Citizen science in schools: Engaging students in research on urban habitat for pollinators

Saunders, Manu E; Roger, Erin; Geary, William L; Meredith, Floret; Welbourne, Dustin J; Bako, Alex; Canavan, Emily; Herro, Francesca; Herron, Charlotte; Hung, Olivia; Kunstler, Madeline; Lin, Jade; Ludlow, Natasha; Paton, Mayling; Salt, Sunny; Simpson, Tallulah; Wang, Ariana; Zimmerman, Nikki; Drews, Kalani B; Dawson, Hayley F; Martin, Lachlan W J; Sutton, Jack B; Webber, Chiquita C; Ritchie, Amy L; Berns, Leigham D; Winch, Bella A; Reeves, Holly R; Mclennan, Eiron C; Gardner, Jordan M; Butler, Charli G; Sutton, Emily I; Couttie, Max M; Hilderbrand, Jake B; Blackney, Isabella A; Forsyth, Justine A; Keating, Deborah M; Moles, Angela T

doi:10.1111/aec.12608

Author(s)

Saunders, Manu E

Roger, Erin

Geary, William L

Meredith, Floret

Welbourne, Dustin J

Bako, Alex

Canavan, Emily

Herro, Francesca

Herron, Charlotte

Hung, Olivia

Kunstler, Madeline

Lin, Jade

Ludlow, Natasha

Paton, Mayling

Salt, Sunny

Simpson, Tallulah

Wang, Ariana

Zimmerman, Nikki

Drews, Kalani B

Dawson, Hayley F

Martin, Lachlan W J

Sutton, Jack B

Webber, Chiquita C

Ritchie, Amy L

Berns, Leigham D

Winch, Bella A

Reeves, Holly R

Mclennan, Eiron C

Gardner, Jordan M

Butler, Charli G

Sutton, Emily I

Couttie, Max M

Hilderbrand, Jake B

Blackney, Isabella A

Forsyth, Justine A

Keating, Deborah M

Moles, Angela T

Publication Date

2018-09

Abstract

Citizen science can play an important role in school science education. Citizen science is particularly relevant to addressing current societal environmental sustainability challenges, as it engages the students directly with environmental science and gives students an understanding of the scientific process. In addition, it allows students to observe local representations of global challenges. Here, we report a citizen science programme designed to engage school-age children in real-world scientific research. The programme used standardized methods deployed across multiple schools through scientist–school partnerships to engage students with an important conservation problem: habitat for pollinator insects in urban environments. Citizen science programmes such as the programme presented here can be used to enhance scientific literacy and skills. Provided key challenges to maintain data quality are met, this approach is a powerful way to contribute valuable citizen science data for understudied, but ecologically important study systems, particularly in urban environments across broad geographical areas.

Citation

Austral Ecology, 43(6), p. 635-642

ISSN

1442-9993

1442-9985

Link

https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/30937

Language

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia

Rights

Attribution 4.0 International

Title

Citizen science in schools: Engaging students in research on urban habitat for pollinators

Type of document

Journal Article

Entity Type

Publication

Name

Size

format

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Link

openpublished/CitizenSaunders2018JournalArticle.pdf

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Author(s)	Saunders, Manu E Roger, Erin Geary, William L Meredith, Floret Welbourne, Dustin J Bako, Alex Canavan, Emily Herro, Francesca Herron, Charlotte Hung, Olivia Kunstler, Madeline Lin, Jade Ludlow, Natasha Paton, Mayling Salt, Sunny Simpson, Tallulah Wang, Ariana Zimmerman, Nikki Drews, Kalani B Dawson, Hayley F Martin, Lachlan W J Sutton, Jack B Webber, Chiquita C Ritchie, Amy L Berns, Leigham D Winch, Bella A Reeves, Holly R Mclennan, Eiron C Gardner, Jordan M Butler, Charli G Sutton, Emily I Couttie, Max M Hilderbrand, Jake B Blackney, Isabella A Forsyth, Justine A Keating, Deborah M Moles, Angela T
Publication Date	2018-09
Abstract	Citizen science can play an important role in school science education. Citizen science is particularly relevant to addressing current societal environmental sustainability challenges, as it engages the students directly with environmental science and gives students an understanding of the scientific process. In addition, it allows students to observe local representations of global challenges. Here, we report a citizen science programme designed to engage school-age children in real-world scientific research. The programme used standardized methods deployed across multiple schools through scientist–school partnerships to engage students with an important conservation problem: habitat for pollinator insects in urban environments. Citizen science programmes such as the programme presented here can be used to enhance scientific literacy and skills. Provided key challenges to maintain data quality are met, this approach is a powerful way to contribute valuable citizen science data for understudied, but ecologically important study systems, particularly in urban environments across broad geographical areas.
Citation	Austral Ecology, 43(6), p. 635-642
ISSN	1442-9993 1442-9985
Link	https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/30937
Language	en
Publisher	Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia
Rights	Attribution 4.0 International
Title	Citizen science in schools: Engaging students in research on urban habitat for pollinators
Type of document	Journal Article
Entity Type	Publication

Citizen science in schools: Engaging students in research on urban habitat for pollinators

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