scholarly journals Advancing Amphibian Conservation through Citizen Science in Urban Municipalities

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 211
Author(s):  
Tracy S. Lee ◽  
Nicole L. Kahal ◽  
Holly L. Kinas ◽  
Lea A. Randall ◽  
Tyne M. Baker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Program Design ◽  
Large City ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Urban Biodiversity ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Science Program ◽  
Biodiversity Monitoring

As cities adopt mandates to protect, maintain and restore urban biodiversity, the need for urban ecology studies grows. Species-specific information on the effects of urbanization is often a limiting factor in designing and implementing effective biodiversity strategies. In suburban and exurban areas, amphibians play an important social-ecological role between people and their environment and contribute to ecosystem health. Amphibians are vulnerable to threats and imbalances in the aquatic and terrestrial environment due to a biphasic lifestyle, making them excellent indicators of local environmental health. We developed a citizen science program to systematically monitor amphibians in a large city in Alberta, Canada, where 90% of pre-settlement wetlands have been removed and human activities continue to degrade, alter, and/or fragment remaining amphibian habitats. We demonstrate successes and challenges of using publicly collected data in biodiversity monitoring. Through amphibian monitoring, we show how a citizen science program improved ecological knowledge, engaged the public in urban biodiversity monitoring and improved urban design and planning for biodiversity. We outline lessons learned to inform citizen science program design, including the importance of early engagement of decision makers, quality control assessment, assessing tensions in program design for data and public engagement goals, and incorporating conservation messaging into programming.

Incorporating citizen science in open science: a case study of participatory rainfall measurements in the context of a Technical University

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra de Vries ◽  
Marit Bogert ◽  
Sabine Kunst ◽  
Nicoleta Nastase
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Science Program ◽  
Participatory Science ◽  
The University ◽  
The City

<p>Citizen science has globally been recognized as a vital part of open science and as a way of doing research that enables new levels of science education and science communication. Due to its high levels of public participation, citizen science can be of great value in bringing society and science closer together. Universities across the world have acknowledged this value and aim to incorporate citizen science in their policies and daily practices as part of their open science practices.</p><p>The Delft University of Technology has set the goal to develop an open science program that includes citizen science. However, implementing and incorporating citizen science in an open science program is not a straightforward task and demands knowledge, understanding, and experience of the field as well as the practical implications. What should a university do to support the goals of various citizen science initiatives, within an open science context, and to assist and facilitate researchers to perform effective participatory science? To gain a deeper understanding of what a citizen science project entails within the context of a university, we performed a case-study implementing citizen science methods for hydrological research. The project, called Delft Measures Rain, was developed in collaboration with external partners and several internal departments and their staff, some already having experience with developing and coordinating citizen science projects. Citizens of Delft were encouraged to participate and work together with scientists from the Water Management department to investigate rainfall patterns within the city. In total, 95 citizens collaborated for two months to collect over 1900 individual rainfall measurements spread over the city and taken with home-made rain gauges.  We developed tailored recruitment strategies, data collection and validation tools, data visuals, and communication strategies. Overall, the project has delivered valuable results, including reliable rainfall data, involvement and enthusiasm of citizens, and valuable feedback from participants. Additionally, this project has led to more cooperation of relevant institutions and civil society organizations (CSO) across the city and between different departments within the university itself.</p><p>This case-study has showcased how various stakeholders (researchers, citizens, civil servants, CSO’s, etc.) can benefit from co-developed participatory research implementing citizen science and open science principles. With this case study, we were able to identify the benefits, drawbacks, and opportunities for all stakeholders involved. Furthermore, we identified key tools and facilitation needs to assist researchers within the university to perform effective participatory science. During the session, we would like to share our methods, successes, challenges, and lessons learned. This project shows that, with the right knowledge and tools, citizen science can deliver what it promises and be of great value to universities and open science in general. </p>

ECLIPSEMOB: LESSONS LEARNED FROM A NATIONAL SCALE CITIZEN SCIENCE EXPERIMENT DURING THE 2017 SOLAR ECLIPSE

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura A. Lukes ◽  
◽  
J. Nelson ◽  
K.C. Kerby-Patel ◽  
W.C. Liles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Solar Eclipse ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
National Scale

scholarly journals Transference of Citizen Science Program Impacts: A Theory Grounded in Public Participation in Scientific Research

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 339
Author(s):  
Louise I. Lynch-O’Brien ◽  
Wayne A. Babchuk ◽  
Jenny M. Dauer ◽  
Tiffany Heng-Moss ◽  
Doug Golick
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Social Process ◽  
Informal Science Education ◽  
Constructivist Grounded Theory ◽  
Science Program ◽  
Program Leaders ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Added Benefit

Citizen science is known for increasing the geographic, spatial, and temporal scale from which scientists can gather data. It is championed for its potential to provide experiential learning opportunities to the public. Documentation of educational outcomes and benefits for citizen scientists continues to grow. This study proposes an added benefit of these collaborations: the transference of program impacts to individuals outside of the program. The experiences of fifteen citizen scientists in entomology citizen science programs were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory methodology. We propose the substantive-level theory of transference to describe the social process by which the educational and attitudinal impacts intended by program leaders for the program participants are filtered by citizen scientists and transferred to others. This process involves individual and external phases, each with associated actions. Transference occurred in participants who had maintained a long-term interest in nature, joined a citizen science program, shared science knowledge and experiences, acquired an expert role to others, and influenced change in others. Transference has implications for how citizen scientists are perceived by professional communities, understanding of the broader impacts and contributions of citizen science to wicked problems, program evaluation, and the design of these programs as informal science education opportunities.

The Patient in Patient Safety: Contemporary Issues, From COVID-19 to Citizen Science

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 301-303
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Lerner Papautsky ◽  
Richard J. Holden ◽  
Rupa S. Valdez ◽  
Jordan Hill ◽  
Janetta Brown
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Patient Safety ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Human Subjects Research ◽  
Research Strategies ◽  
Face To Face

In the 4th panel on the topic of The Patient in Patient Safety, we highlighted topics of current relevance and facilitated a reflection session. The objective was to highlight the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted patient ergonomics research and work, with particular focus on safety. After a topic overview, panelists presented their work on overcoming challenges to human subjects research created by the suspension of face-to-face activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. A facilitated reflection and brainstorming session using Miro followed. We used questions to elicit examples of patient and caregiver roles in safety during the pandemic and research strategies and challenges. These questions were also distributed on social media prior to the event. The panel served as an opportunity to share lessons learned.

scholarly journals Community-driven citizen science approach to explore cardiovascular disease risk perception, and develop prevention advocacy strategies in sub-Saharan Africa: a programme protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kufre Joseph Okop ◽  
Kathy Murphy ◽  
Estelle Victoria Lambert ◽  
Kiya Kedir ◽  
Hailemichael Getachew ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease Risk ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract Background In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which experiences a disproportionately high cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden, population-based screening and prevention measures are hampered by low levels of knowledge about CVD and associated risk factors, and inaccurate perceptions of severity of risk. Methods This protocol describes the planned processes for implementing community-driven participatory research, using a citizen science method to explore CVD risk perceptions and to develop community-specific advocacy and prevention strategies in the rural and urban SSA settings. Multi-disciplinary research teams in four selected African countries will engage with and train community members living in rural and urban communities as citizen scientists to facilitate conceptualization, co-designing of research, data gathering, and co-creation of knowledge that can lead to a shared agenda to support collaborative participation in community-engaged science. The emphasis is on robust community engagement, using mobile technology to support data gathering, participatory learning, and co-creation of knowledge and disease prevention advocacy. Discussion Contextual processes applied and lessons learned in specific settings will support redefining or disassembling boundaries in participatory science to foster effective implementation of sustainable prevention intervention programmes in Low- and Middle-income countries.

scholarly journals Sustainability of Seahorses: Lessons Learned of Local Wisdom from Bintan Islands, Riau Islands Province

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 07001
Author(s):  
Fitria Ulfah ◽  
Afrizal ◽  
Arief Pratomo
Keyword(s):  
Local Knowledge ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Coastal Communities ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Local Institution ◽  
Reproduction Pattern ◽  
Depth Interviews

Seahorse (Hippocampus spp.) has a high economic value in Bintan Island that leads to its exploitation by coastal community intensively. This study was to assess local knowledge on seahorse ecology which was captured across shoreline near the coastal communities. The research was conducted in SebongPereh village Bintan Island. The data were collected by conducting depth interviews and focus group discussion on seahorse fishermen which was selected purposively. The results revealed local fishermen have ecological knowledge related to habitat types, behavior, and monthly variation in abundance, size and reproduction pattern. The result also showed that the existence of the seahorse during the catch season moves around, follow the condition of the seaweed and tidal of sea water. This local knowledge was used by fishermen as a strategy in determining the fishing time and catchment area of a seahorse. Through such local wisdom, local fishing communities established a local institution to manage conversation and sustainability use of seahorse in waters of SebongPereh village.

scholarly journals Implications of the GC-HARMS Fishermen’s Citizen Science Network: Issues Raised, Lessons Learned, and Next Steps for the Network and Citizen Science

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 570-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Sullivan ◽  
Sharon Croisant ◽  
Marilyn Howarth ◽  
Wilma Subra ◽  
Marylee Orr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Project Outcomes ◽  
Participatory Science ◽  
Cultural Fluency ◽  
Political Economic

This paper is intended to complement our extended documentation and analysis of the activities of the Gulf Coast Health Alliance: Health Risks related to the Macondo Spill project Community Outreach and Dissemination Core entitled, “Building and maintaining a citizen science network with fishermen and fishing communities after the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster using a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach.” We discuss nuances of CBPR practice, including trust-building, clarification of stakeholder expectations, balancing timelines and agendas, cultural fluency, and the importance of regional history—political-economic context, regulatory practices, and cultural life-ways—in creating social dynamics that overarch and underpin the entire process. We examine the unique role of knowledge-making hybrid structures like the project’s Fishermen’s citizen science network and compare/contrast this structure with other models of participatory science or deliberation. Finally, we reiterate the importance of environmental health literacy efforts, summarize project outcomes, and offer thoughts on the future roles of collaborative efforts among communities and institutional science in environmental public health.

scholarly journals Miss-identification detection in citizen science platform for biodiversity monitoring using machine learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 ◽  
pp. 101176
Author(s):  
Zakaria Saoud ◽  
Colin Fontaine ◽  
Grégoire Loïs ◽  
Romain Julliard ◽  
Iandry Rakotoniaina
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Biodiversity Monitoring
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