Forest Groove: A bioacoustic citizen science project designed to foster trust between schools, scientific institutions and the arts
Forest Groove: A bioacoustic citizen science project designed to foster trust between schools, scientific institutions and the arts
Citizen science operates at the intersection of research, education, and society. It offers unique opportunities to foster trust and mutual understanding between scientific institutions and the public. This workshop will explore how participatory, creative approaches in citizen science can contribute to building and sustaining such trust.
Using the Sparkling Science project “Forest Groove” as a case study, we present a three-year collaboration in which students aged 10–14 engage with the acoustic biodiversity of forests. Using both professional and low-threshold, self-built recording devices – including plant-pot microphones – students document environmental sounds in forests, work alongside researchers to analyze data, and translate their findings into artistic outputs such as sound compositions in collaboration with musicians. These results are shared via formats such as community radio, creating a multi-layered dialogue between science, art, and society.
This integrated approach offers new perspectives on biodiversity by combining scientific enquiry with creative expression. At the same time, it emphasizes the importance of building trust within citizen science projects. In Forest Groove, trust is cultivated through long-term collaboration between students, teachers, researchers, and external partners including cultural institutions and media organizations. Teachers play a central role, facilitating communication and continuity between schools and research institutions.
The workshop reflects on the project’s practical experiences, including the challenges faced and the negotiation of scientific and educational goals. Particular attention is given to the question of impact, considering whether the value of citizen science lies primarily in educational outcomes, scientific results, or in the relationships and the trust it fosters between participants.
Participants will be introduced to the project’s methods and materials and will be invited to engage directly with its approach at a hands-on station using plant-pot microphones. The workshop will facilitate discussion on the potential and limitations of participatory research, and on how long-term collaborations between schools and scientific institutions can strengthen public trust in science.