This document discusses citizen science and provides examples of citizen science projects and organizations. It discusses the vision and mission of citizen science in Europe to empower citizens and advance knowledge through participation. It provides a brief history of the European Citizen Science Association and lists some national citizen science strategies and platforms. Examples of specific citizen science projects are also summarized, such as monitoring pollinators, birds, marine species, and roadkill. The document discusses the benefits of citizen science for science, policy, education, and society.

1. LEYSIN AMERICAN SCHOOL
THE NEW CITIZEN SCIENCE.
MARTIN BROCKLEHURST
CONTACT E MAIL
martin.brocklehurst@me.com
MOBILE 0044 7500 043485
DIRECT 0044 1531 890566
KEMPLEYGREEN CONSULTANTS

2. Our Vision:
In 2020, citizens in Europe are valued and
empowered
as key actors in advancing knowledge and
innovation and thus supporting a sustainable
development of our world.
Our Mission:
Connecting citizens and science through fostering active
participation

3. July 2012
November
2012
June 2013
October
2013
January
2014
April 2014
November
2014
First Meeting in London
ECSA Launch in Brussels
ECSA Meeting in Brussels
ECSA Registration in Berlin
ECSA 1st General Assembly
(Copenhagen)
ECSA 2nd General
Assembly (Berlin)
EEA Copenhagen
Meeting on the Development of
European Citizen Science Network
Brief history

6. EU Citizen Science Observatories - Video

8. UNEP Live's Citizen Science portal
“Our environment is continuously changing and we
often notice small difference where we live or visit.
This page gives us all the opportunity to inform and
be informed of such changes thus making
environmental information more accessible.
Share in the excitement of discovery!
http://uneplive.unep.org/citizen#.VlGwMoSBsVE

9. Citizen Science Portal
scistarter
Science we can do together
Citizen Science Reporter
Extreme Citizen Science: ExCiteS

17. USA - Policy Leadership
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OFFICE OF SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20502
September 30, 2015
MEMORANDUM TO THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS
AND AGENCIES
FROM: John P. Holdren
Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
SUBJECT: Addressing Societal and Scientific Challenges
through Citizen Science and Crowdsourcing
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/holdren_citizen_sci
ence_memo_092915_0.pdf

20. http://www2.epa.gov/innovation/federal-community-practice-
crowdsourcing-and-citizen-science
Federal Community of Practice for Crowdsourcing and
Citizen Science
The Federal Community of Practice on Crowdsourcing
and Citizen Science meets monthly to share lessons
learned and develop best practices for designing,
implementing, and evaluating crowdsourcing and
citizen science initiatives.
• 330 citizen science biodiversity projects contribute economic value of €2.5 billion per year
• Provide hands-on-learing in sciencde technology engineering and mathematics (STEM)
• Connect members of the public directly to Federal Agencies
• Each agency will provide a co-ordiantor for Citizen Science
• Each Agency will catalogue specific ciitizen science and crowdsourcing projects
• Project
• Sudden Oak Death San Francisco
• Phenological research mapping the economic impact of climate change
• Identifying new astronomical objects working with NASA
• Verifying weather models
• Real time natural hazard data – eg earthquakes
• Mapping the human brain
• Measuring broadband performance across the USA

23. Leading National States
UK – Scotland National Strategy led by SEP/OPAL/Tree Health
Finland – Established programmes – target of 20% by 2025
Austria – National Citizen Science Platform & Strategy
Germany – Developing Natoional Strategy
Netherlands – Developing programmes and technology
Spain – Developing technology & programme
European Commission
EU – Five Citizen Observatories

25. Citizen Science
Association- US
Policy
Agenda is
changing

26. Open Air Laboratories (OPAL)
“Citizen science for everyone”

27. OPAL Impact
• More than 850,000 people have actively
participated in surveys
• More than 2,000 schools have taken part,
many from areas of high deprivation
• Over 1,000 organisations are involved
• Approximately 270,000 packs have been
distributed to the public
• Over 50,000 surveys submitted
• Nearly 23,000 sites surveyed
• 21 scientific papers published
• Won a UK Government Civil Service Reform
award in 2013

28. Trees across Europe are under threat

29. The UK Government has sought help
• Tree Health & Plant Biosecurity Action Plan: “People more aware and more
informed on how they can help” and “develop a cadre of professionals and
volunteers to act as ‘eyes and ears’ to support official surveillance”
• Chalara Management Plan: “encourage citizen, landowner and industry
engagement in surveillance”
• Tree Health & Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce: “help members of the public
to contribute to surveillance efforts” and “create a wide network of individuals able
to identify plant pests and pathogens”
• Protecting Plant Health - A Plant Biosecurity Strategy for Great Britain:
“support public participation in citizen science through initiatives such as OPAL”,
“seek the public’s help in identifying tree pests”, “provide a cadre of trained members
of the public able to spot outbreaks of plant pests thereby increasing capability and
capacity”.

30. Outcomes – great engagement
• 50,000 survey packs produced plus
2,000 in Welsh
• At least 750 ‘trainers’ trained
• 55 sign-ups to be a Tree Buddy
• >1,194 surveys submitted (2,300
trees)
• 38% surveys carried out by school
children (12% primary, 26%
secondary)
• 25% surveys carried out as part of
an adult volunteer group
• 29% surveys carried out with
family or friends

31. Bleeding Canker
28% trees affected
Leaf mining moth
54% trees affected
Outcomes – data on latest distribution

32. www.citizen-science.at
The Austrian Platform for Citizen
Science
Currently hosts 20 projects with thousands of
participants - started 3 months ago
Benefit for citizens
One single platform for citizen science in Austria
Benefits for project leaders
•Efficient networking among peers
•Organisation of conferences & workshops
•Joint public relations & media activities
Benefits for all members
Very efficient interaction through multiple
communication channels

35. Project Roadkill
Policy implications & benefits for
biodiversity
•Provides evidence for policymakers
•Deals with environmental issues that directly
affect citizens
•Helps to halt the loss of biodiversity

42. Results

48. • combines smartphone camera, GPS,
accelerometer, data processing, data
connection with plastic optics (iSPEX add-on)
• measures polarization of blue sky to deduce
aerosol properties
amount compositionsize

49. health
NL: -1 year

50. economy
Flight cancellations due to
volcanic ash in 2010: - 1G€

51. Aerosols constitute largest
unknown factor in climate change

53. H2020
LIGHT2015
9000 Units
• Athens
• Bari
• Barcelona
• Belgrade
• Berlin
• Copenhagen
• London
• Manchester
• Milan
• Rome
• Toulouse

54. iSPEX
• One of the largest Citizen Science experiments
• Idea, technology from astronomy
• Produces high-impact scientific papers
• Citizens motived by science, health, climate
• Device is cheap, but need large numbers
• CSlab@Leiden: societally relevant problems
that can only be addressed by actively
involving a substantial fraction of society

56. Photo:ANP
www.iSPEX-EU.org
@ispex_eu

58. Water Quality Monitor - Finland

59. Estimate the spatial distribution of particularly traffic-related air
pollution in the city of Antwerp (Belgium). Strawberry plants are
used to bio-accumulate pollutants breathed by the citizens of
Antwerp

60. AIRbezen-facts
• In March ‘14 1063 strawberry plants were
distributed in Antwerp
• The number of candidates was, however,
much larger, and requests for participation
were continuously received, eventually from
all over Flanders (and the Netherlands)
• Win-win
72

62. AIRbezen
-impressies
76

63. AIRbezen-statistics
• 1063 plants distributed
• > 790 plants received back (75%)
• Plants stolen, death
• Correspondence inquiry and plants: 697 (65%)
77

64. AIRbezen-results
79

65. AIRbezen-results: height-effect
• Decrease traffic-related air pollution with height
81
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
4 7.6 11
SIRM(x10-6A)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
2.3 5 6
SIRM(x10-6A)

66. • Citizens are really concerned
• Traffic pollution is everywhere
• Clear decrease traffic-related air pollution further from intense
traffic axes
• No clear differences in urban areas/neighbourhoods, but
depends on local situation
• Airbezen shows a much larger variation than observed by the
classsic air measuring stations → need for measuring specific
components and toxicity
• Easy
• Win-win + emotion
• Citizens realised unique sampling campaign
• Enormous awareness rising
84
AIRbezen-results: Conclusions

67. • Thank you for your attention!
85
roeland.samson@uantwerpen.be
www.uantwerpen.be/airbezen

68. Survey of 50 Citizen science progrmmes

71. EU GREEN WEEK 2015
12
5
3
2
1
1
96
4
3
3
2
2
1
4
3
3 1
Total
pollinators (bees, bumblebees, butterflies)
birds (monitoring of migration, impacts on glass)
marine species
observing animals
roadkill in europe
mosquito atlas over europe
invasive alien species
wilderness monitoring
compliance of environmental laws (eg water quality)
trees
observing gardens

72. EU Green Week 2015
9
6
4
3
3
2
2
1
Environment
invasive alien species
wilderness monitoring
compliance of environmental laws (eg water quality)
trees
observing gardens
urban biodiversity
litter and/or marine litter
phenology

73. Policy Agenda & Funding
Current Environment Policy Initiatives
Habitats and Birds Directives Fitness Review
Circular economy
Climate change & Invasive Species
Time for a major review of Citizen Science Role in
The delivery of the EU Policy Agenda

74. How do we scale up in Europe
Heads of Environmental Agency Suggest
Quick Win - Marine Litter
- Netherlands Dust Monitoring
ECSA – Submitted Bid Proposal for
- Tree Health, Invasive Species
- Climate Change Indicator – Lichens
Green Week - Invasive Species
- Pollinators
- Climate change and health, mosquitioes

75. Marine Litter App – Available free of charge - European Environment Agency

76. Pacific Gyre
six times more plastic
than plankton

77. Worcestershire Wildlife Trust
Land- based litter
Source : Keep Britain Tidy
Estimated cost of dealing with litter in the EU
€10-13 billion
No EU wide agreed
measurement method
No EU wide agreed tonnage
data on litter

78. Land-based litter in the
freshwater environment
Sava River – Tributary of the
Danube
River Arre France
River Stour Tributary
of River Severn UK
Worcestershire Wildlife Trust
PhotoSource Limbic
Source Surf rider
Danube River 4.2 tonnes
plastic per day into the
Black Sea
Virtually no data on
tonnage of litter from EU
rivers to our seas

79. Land-based litter is responsible
for 80% of marine litter
To tackle marine litter we need
to target land litter River –
Worcestershire Wildlife Trust
Source Surf rider
We need to know where
The worst problems are
We need to focus EU resources

80. IGSU (Switzerland)
• Formed in May 2007
• Interest Group for a Clean Environment in Switzerland
• Founders
– The IGORA Cooperative for Aluminium Recycling and
– PRS PET-RECYCLING Switzerland
The two organisations have been working together against
littering since 2004
.
• www.igsu.ch