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Short Abstract

Citizen science is claimed to boost knowledge, nature connection, and support for nature-positive actions, yet few studies rigorously test these impacts. We present a cross-national, mixed-methods approach using controls, surveys, and art-based methods to assess short- and medium-term effects.

Abstract

Citizen science has emerged as a participatory approach to environmental monitoring and knowledge co-production, fostering pro-environmental attitudes, diverse forms of learning, behaviour change, and engagement with societal and policy-relevant issues. Despite this, its societal impacts remain poorly evidenced and inconsistently measured. Key challenges include the lack of standardised indicators and theoretical coherence, difficulties in attributing observed changes to participation rather than pre-existing dispositions, and a reliance on short-term, self-reported measures that often overlook affective and relational dimensions of impact.

In the Horizon Europe project NATALIE, we address these gaps using a cross-national, mixed-methods design to assess the effects of citizen science on nature connection, knowledge of nature-based solutions, and acceptance of nature-positive interventions. Four one-day community monitoring events will be held at newly implemented sites in Latvia, Romania, France, and Italy (16 events total throughout 2026 and 2027). Local community members unable to attend but who register interest will serve as a control group. Participants will receive task instructions framed either in “nature-noticing” language designed to enhance affective engagement or in standard scientific language, allowing analysis of framing effects. Data will be collected via pre-, post-, and six-week follow-up surveys, complemented by art-based methods.

By integrating quantitative and creative approaches, this study aims to: (i) assess the extent to which short-term participation influences knowledge of nature-based solutions, nature connection, and acceptance; (ii) determine the effect of “nature-noticing” versus standard framing on these impacts; and (iii) investigate mechanisms of learning, emotional engagement, and behavioural intentions across cultural and ecological contexts.