural forest system with different vegetation layers. In our project, we are investigating the effects on biodiversity and soil quality as well as the students’ understanding, attitudes, and engagement with Citizen Science. Our poster presents the concept of the course, a 360° learning environment that brings the food forest into lecture halls and classrooms, as well as initial results from our research. Preliminary survey results (N=230) indicate that the majority of students consider Citizen Science to be meaningful (76%) and a "good thing" (78%). They are predominantly confident that they understand the Citizen Science activities (73%). However, the results also show that Citizen Science is not very present in students’ everyday lives: only 10% say that people in their immediate environment are involved in Citizen Science. Only 4% consider it common to talk about citizen science. Based on the initial results, we will propose design changes for the following data collection cycles.

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Poster Short Abstract

PULSE-ART promotes Cultural Awareness and Expression (CAE) as a lifelong learning competence through arts-based education. The project builds multi-level stakeholder engagement to co-create policies, methodologies, and tools enhancing the role of the arts in education across Europe.

Poster Abstract

PULSE-ART (Promoting Understanding and Lifelong learning Successful Education through the ARTs and culture) is a project fostering Cultural Awareness and Expression (CAE) as a transversal, lifelong competence. It seeks to understand how arts-based education can strengthen democratic participation, social inclusion, and intercultural dialogue across Europe and beyond.

Through a combination of research, co-creation, and 4H stakeholders engagement, PULSE-ART develops and tests methodologies that integrate the arts into educational systems. Its seven international case studies explore how diverse art forms—such as music, performance, illustration, dance, and digital art—contribute to the development of CAE skills.

The project is structured around multi-level stakeholder engagement, coordinated through national MOSAIC HUBs and digital Observatory for Arts in Education, which connect youth, educators, artists, policymakers, cultural and educational organisations, and citizens. This participatory architecture supports the co-creation of National Action Plans and European policy recommendations, ensuring that evidence from practice informs systemic change.

PULSE-ART also produces a Professional Development Programme, supporting teachers and cultural institutions in applying art-based approaches transversally in formal, non-formal and informal education settings.

By combining arts, education, and citizen and youth participation, PULSE-ART advances an inclusive model of lifelong education that situates culture and creativity at the heart of Europe’s democratic and social transformation.

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Poster Short Abstract

SUSTAINABLE MOTHERHOOD: citizen science project to generate new knowledge in understanding psychological and emotional aspects of the postpartum period, co-designing and co-developing new solutions that improve the experience of women and their families during motherhood, with healthcare services.

Poster Abstract

The World Health Organization indicates that 15% of women worldwide experience mental health problems during pregnancy. This percentage rises to 19.8% among women who have already given birth.

Consequences of mental health disorders during pregnancy or postpartum in the form of stress, psychosocial problems, and health issues are clear, but there are also negative consequences on the baby's development: rejection, abandonment of breastfeeding, bonding disorders, reduced care, suicide of the mother or infanticide.

Recent "State of Motherhood in Europe 2024" study developed by Make Mother Matters NGO also reveals that mothers in Europe, feel overburdened, mistreated by an inflexible labor system, and undervalued socially, which is creating a worrying crisis in maternal mental health that is impacting society as a whole.

Spanish public health services still have only tentative initiatives to address perinatal mental health. It is essential to have a health policy committed to perinatal mental health and the emotional well-being of women and their families.

SUSTAINABLE MOTHERHOOD is an ongoing national funded citizen science initiative to better understand and generate new knowledge about the postpartum process, with a special emphasis on mental health and emotional well-being of the new family.

The project is focus on defining the postpartum period challenges, obtaining data from various participatory processes, including co-creation sessions with users following design thinking methodologies, surveys, participatory ethnography, and finally the analysis and dissemination of the data obtained. We will create a sound and audio bank and the generation of transmedia stories describing the ideas, beliefs, narratives, and practices of the group and the community itself.

A workshop with health decision makers will be held to work on the formulation of public policies and/or strategies around perinatal mental health.

The poster will show the project methodology as well as the postpartum challenges already validated by our citizen scientists.

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Poster Short Abstract

The Nature Observation Marathon in Estonia provides regular verified data across all living organisms for an open access database. The Marathon event has become the ambassador for the collaboration between scientists and citizens.

Poster Abstract

The Nature Observation Marathon in Estonia began in 2018 as a local initiative aimed at promoting nature observation and scientific data collection. Since then, it has evolved into a popular nationwide citizen science event, contributing valuable specimen data from across the country. The data, collected and saved on the PlutoF platform, is publicly accessible via biodiversity portals and published to global biodiversity databases, making it useful for researchers around the world.

The Nature Observation Marathon follows the format of BioBlitz. The data collection methods are efficient yet simple, allowing participation of hobby naturalists and even schoolchildren. All submitted observations are reviewed by experts before being accepted and uploaded to the database and must include sufficient evidential detail for verification. Open-access databases foster global collaboration—between scientists, and between scientists and citizens. Since 2023, the Nature Observation Marathon has expanded to neighboring countries, strengthening a growing network of scientists from various disciplines, including botanists, mycologists, ornithologists, data scientists, and others.

In our presentation, we describe the methodology used and highlight important variables affecting the results. We also illustrate the importance of citizen science with a few outcomes and propose ideas for future collaboration for both the Marathon-like events as well as the possibilities of PlutoF data platform. This example of a network of citizens and professional scientists working together has become a powerful tool for generating high-quality data, supporting a wide range of applications, including phenological studies, youth education, and nature conservation.

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Poster Short Abstract

Viareggio Futura employs participatory action-research and generative communication to engage diverse stakeholders through hybrid labs and strategic gatekeeper mapping, fostering inclusive dialogue and collective knowledge co-creation for territory planning.

Poster Abstract

This poster presents the methodological framework of Viareggio Futura, an action-research initiative by Centro Ricerche sAu focused on co-designing the future of Viareggio. Central to the project is the integration of generative communication and participatory action-research practices, which enable dialogic processes between governance, citizens, businesses, and institutions.

Key methodological components include the establishment of “Officina” community labs—both physical and virtual—where citizen science practices collect and analyze local perceptions on themes such as culture, health, and mobility. These hybrid spaces, combined with the InComuneLab platform, merge digital tools with face-to-face interactions to support inclusive, democratic co-creation.

The engagement strategy revolves around identifying and involving strategic gatekeepers across economic, social, and cultural sectors, who, together with ambassador organizations and ordinary citizens, participate through differentiated roles in visioning and planning. Special attention is given to making participation accessible to vulnerable groups—women, elderly, socially excluded—through targeted listening pathways.

By advancing a replicable model of territorial action-research and collective intelligence, Viareggio Futura fosters systemic innovation in urban governance and creates a framework for other cities to adopt participatory and inclusive future planning processes.

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Poster Short Abstract

We explore how two large-scale citizen science projects, Christmas Bird Count and eBird, perpetuate legacy systems of colonization. Can these types of projects change to support diverse communities and alternative ways of knowing in both WEIRD and non-WEIRD contexts?

Poster Abstract

Large-scale citizen science projects are important for their ability to collect data across geographic regions that can better help understand trends on a regional and global scale. These systems currently function to serve Western science and Western scientific frameworks. These projects face challenges of diversity, inclusion, and equity. They have also used a deficit-based approach where the burden of the barriers to participation lay on the individual instead of an examination of systematic changes at all levels of the project. Based on an analysis of global participation, we argue that Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird perpetuates a colonial British way of “knowing” birds and perpetuates a historical legacy of dominant western culture. These lessons learned can be implemented across marginalized groups even within a WEIRD country. Through the implementation of an equity driven training program (The IDEAL Program), we guided leaders of Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count in reflective and reflexive thinking and a step-by-step process to change their project to expand and support multicultural participation. If large-scale citizen science projects can make changes to be more diverse and inclusive, can citizen science be the bridge between Western science and alternative ways of knowing resulting in a deeper understanding?

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Poster Short Abstract

This poster presentation focuses on analysis how the citizen science as open schooling method contributes to ocean and water literacy in European schools. Poster presents conceptual frameworks on how to measure ocean and water literacy, including citizen science element.

Poster Abstract

Ocean and water literacy among children and adolescents is essential for fostering informed environmental stewards and supporting long-term conservation goals. Literature presents several conceptual frameworks on how to measure ocean and water literacy (Fauville et al., 2019, McKinley et al., 2023). The widely accepted framework to measure ocean and water literacy, developed by Fauville et al. (2019), is based on 7 major principles such as (1) Earth has one big ocean with many features; (2) The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth; (3) The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate (4) The ocean makes Earth habitable; (5) The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems; (6) The ocean and humans are inextricably linked; (7) The ocean is largely unexplored. ProBleu (2024) introduced a modification of McKinley’s et al. framework, extending it to freshwaters. This framework is used to assess ocean and freshwaters literacy of schoolchildren in the ProBleu project. ProBleu (“Promoting ocean and water literacy in school communities”) is an EU Research and Innovation Funding Programme “Horizon Europe” funded project (Project No. 101113001), that aims to develop and offer educational resources and tools around the knowledge of aquatic ecosystems, based on Open Schooling methodologies. This poster presentation focuses on analysis how the citizen science as open schooling method contributes to ocean and water literacy in European schools.

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Poster Short Abstract

The poster presents our main takeaways from the cross-university teaching project "Citizens Consider(ed)", focusing on citizen science as a field for transformative learning, both for students and for lecturers. It provides a case study for integrating citizen science into higher education.

Poster Abstract

The aim of the teaching project “Citizens Consider(ed)” was to create and implement a concept for a cross-university teaching format that would enable students to develop their own citizen science projects at the intersection of AI and sustainability. With funding from the “Lake Constance Arts & Sciences Association,” we were able to provide student groups with a budget to cover project costs and to invite guest lecturers who complemented our expertise.

The use of citizen science as a research method in a transdisciplinary course across universities has the potential to help students understand major socio-political issues, such as AI-based sustainability concepts from different perspectives and logics, to make them tangible by analysing specific application contexts, and to generate new insights for research and practice through collaboration between students and citizen scientists. In addition to thematic knowledge and research experience, students acquire key future skills by collaborating with citizen scientists, which prepares them for application-oriented, transdisciplinary project work. They then put these skills to the test in a supervised setting.

A crucial element of the project was learning what it means to act and create impact within a local context. Through their citizen science initiatives, students gained insight into how research can contribute to community engagement and social cohesion, fostering a sense of agency and self-efficacy. It furthermore inspired them to make connections between theoretical knowledge and how it can be translated and used in collaborative settings.

Our poster portrays the main project pillars and summarises crucial insights, challenges, and opportunities that grew from the teaching project. It will focus on citizen science as a field for transformative learning, both for students and lecturers.

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Poster Short Abstract

We propose a framework to assess efficiency and to improve the data quality and suitability of citizen and participatory science projects that monitor litter. The proposed framework supports improved resource use, project planning, and public engagement for lasting and sustainable impact.

Poster Abstract

Citizen and participatory science (CPS) play a critical role in expanding spatial and temporal monitoring of anthropogenic litter, while also offering underrecognized societal benefits and personal wellbeing. However, concerns remain regarding the efficiency of CPS projects, particularly in terms of data reliability and resource demands. To support more efficient CPS initiatives, we propose a framework for assessing efficiency in CPS data management workflows through key performance indicators (KPIs). Efficiency is defined here as the competent, and cost- and time-effective production of high-quality and suitable scientific data. We suggest 25 plus KPIs across six main data management phases: planning, collection, validation, standardizing and harmonizing, analysis, and data description and archiving. Thereby, we categorized indicators into (1) generic, (2) participant-oriented, (3) scientific data, and (4) data management indicators. Each KPI is aligned with specific actions and intended outcomes based on practical experience in managing CPS projects, on-site sampling, and interviews with project practitioners and researchers. This KPI Framework serves both as a planning tool for new projects and as a review mechanism for ongoing or completed projects. By applying this KPI-based assessment in every project phase, CPS practitioners can better allocate resources, ensure data quality and suitability, and enhance participant engagement. Ultimately, this approach aims to improve CPS project efficiency and thereby help popularize the utilization of CPS and contribute to greater public awareness and behavioral change regarding anthropogenic litter.

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Poster Short Abstract

By stepping over the ten-year mark, SPOTTERON Citizen Science App Platform now extends its capabilities and introduces a Co-Use Program. The Program includes several Apps running on the Platform open for CS projects to join and through that bring new synergies and opportunities in the horizon.

Poster Abstract

The idea of the SPOTTERON Citizen Science App Platform was born in 2014 with the long-term goal to provide an always-maintained, collaborative & ever-improved system to Citizen Science Projects worldwide. By stepping over the ten-year mark, SPOTTERON now extends its capabilities and introduces a Co-Use Program.

How does the SPOTTERON Co-Use Program work?

Thanks to the diverse collaborations, several Apps running on the SPOTTERON Citizen Science App Platform are open to existing Citizen Science projects to join. Each co-use partner in a project can get independent access to the platform's Data Administration Interface and its integrated tools like full regional & country-based access, data management & download, communication suite and publishing project activities on the digital map. At the moment themes like marine environment, art & culture, biodiversity and invasive species as well as urban planning are covered in the current Co-Use Program.

The recent development of the SPOTTERON Citizen Science App Platform allows reflecting on the opportunities the co-use of digital citizen science tools offer. Collaborations between projects strengthen Citizen Science, the reach of the project gets improved and synergies can emerge. This in turn shows how diversity of citizen science ideas can cross-pollinate and extend from local to international application and vice versa.

This year's conference theme allows us to celebrate this milestone which brings citizen science project collaboration possibilities to another level. The first pilot tests are on the horizon and provide ground for sharing this experience.

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Poster Short Abstract

Konstanz on AI is a student-led citizen science project exploring how citizens of Konstanz perceive AI. With interactive posters and an “AI Action Day” we gathered and analyzed experiences and opinions with citizens, showing ambivalent views and the potential of small-scale student-driven projects.

Poster Abstract

Konstanz on AI is a citizen science project developed by four sociology students at the University of Konstanz. The project explores how citizens of Konstanz, a small town in southern Germany, perceive and engage with artificial intelligence.

Our poster presents the process of transforming a seminar idea into a city-wide citizen science project within only three months. Using interactive posters distributed across the city as well as an “AI Action Day” in the city center, we collected opinions, interviews, and survey data. The analysis of this material was carried out collaboratively with citizens, ensuring that the interpretation of results remained grounded in local perspectives.

The findings reveal strong ambivalence towards AI: enthusiasm about its potential, coexists with skepticism and concern. Beyond the results themselves, the project highlights the importance of space for community-based interaction, research, and dialogue.

The poster also reflects on the methodological choices we made: using interactive posters as low-threshold entry points and a public action day as a forum for dialogue. Both formats enabled participation across age groups and levels of prior knowledge.

At the same time, the project raised questions about sustainability and continuity. How can temporary student projects create lasting engagement? By sharing our answer and reflections we aim to contribute to broader discussions on how citizen science can be adapted, and integrated into everyday urban life as well as higher education.

This poster aims to demonstrate that citizen science does not necessarily require long-term projects, led by experts. With a learning-by-doing approach, motivation, and engaged citizens, meaningful citizen science can also emerge from a student-led project.

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Poster Short Abstract

In 2022 Emilia-Romagna Region started a project to develop a Citizen Science network through a shared framework, a public repository, and training activities. This poster presents the coordinating approach, highlighting how a regional institution aims to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Poster Abstract

Can a regional institution effectively foster a Citizen Science territorial community? Starting from this question, Emilia-Romagna Region launched the CitizER Science project and the conceptual framework, in order to act as a facilitator of a Citizen Science network. The poster presents the activities realized and planned in the CitizER Science Project, and the coordinating approach of Emilia-Romagna Region. The project started with mapping existing Citizen Science experiences, both regionally and nationally. This mapping revealed a rich environment of initiatives—carried out by municipalities, universities, environmental agencies, museums, and associations—but also a lack of connection and shared practices among them. From this analysis, the CitizER Science framework has been developed, offering practical guidelines for designing and implementing projects. The framework has been updated based on feedback from stakeholders who actually used it.A more practical tool supports the framework: a public repository that makes regional projects visible, allowing others to learn from existing experiences. Workshops for students and dissemination activities are part of the networking and promotion goal, through the creation of spaces where different actors can meet, exchange ideas, and discover potential collaborations. This poster presents what we've learned so far about the developing of a regional Citizen Science network. What works? What doesn't? What kind of support do stakeholders actually need? We'll share both the positive outcomes and the challenges we've faced in trying to build a collaborative community around Citizen Science.

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Poster Short Abstract

“Feel like AI?” is a Citizen Science project by university students with 10th grade pupils in school. In our poster, we illustrate our learnings in the process of creating the project, as well as the insights we gained through our Citizen Scientists.

Poster Abstract

This summer term, four BA sociology students from the University of Konstanz, participated in a seminar on Citizen Science. The aim of that course was to plan and realize our own Citizen Science project. For the four of us, this seminar was our first point of contact with Citizen Science, as well as the first overall experience of conducting research.

Our poster illustrates the learnings from our research at the interface of Artificial Intelligence and social sustainability, conducted in collaboration with a group of tenth-grade pupils.

The pathway towards our own project, starting from scratch, taught us a great deal about flexibility and time management, as well as the continual cycle of making, overthrowing, and reforming plans. While we learned a lot about the nature of Citizen Science, our Citizen Scientists gifted us valuable insights. The results of our research were characterized by a relatively equal amount of advantages and disadvantages of AI in schools and the broader societal context. Aspects that kept coming up were the efficiency of AI and the support it can provide in various situations. However, the pupils also pointed out a great number of risks they see are connected to the use of AI, most importantly in areas of social interaction and societal change.

In our poster, we will provide a detailed overview of our research results, accompanied by visual materials that illustrate our project’s development.

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Poster Short Abstract

Presents contributory research, a critical research strategy that situates extreme citizen science within a marco-economic agenda for the inclusive and sustainable co-production of knowledge.

Poster Abstract

How can citizen science be rendered truly accessible and sustainable? Citizen science has often been praised for bridging the gap between scientific and civic interests. At the same time, some authors argue that it has been mobilised by a neoliberal agenda as a source of cheap research labour. In its most problematic forms, this trend leads to what Riley and Wilkes have called Dark Citizen Science, where citizens unknowingly analyse data for corporate profit—effectively turning participation into exploitation.

To prevent citizen science from “turning dark,” the Institute of Research and Innovation proposes a form of critical and extreme citizen science that explicitly seeks to valorise the contributions of participants, whether symbolically or financially. This approach not only aligns with principles of fairness, but also encourages the involvement of minority groups in a field for which the voluntary base remains predominantly middle-class and white.

This poster presents three pilot projects conducted in France’s poorest department, Seine-Saint-Denis, following this strategy. Each explores new ways of linking citizen science and economic models, including state-funded training, capacity building and self-entrepreneurship, and the use of complementary currencies. Together, these initiatives provide new ideas to a still under-explored topic within the field: how citizen science might embrace an ethos of sustainability—not only in ecological, but also in social terms.

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Poster Short Abstract

This presentation outlines the development of a university-wide citizen research panel at the University of Turku. We describe the panel´s design process, implementation and early experiences in fostering collaboration between researchers and citizens across disciplines.

Poster Abstract

Citizen participation in research is increasingly recognised as essential for producing societally relevant, transparent, and impactful knowledge. In 2024, the University of Turku launched the project Science Belongs to Everyone! with the aim of bringing science and the university closer to citizens. To strengthen citizen involvement in research activities, it was decided to establish a university-wide citizen research panel to provide new opportunities for low-threshold collaboration.

This presentation describes the rationale, development process, and key design choices made in building the panel. Development steps included a survey of university staff, faculty visits and workshops, benchmarking comparable national and international initiatives, and co-development with a cross-disciplinary working group of researchers. These inputs informed decisions on the panel’s structure, recruitment, training for both citizens and researchers, and the support services provided.

The panel is designed as a flexible mechanism: researchers can submit task invitations at different stages of their projects, ranging from formulating a research question to helping with research communication. Local citizens, aged 15 and above join as volunteer panel members and choose which tasks to participate in.

Specific online trainings were developed for both citizens and researchers to prepare them for collaboration. In addition, project staff provide tailored support in designing tasks and organising panel meetings, ensuring a smooth process for both sides.

By the end of September 2025, nearly 150 citizens had joined the panel after completing the required online training, and researchers had submitted three tasks. These early results demonstrate a strong interest on both sides and indicate the potential of the panel to serve as an innovative tool for advancing citizen involvement in a multidisciplinary university.

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Poster Short Abstract

A citizen science project monitoring nocturnal flying insects in Belgian conservation habitats. It addresses the underrepresentation of nocturnal communities in science by involving volunteers in long-term sampling, fostering local engagement and ecological understanding.

Poster Abstract

Nights are no longer dark and calm—human activity and artificial lighting have transformed nocturnal environments. Yet, nocturnal animal communities remain poorly studied, likely due to the day-biased nature of scientific work and the logistical challenges of night-time sampling. This project aims to shed light on the dynamics of nocturnal flying insect communities, which are crucial for understanding prey availability and selectivity for nocturnal insectivores such as the European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus).

Embedded in my PhD research, this citizen science initiative will establish the first long-term monitoring of nocturnal insect communities across key habitats—heathlands and grasslands—within the National Park Bosland, Flanders. By involving trained volunteers in standardized sampling using LED, bait, and malaise traps from April to October, the project addresses the practical barriers that have historically limited nocturnal biodiversity research.

Beyond data collection, the project seeks to build a vibrant community of “night observers” who contribute to biodiversity conservation through digital platforms like iNaturalist. Through newsletters, shared protocols, and annual gatherings, we aim to foster an inclusive and empowered network of citizen scientists. This initiative not only enhances ecological knowledge of neglected nocturnal communities but also bridges the gap between science and society, centre and periphery.

This poster will present the project’s design, early implementation, and its potential as a replicable model for participatory ecological monitoring in protected areas.

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Poster Short Abstract

Integrating scientific research with citizens’ experiences enriches data and perspectives. Interactive laboratories demonstrate real-time aerosol particle analysis using digital holography, actively involving the public in monitoring and understanding local air quality for informed decision-making

Poster Abstract

Current air quality monitoring often relies on simplified models, graphs, or tables, which may not clearly convey the meaning or potential risk of particulate matter. Innovative approaches, such as digital holography, could provide an immersive way to visualize and analyze aerosol particles in three dimensions. Mobile laboratories equipped with optical benches, vibration isolation systems, and real time 3D visualizations could enable safe observation of experiments while illustrating the underlying scientific principles.

In this proposal, digital holography would divide a laser beam into two paths: one illuminating the particles and the other reaching the camera to record interference patterns. Particles could be held in place using optical traps, and holograms would encode information on their shape, position, and movement. Reconstruction would allow precise 3D coordinates and temporal sequences of particle behavior. Portable air samplers could introduce controlled volumes, ensuring stable conditions during single particle analysis.

Citizens including members of associations, students, and workers could participate by collecting data with low cost sensors and storing it on open-source platforms. These citizen-collected data, combined with more rigorous scientific measurements, would help participants understand the significance of their contribution, the properties of particulate matter, and potential health or environmental risks. Acting as local “eyes,” citizens would also ensure that even remote or underserved areas are represented, allowing these communities to contribute data and have their environmental conditions recognized.

This proposal aims to develop a participatory model that promotes transparency, scientific education, and collaboration between researchers and the public. By integrating citizen contributions with scientific data, it could foster more informed, resilient communities capable of understanding and addressing environmental challenges. While no experimental data currently exist for this approach, it offers a novel pathway for engaging citizens in meaningful scientific participation and enhancing awareness of air quality issues.

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Poster Short Abstract

We present plans for a gamified mobile app for 4th–9th graders which collects real-time data during children’s free time, offering unique insights into learning and wellbeing through short tasks, questionnaires, and mini-games in different game-like environments.

Poster Abstract

Understanding the interplay between learning and wellbeing in children requires data that captures their everyday experiences in real time. To address this need, we are developing the Education Scientist mobile application, a gamified research tool designed for 4th–9th grade students. The app enables the collection of ecologically valid momentary data during children’s free time at home, offering insights into learning processes, learning difficulties, and wellbeing in naturalistic settings.

The application integrates short, engaging mini-games that serve a dual purpose: providing entertainment and unobtrusively assessing cognitive and behavioral characteristics. Complementing the games are brief, child-friendly question sets that gather contextual information on factors such as socio-emotional wellbeing, family dynamics, extracurricular activities, physical activity, school motivation, academic tasks, and digital media use.

By embedding data collection into children’s daily routines, the app facilitates a child-centered approach to research, empowering young participants while minimizing disruption to their lives. This methodology allows for the exploration of dynamic, real-world factors influencing learning and wellbeing — data that is often inaccessible through conventional survey or interview methods. The app is also designed to provide knowledge back to the users for self-reflection of various aspects of their learning, daily life routines and habits, and well-being. The approach thus enables school-age children to be active citizen participants in research and users of knowledge which they themselves have produced.

The Education Scientist app represents a novel approach to educational and psychological research, leveraging mobile technology to bridge the gap between structured assessments and the lived experiences of children. The project aims to inform the development of more responsive educational practices and support systems tailored to the diverse needs of learners.

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Poster Short Abstract

COSEA App running on the SPOTTERON Citizen Science App Platform is the recent outcome of Ocean health related projects. Being an open-platform for marine citizen science observations across the Ocean and nearby coasts, COSEA provides the space for new & diverse collaborations.

Poster Abstract

The interactive and community-driven COSEA App, running on the SPOTTERON Citizen Science App Platform, is the outcome of two Horizon Europe programmes: EFFECTIVE and TRANSEATION. COSEA covers a wide range of aspects of marine and coastal observations, from human-driven impacts like infrastructure and pollution to the natural world like biodiversity, habitat development, and marine protected areas. Data from the collaborative COSEA App is fed into digital twins and open data repositories for long-term data interoperability.

The core goal of the COSEA project is to create an open platform for marine observations and community engagement. COSEA holds an open call for independent initiatives, projects, and regional groups that do not have the funding for building and running their own interactive & privacy-safe citizen science apps. With the COSEA mobile App, everyone can be part of a growing community that works together to create a positive impact on what matters for marine protection.

Both centre and periphery hold a special value for the COSEA App and its Co-Use open call. The platform holds multi-language capabilities as well as data submission opportunities even from remote places, thus the platform becomes a bridge across the seas. Regional groups and local stakeholders can use the observations and reports to define better solutions and to have data in hand that underlines an existing problem, while policy-makers can build on data provided by the public. Following this year's conference theme, we are excited to share the reflections and potentials of the COSEA journey with the wider citizen science community.

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Poster Short Abstract

The [pane]-project engages citizen scientists to examine soil health in community-supported agriculture initiatives in eastern Germany. This poster presents our initial findings from the first five sampling seasons, and discusses the potential and challenges of involving laypeople in soil testing.

Poster Abstract

Healthy soils are essential for the stability of agroecological systems and global food security. As part of the transdisciplinary research project [pane], soil health is being investigated in 15 community-supported agriculture initiatives (CSA) in rural regions of eastern Germany using a citizen science approach. Citizen scientists actively engage in measuring and assessing various soil parameters while exploring how gardening practices impact soil health in their CSAs. Key parameters under investigation include soil organic carbon content, water holding capacity, pH levels, and earthworm activity.

Over five sampling seasons, we have gathered a considerable amount of data and insights, revealing not only the successes of citizen participation but also the limitations inherent in this approach. For example, it has become clear that not all types of soil data are equally suitable for systematic collection by non-experts, and that some measurements therefore do not have the necessary scientific validity. To address these issues, we have focused on validating various citizen science methodologies throughout the project.

This poster presentation will summarize initial results from the first three years of our research, highlighting both the successes and the challenges encountered in data collection.

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Poster Short Abstract

FLOW serves as a nationwide biodiversity monitoring citizen science project of the National Monitoring Centre for Biological Diversity Germany, engaging local angling clubs, NGO groups and schools in monitoring small freshwater streams, connecting to nature and developing collective action.

Poster Abstract

FLOW serves as on of the four nationwide biodiversity monitoring citizen science projects of the National Monitoring Centre for Biological Diversity Germany. Over the past few years, over 1000 citizens from local angling clubs, environmental NGO groups and schools engaged across Germany in monitoring small freshwater streams. They could show that two thirds of all small streams in agricultural settings were not in good ecological condition, both with regards to hydro-morphology as well s to harmful levels of pesticide inputs.

We show that engaging in FLOW enables participants to connect to nature, to develop a deeper understanding of their local streams, and environmental pressures, and to develop a sense of collective efficacy and intention for collective action for conservation. Here, we report on the motivations of participants to engage and discuss how to build on this engagement to move towards restoration action. In the EU project MERLIN we also developed a guide for participatory stream restoration with the FLOW citizen science method to assess progress and inform adaptive management. We would be very interested to discuss with conference participants how to join forces across Europe for freshwater monitoring and restoration, especially in light of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation.

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Poster Short Abstract

The EcoStories project aims to foster scientific literacy, environmental engagement and social cohesion of local and migrant secondary school pupils through citizen science. We will share our co-design approach and citizen science resources to support teachers and improve implementation.

Poster Abstract

The Erasmus+-funded EcoStories project has been running since January 2025 with the common goal of overcoming potential barriers between local and migrant secondary school pupils in STEM subjects through citizen science. Ecostories aims to contribute to the promotion of inclusive scientific literacy and environmental engagement. In our project, we understand citizen science as an additional method for teachers to enhance inclusion in their classroom. For example, the use of citizen science apps may allow pupils to participate in their own native language. Citizen science can encourage students to share their own observations regarding climate change from their home countries, or to analyse research data from their home countries and compare the findings with the local environment. We see these data-driven scientific projects as a way to share science-related stories and create new ones together.

Over the course of two and a half years, pupils and teachers from the three EcoStories schools in Greece, Croatia, and Cyprus will participate in citizen science activities focused on climate change. The aim is to promote integration through intercultural methods and strengthen STEM education. In this way, citizen science, joint commitment, and interdisciplinary cross-sectional competences within schools will generate new research data on climate change, as well as the social inclusion of pupils.

We would like to share our co-design approach to developing citizen science guides, teaching materials and implementation support. Our poster will showcase the EcoStories resources that have been tested in schools, as well as our plans to disseminate these resources and enhance their implementation.

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Poster Short Abstract

We share 10 lessons learned on turning participation into verifiable data and impact in citizen science projects and events, from MINKA-led or supported efforts: City Nature Challenge Barcelona, BioDiverCiutat, BioMARató, the Catalonia Marine BioBlitz, and EU projects ARSINOE, ProBleu, and ENHANCE.

Poster Abstract

This poster shares 10 lessons on how clear communication turns awareness into engagement in citizen science projects. The lessons come from real cases and strategies developed with MINKA platform along different proejcts and events: City Nature Challenge Barcelona, BioDiverCiutat, BioMARató, the Catalonia Marine BioBlitz, and EU projects as ARSINOE, ProBleu, and ENHANCE.

What works: swipeable data stories, short video made on phones, regular newsletters, light challenges, and small AI helpers for captions and hashtags. To include more people, we use multilingual materials, low-bandwidth formats, and User-Generated Content. We track simple metrics: conversion between stages, views and engagement actions, contributor retention, and signs of policy or education uptake.

Through communication, we can help real people, far from academic contexts, to be at the CENTER of projects, research and decision-making!

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Poster Short Abstract

The Ciência + Cidadã Program (C+C) engages local communities in citizen science in an inclusive and equitable way, linking research, education and art. With eleven active projects in health, environment, agriculture, and microbiology, it fosters active citizenship and co-creates knowledge.

Poster Abstract

The Ciência + Cidadã Program (C+C) promotes an innovative and participatory approach to citizen science, integrating local communities into scientific institutions in an inclusive, equitable, transdisciplinary, and intergenerational way. An integral part of the “Open Science in Oeiras” strategy, it is coordinated by ITQB NOVA research institute in close collaboration with the Municipality of Oeiras in Portugal, and involves partnerships with different research centres (IST, CBR, GIMM, INESC-ID), social associations (CAIS, SEMEAR, Padre António de Oliveira Educational Center, Senior University – Oficina de Saberes, Bairro dos Navegadores), schools, and other local stakeholders. C+C aims to foster active citizenship through science by implementing research projects that directly engage citizens of different ages and backgrounds. It promotes the co-creation of knowledge by linking science with education and art and supports public consultation processes grounded in scientific evidence. Currently, eleven citizen science projects are underway with the support of the C+C Program, focusing on sustainable agriculture, microbiology, health, environment, and climate change. These include Oeiras Experimenta (agroecosystems), MicroMundo@Oeiras (antibiotic resistance), Carbon Tree (air quality in schools), Microbioma Comunidade Portugal and SCAR (gut microbiota), SEAMIC (microbial contamination in coastal areas), Fungi: Friends or Foes and SOILED (fungi biodiversity and plastic biodegradation), PneumoFam (respiratory health and pneumococcal surveillance), and partnerships with Sombra para Todos (skin cancer prevention) and DXHub (detection of pathogenic agents in water). To date, the program has involved over 30 researchers, 400 citizen scientists, and more than 2,500 participants in public activities, resulting in scientific publications and several national and European awards. C+C represents a transformative and replicable model of shared science, promoting inclusive and equitable community engagement and collaborative research at the municipal level.

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Poster Short Abstract

Using the dimensions of engagement, we evaluate the engagement strategies used by citizen science projects in Brazil from conversations with project leaders. Results show engagement strategies vary not only by type and theme, but also by local context, public audience and participation format.

Poster Abstract

Sustaining and evaluating volunteer engagement is a central challenge for any participatory science initiative (Carvalho & Leite, 2020). While quantitative methods are commonly employed to assess participation, they often overlook the complex dimensions of volunteer engagement. Few studies have investigated these dimensions (Marques et al., 2024; Hart et al., 2022; Phillips et al., 2018), and, to date, no studies have examined them within the cultural contexts of Global South or Latin America.

This study explores volunteer engagement strategies in Brazilian citizen science initiatives of different typologies. Qualitative data were collected through the “Dialogue Cycles” organized by the Participant-Engagement Working Group of the Brazilian Citizen Science Network. Each of six sessions featured two project coordinators presenting their engagement practices (30–50 minutes), followed by an open discussion (20 minutes). In total, 12 projects were analyzed, covering themes including biodiversity, fauna, disasters, coastal environments, food safety, and health.

Recordings were transcribed and qualitatively analyzed using Atlas.ti and the engagement dimensions framework proposed by Phillips et al. (2019). Preliminary findings indicate that contributive projects accounted for most “extrinsic motivation” codes (n=57), with all gamification strategies (n=7) occurring within this typology. Another initiative, ‘SISS Geo’ was observed to have one of the highest number of codes on engagement strategies (n= 32), as it showed the importance of adapting app features such as touch sensitivity to insure the app could be handled by any user all across Brazil, including rural workers with calloused hands. Another project, ‘Cocôzap’ highlighted how local context influenced the strategies used by adopting an already well-established communication app to collect citizen science data. These results highlight that engagement in citizen science is shaped not only by project typology but also by social and cultural contexts it is inserted in. Recognizing these factors is essential for designing inclusive and sustainable citizen science initiatives.