eu-citizen.science blog

Juliette Chalant Oct. 29, 2024, 11:51 a.m.

Over two days,17 and 18 October, librarians participating in the ECS project gathered in Ljubljana, Slovenia to exchange on their experiences in organising citizen science activities. Hosted in the newly opened innovative social and creative hub Center Rog, we engaged in reflections and discussions on the role of public libraries as hubs for citizen science and engagement. The gathering underscored public libraries' unique role in democratising science, and showcased the importance of in-person exchanges to inspire future projects and initiatives across Europe. Although it seems like citizen science is a relatively ‘new’ concept to the public library sector, by participating in the ECS project, the libraries realised that they had been doing citizen science for many years, they just didn’t know it.

Juliette Chalant Oct. 17, 2024, 9:24 a.m.

As part of the ECS project, 10 public libraries from Public Libraries 2030’s European network are organising citizen science-related events. These events aim to introduce citizen science to a wider public, ultimately broadening and strengthening the European citizen science community.

Katerina Zourou Oct. 15, 2024, 9:48 a.m.

Citizen Science Stories from Across Europe: Episode 2 In our new video blog series, we'll be sharing inspiring stories of citizen science initiatives from across Europe. Our second episode features Katerina Zourou, Claire Fragiadaki and Babis Chatzidiakos, Web2Learn and Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development of the National Observatory of Athens, Greece. Watch the complete video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAM7R1ZrLDI&t=2s

Joao Paulo Tavares, Oct. 14, 2024, 7:54 a.m.

As part of the ongoing efforts to expand the reach and impact of citizen science initiatives and citizen observatories, CitiObs is launching an open call for citizen science initiatives and citizen observatories to join the project as alliance cases. This action invites existing citizen science initiatives and citizen observatories in Europe to collaborate with us to scale their activities and share good practices. The selected alliance cases will benefit from tailored support, including technical assistance, mentoring, and access to a vast network of experts and stakeholders. We encourage all citizen science initiatives and citizen observatories working on issues such as air quality, biodiversity, and urban sustainability to apply and become part of this growing movement towards more engaged and informed urban governance.

Juliette Chalant Oct. 10, 2024, 10:15 a.m.

As part of the ECS project, 10 public libraries from Public Libraries 2030’s European network are organising citizen science-related events. These events aim to introduce citizen science to a wider public, ultimately broadening and strengthening the European citizen science community. The Kranj City Library in Slovenia, together with Ljubljana City Library, became one of the first libraries in Slovenia to join the Citizen Science network. Both are also involved in the ECS project, and work to promote citizen science within public libraries.

Yaela Golumbic Oct. 9, 2024, 8:50 a.m.

Looking to support citizen science in academic settings, but encounter challenges? You are not alone. This post discusses some of these challenges, with a focus on strategies for building effective citizen science hubs, engaging stakeholders, and implementing evaluation frameworks, as explored in our recent working group meeting.

Yaela Golumbic Oct. 9, 2024, 8:38 a.m.

Today we launch a new series dedicated to the activities of ECSA's Working Groups. ECSA working groups tackle strategic issues related to citizen science by focusing on specific themes. To kick things off, we'd like to welcome you to the Citizen Science & Universities working group. This group works to share experiences, peer learnings, and joint conclusions with the broader European citizen science community.

Juliette Chalant Oct. 2, 2024, 2:06 p.m.

As part of the ECS project, 10 public libraries from Public Libraries 2030’s European network are organising citizen science-related events. These events aim to introduce citizen science to a wider public, ultimately broadening and strengthening the European citizen science community.

Adrian Cooper Cooper, Oct. 1, 2024, 10:49 a.m.

Citizen Science Stories from Across Europe: Episode 1 In our new video blog series, we'll be sharing inspiring stories of citizen science initiatives from across Europe. Our first episode features Dr. Adrian Cooper, the ECS citizen science ambassador and leader of the Felixstowe Citizen Science Group in the United Kingdom.

Sonia Liñán Sept. 26, 2024, 9:38 a.m.

In a significant achievement within the framework of the ECS project, the MINKA Citizen Science Observatory has now surpassed 200,000 verified marine observations on the Catalan coast. This remarkable milestone is a testament to the successful collaboration between citizens, researchers, and the various European initiatives supporting marine biodiversity conservation, including the ECS project.

Anna Verones, Aug. 29, 2024, 10:27 a.m.

Was Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) truly ever a valued priority? Recent layoffs at Microsoft, Google, X and other tech giants often targeted employers and consultants working on DEI, showing decreasing commitment in creating safe and diverse work environments. Those layoffs beg the question: How can we trust that future technologies from these companies will support our efforts to drive systemic change if their commitment to DEI appears superficial?

Simona Cerrato Aug. 21, 2024, 12:39 p.m.

Many studies have been conducted to understand how to tackle social inclusion in science and technology, many projects have been carried out, and a considerable amount of money has been spent; however science participation continues to show an uneven pattern. Science and science related activities, including citizen science — even if meant for everybody — are in fact enjoyed by a restricted share of people. Even if we are not in the position to change our societies on a large scale, we can promote significant changes in our range of actions.