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UID:pretalx-citizen-science-communication-trust-2026-PUPJQN@ifkw.rz.tu-bs.d
 e
DTSTART;TZID=CET:20261006T091500
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DESCRIPTION:Scaling up a citizen science initiative from one country to the
  European scale is not only a scientific challenge\, but also a huge commu
 nication experiment. In this talk\, I reflect on lessons learned from the 
 pan-European campaign “Looking for Cowslips”\, which engaged participa
 nts in 31 countries in plant observations. I provide insights into what en
 ables and what constrains effective communication in a transboundary citiz
 en science campaign.\n\nBased on interviews\, questionnaires and discussio
 n groups with campaign co-organisers from all over Europe\, we identified 
 key facilitators and barriers of (i) internal communication during the coo
 rdination of the campaign as well as of (ii) external communication with p
 ublic across diverse European regions. We found that communication challen
 ges are often structural. In particular\, communication and public engagem
 ent proved challenging for researchers\, often much more challenging than 
 was assumed in the beginning of the campaign. Researchers often lack time\
 , resources or training for sustained and active communication needed in c
 itizen science campaigns. Furthermore\, despite the increasing recognition
  of the importance of science communication\, researchers are still not st
 rongly rewarded for communication or public engagement. On the other hand\
 , environmental non-governmental organizations – another important group
  involved in the coordination of the initiative – were much better equip
 ped for communication by having skills\, knowledge\, experience\, platform
 s and network necessary to engage the public. \n\nWe also observed that in
  addition to the ecological characteristics of the focal species and its h
 abitat in the different regions of Europe\, the key aspects that need to b
 e considered for planning effective communication in transboundary citizen
  science projects include various socio-cultural factors\, such as the tra
 ditions related to citizen science in different countries as well as local
  knowledge systems.\n\nIn conclusion\, our results highlight the critical 
 role of collaboration\, particularly between academic institutions\, envir
 onmental non-governmental organisations as “communication enablers” an
 d national co-organisers\, in adapting communication strategies to local c
 ontexts. Our case study also illustrates how differences in language\, ins
 titutional settings and cultural expectations affect participation\, engag
 ement and dialogue between research community and society across countries
 . We hope that these insights contribute to a better understanding of how 
 pan-European initiatives can be designed to support inclusive and effectiv
 e public participation\, while also highlighting structural barriers that 
 hinder effective communication between academia and wider society.
DTSTAMP:20260721T230053Z
LOCATION:Room 1
SUMMARY:Bridging languages and cultures: communication lessons from a pan-E
 uropean citizen science initiative - Tsipe Aavik
URL:https://ifkw.rz.tu-bs.de/citizen-science-communication-trust-2026/talk/
 PUPJQN/
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