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Short Abstract

“Bloomiverse – Sow Seeds, Gather Data” allowed Laimburg Research Centre to bring its research to the peripheral areas of South Tyrol, transforming the territory into a scientific variable. By connecting people through seeds and data collection, the project studied the growth of five native plants.

Abstract

“Bloomiverse – Sow Seeds, Gather Data” is a citizen science initiative developed by Laimburg Research Centre in collaboration with the citizens of South Tyrol (Italy), who selected it through a public vote.

It enabled Laimburg Research Centre to bring its research outside the laboratories and experimental fields and into gardens and balconies of people across South Tyrol. Participants received a kit with seeds of native wildflowers and were asked to sow, observe, and record data on plant growth throughout the summer of 2025. The geographical distribution of the 164 participants, living in city centres, mountain villages, and remote areas, turned the whole region into a living laboratory. Different locations meant different altitudes and climate conditions: no single laboratory or greenhouse could ever reproduce this variability. The data collected by participants will help researchers study how native plants respond to diverse environmental conditions across the region.

But this widespread participation also created challenges. The same geographical diversity that enriched the research data made coordination more complex. How to reach everyone, keep interest high, and distribute materials and information effectively? The answer to these questions lies at the heart of Bloomiverse: people building bridges between centre and periphery, while turning distance and difficulty into added value for the project itself.