Supporting Citizen Science
Overview
Citizen science: ‘the collection of data and information by communities for scientific purposes’ can provide invaluable data and evidence about our water environment.
Citizen science can be a fantastic way for us to work together by:
- supporting communities to connect to their local environment.
- bringing together local stakeholders and decision makers.
- enabling collaborative action and support.
The Environment Agency shares the enthusiasm, and values the expertise and local knowledge of citizen scientists. We recognise the wide-ranging benefits that supporting citizen science can bring to people and nature.
We are committed to working collaboratively with everyone responsible for the water environment to help find new solutions to the challenges we are facing together.
We hold a long-standing relationship with existing citizen science initiative, Riverfly Partnership, hosted by the Freshwater Biological Association. Our Environment Agency ecology contacts across the country advise Riverfly groups on sampling location, data analysis and interpretation.
The Environment Agency also support a range of other local and national citizen science initiatives across England.
As citizen science initiatives on and around the water environment continue to expand and evolve, we want to be ready to work more effectively with these communities.
Supporting Citizen Science-internal Environment Agency project
To understand how the Environment Agency is currently supporting and engaging with citizen science, we have funded an internal project, Supporting Citizen Science, which will run until March 2025.
The Supporting Citizen Science project will:
- learn from our past good intentions and good practice.
- develop a future organisational approach to support future citizen. science initiatives in the water environment.
Citizen science training on the Tud (photo credit Norfolk Rivers Trust)
How is the project being delivered?
The project is coordinated by a central national project team but delivered locally.
Specialist citizen science leads have been recruited within Environment Agency operational Areas. See below link for a map of our Environment Agency Areas.
The Environment Agency Area Map
Citizen science leads are working closely with internal teams, local partners and community groups across Environment Agency operational Areas.
Feedback from each Environment Agency Area will help us to understand how the organisation as a whole is currently working with citizen science projects.
What will we do with the information?
Develop guidance and a community of practice for the Environment Agency to enable:
- a consistent approach to supporting citizen science across the organisation.
- better use of citizen science and other external evidence sources in our work.
- better clarity for citizen scientists on how we can and can’t use their data and the standard required for our varied uses of data.
- a more collaborative approach to improving the environment.
- communities to engage with their environment, science and the Environment Agency.
Who else are we working with?
Defra- Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) - Citizen Science
Natural Capital Ecosystem Approach
We are an advisory partner of the Ofwat funded Catchment Systems Thinking Cooperative (CaSTCo)
Read our latest blogs
Find out about some of the projects we are involved in across the country: How the Environment Agency is supporting citizen science blog
Find out more about our citizen science leads - this blog focusses on the work happening in East Anglia: Citizen science in East Anglia blog
CaSTCo: collaboration in action
Watch this short video to find out more about how we are working with partners and citizen scientists as part of the CaSTCo project.
Are you interested in getting involved in citizen science in your area?
The Rivers Trusts’ Big River Watch is a great introduction to citizen science so download it, head out to your local waterbody and have a go!
Alternatively, to find out more about citizen science that may be happening in your area contact your local catchment partnership: Get Involved - CaBA (catchmentbasedapproach.org)
Please provide us with some feedback
Please follow the link to our short survey which should take less than 10 minutes to complete. Your views will help to steer our project and inform internal and external guidance produced.
Survey ends 31/12/2024
Audiences
- Recreational and commercial river users
- Fishing clubs and representative associations
- Members of the public with an interest in the river, the species and conservation
- Charities
- Statutory organisations
- NGOs
- Members of the public
- Academics
- River based salmon angling owners/fishing clubs/organisations
- Members of the public
- Recreational and commercial river users
- Community groups
- Environment Agency colleagues
Interests
- Flood management
- Coastal management
- Fishing and boating
- Water resources
- Water quality
- Habitats and wildlife
- Specific projects, issues, or activity pages
Share
Share on Twitter Share on Facebook