On November 12, 2024, the American University of Armenia held an engaging workshop titled “Could You Be a Citizen Scientist? Or Are You Here Just to Make a Splash?”, led by Dr. Garabet Kazanjian, Assistant Professor at AUA in Yerevan, Armenia. The event offered students, faculty, and staff a deep dive into Armenia’s pressing water issues and how citizen science can empower communities to address them.

Dr. Kazanjian opened with a compelling look at Armenia’s traditional reverence for water and contrasted it with current consumption habits. He highlighted the environmental challenges Armenia faces today, emphasizing the critical need for behavioral change and public involvement in conservation. The concept of citizen science—where non-professionals actively contribute to scientific research—was new to many attendees, sparking strong interest and curiosity.

To demonstrate the impact of citizen science, Dr. Kazanjian introduced the EU-funded OTTERS project. Aimed at expanding citizen science initiatives across Europe and neighboring countries, OTTERS includes a pilot project in the Lake Sevan Basin in Armenia. Here, local teachers will integrate citizen science activities into their curricula, enabling students to monitor water quality in nearby rivers and engage at the community level in water stewardship efforts.

In a hands-on session, participants formed groups to co-design their own citizen science campaigns focused on promoting water conservation. Ideas included monitoring residential water use, organizing river clean-ups, and launching social media campaigns to raise public awareness, share information, and inspire sustainable behaviors.

The workshop attracted more than 20 students, with the overwhelming majority of the respondents at the end of the workshop expressing interest in future citizen science projects and the belief that such projects can help address water-related challenges in Armenia.