Innovative technologies in nature and environmental conservation: How can we address the opportunities and challenges for Citizen Science?
... this is what we aim to answer during the development of the Citizen Science Center for Nature, Sustainability and Digitalization (funded by the German Environmental Foundation: DBU) at the Museum of Natural History Berlin (MFN). Our aim is to create a space for exchange, mobilise existing infrastructures and networks, identify needs and strengthen innovative forces.
Bridging the gaps: Strengthening potentials and innovations
As a center we aim to support Citizen Science projects with links to nature conservation, sustainability and digital innovations.
The Museum für Naturkunde Berlin counts Citizen Science as one of its core competences. We invite active and potential citizen science practitioners to share their experiences and expectations: What role could the Citizen Science Center play to increase the opportunities and face the challenges in Citizen Science? Together with you, we would like to develop the concept for the Citizen Science Centre Nature, Sustainability, Digitalization. We therefore encourage the involvement of representatives from all four stakeholder groups: politics, society, academia, and industry.
Chances and challenges of the current times
Citizen Science can have a direct contribution to the goals of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) and Global Sustainabillity Development (SDGs). As a result, it has already received much attention from policy makers and scientists. At the same time, citizen science can bridge the gap to society and open up science to an open, reflective and inclusive dialogue and discussion about sustainable living on our planet.
However, in our current "era of data" Citizen Science project initiators are facing very special challenges:
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and new technologies in Citizen Science (for example in biodiversity and species monitoring) enables us to collect and provide a great amount of data within a short time, which then can be further used for scientific questions. Societal organisations and associations as well as scientists carry great expert knowledge. However, expertise regarding digitalization, AI, and sensor technologies, as well as about how and where to retrieve that expertise, is often lacking. The need for implementation of digital and technological competences within Citizen Science projects is growing and therefore times ask for new, innovative approaches.
Events
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Past events
24. March 2023; 12:00 - 13:00 Uhr via Zoom
Digitale Mittagspause (digital lunch break) at Bürger schaffen Wissen: "Zukunftsideen: Ein Citizen Science-Zentrum für Natur, Nachhaltigkeit, Digitalisierung" (event in German)
In todays "era of data", Citizen Science projects are facing special challenges. We will continue where we stopped at the kick-off event at the 27th of February 2023 at the Museum of Natural History and will ask the community: how should a Citizen Science Center look like to face these challenges? Bürger schaffen Wissen invited the speaker Sophie Ewert to present the project and brainstorm together with the participants.
For more information about events of the digital lunch breat at Bürger schaffen Wissen, click here.
27. February 2023; 14:00 - 18:00
1. Kick-Off Meeting and Workshops for a Citizen Science Center at the Museum of Natural History Berlin
With impuls speakers and workshops at theme tables, the participants of our kick-off event discussed needs and challenges but also potentials of Citizen Science in the areas of nature protection, sustainability and digitalization. At the theme tables we asked the community: how could a Citizen Science Center look like as a datahub, meeting place, network node, ressource pool or cooperation partner? Therefore all participants together developed ideas, which are used as the basis for the development of the Citizen Science Center for Nature, Sustainability and Digitalization.
- Program: