Dossier
Citizen science
Engaging citizens in science is critical for a variety of reasons: it can actively connect them to issues that affect their everyday health and the quality of their local environment, it can help them understand how science works, it can empower them to take action, and it can improve science itself.
Citizen Science as active citizenship?
Citizen Science combines the power of active citizenship with the power of science by involving citizens with different backgrounds and interests in the articulation of research questions, the collecting and analyzing of data, and determining action. In doing so they closely work with scientists working in universities and research institutes who want to have impact in society.
Citizen science at Wageningen University & Research
Wageningen University & Research has long been involved in a wide range of Citizen Science projects that focus on the monitoring, assessing and addressing of local and regional sustainable development issues around health and well-being, climate change, the quality of air, water and soils, and the conservation and regeneration of biodiversity. This portal provides an overview of current projects, WUR-scientists working with Citizen Science and of resources that can help in establishing successful Citizen Science projects.
Online course about Citizen Science
Take a look at our MOOC Transformative Citizen Science for Sustainability.
News
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Unveiling the lionfish invasion in the Mediterranean Sea
- Researchers from Wageningen University & Research have published a comprehensive study on the invasion of lionfish in the Mediterranean Sea, highlighting a rapid spread and the potential ecological impacts. -
Amsterdam: how hot is it in your house?
- Are you living in Amsterdam and suffering from the heat, or are you keeping your cool? We'd like to hear how warm it is at your place and how you're experiencing that heat. It's very simple: take a picture of your thermostat and choose an emoji that represents your feelings about the temperature. This way, you contribute to scientific research. You can participate until Sunday, September 10th. -
Thousands of wow moments in campus nature
- WUR’s campus is home to many different species, as was shown during the Biodiversity Challenge that took place from 23 May until 1 June. The goal of identifying 1000 species was achieved, and WUR came in fourth in the European competition. But how does such a challenge benefit biodiversity? According to Bio Systemics teacher Casper Quist, ‘It is all about wonderment.’ -
TRED conference brings science and society together for collaboration
- How can we bring knowledge from society into scientific research? And how do we ensure that researchers and society find and strengthen each other? These questions are central to the TRED conference, a three-day programme taking place online and in Wageningen from 12 June to 14 June. -
Deselection in university libraries: a lookback at the study afternoon
- On 19 October 2022, we organised a study afternoon on deselecting physical collections at university libraries. About 44 participants, mostly from university and higher education libraries, attended this meeting. -
Follow the crane migration live with the "Crane Radar"
- Birdwatchers beware! The next few weeks are all about crane migration. When the wind is just right, sometimes thousands of "cranes" fly over the Netherlands. But even with those numbers, it is not easy to spot them. That is why Dr Koen de Koning, in collaboration with Sensing Clues, developed an app that works as a 'rainfall radar for cranes'. This makes spotting a lot easier. -
Open Science Festival 2022: our take-home messages!
- On 1 September 2022, the second national Open Science Festival 2022 took place at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. WUR researchers and Library staff took part in this lively event. Information specialists Chantal Hukkelhoven and Joost Albers share their take-home messages. -
A look back at the launch of the Open Science Community Wageningen
- On 13 May, the Open Science Community Wageningen (OSC-W) kicked off with a launch event in Omnia. Elisabeth Bik spoke on scientific integrity and the first Lighthouse Award was presented. -
Research by volunteers valuable in monitoring water quality
- Measuring biological water quality by volunteers has an added value to monitoring by professionals. It helps to obtain a fuller picture of water quality in Dutch ditches, streams, ponds and canals. Thus concludes a study by Wageningen University & Research, one of the consortium members of the Waterdiertjes.nl platform. The study was recently published in the PLOS-ONE scientific journal. -
A look back on the Elsevier-WUR event
- On June 4, the WUR and Elsevier organised an online panel discussion ‘Quality control in Open Science publishing: Challenges, solutions and way forward’. It brought together 80 WUR researchers to discuss opportunities and challenges that arise during the transition to Open Science.
Also check out the Science Shop
Also check out the Science Shop
The Science Shop collaborates with non-profit groups in society by organizing research projects that find answers to their questions, free of charge. Our goal is to empower groups in society by engaging them in scientific research and to create direct, positive change together.
