In the framework of the OTTERS project, partners from the Netherlands and Ukraine have been actively advancing Citizen Science initiatives to promote collaborative research and address environmental challenges.
In August 2024, in Enschede, the Netherlands, RAMANI (University of Twente) organized a Citizen Science workshop as part of a larger “busathon” event, bringing together faculty and students to explore the integration of Citizen Science into university curricula.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, the scientific team at Odesa National Mechnikov University conducted an OTTERS Co-Creation Session in January 2025 to introduce Citizen Science principles and assess public engagement in water stewardship. These efforts, though geographically distinct, share a common goal: fostering participatory research and enhancing the role of Citizen Science in academia and environmental management.
The workshop organised by RAMANI aimed to introduce Citizen Science to university faculty and students from the University of Amsterdam, the University of Twente, and the Vrije University in the Netherlands in order to create a roadmap for integrating citizen science into university curricula.
The workshop was part of a ‘busathon’ organised by RAMANI for staff and graduate students to encourage approaching science research with a broader solution-driven mindset for increased impact. The ‘busathon’ saw the participants being ‘bussed’ around the Netherlands to hold discussions with small to medium business owners and community members.
The students then had to work in teams to address the problems that the business owners are facing and present their proposed solutions to a jury made up of university faculty and business representatives.
A great component of the busathon challenge is to encourage better communication of science between researchers and the community. The Introduction to Citizen Science workshop offered further insight into collaborative work between scientists/researchers and the community. It was attended by staff and 16 graduate students from varying disciplines.
The workshop kicked off with a presentation on what citizen science is, an exploration of the 10 principles of citizen science from the European Citizen Science Association, and an introduction to the OTTERS project. The participants were then split into smaller groups to identify how or if they could incorporate citizen science into their research. The workshop concluded with a discussion on the potential and limitations of citizen science in addressing broader environmental challenges including the problems identified during the busathon tour. Further online resources and reading material on citizen science were made available to the participants.
For the OTTERS project, this workshop served insights into the general level of awareness about citizen science among university faculty and students. More than 90% of the participants had not heard of citizen science before attending the workshop. The feedback collected from the participants through evaluation forms indicated that there is clear interest in learning about citizen science as part of university curricula. The participants expressed interest in learning materials and MOOCs being developed in OTTERS and that will be made available on the OTTERS Citizen Science Resource Hub.
The scientific team at Odesa National Mechnikov University conducted the OTTERS Co-Creation Session on Citizen Science (CS) in Ukraine in a Google Classroom format from January 8 to 17, 2025.
The session focused on the following key objectives:
- Introducing participants to the goals and principles of Citizen Science (CS) and the objectives of the OTTERS project, which aims to leverage CS initiatives for enhancing water resource management in both marine and freshwater domains.
- Familiarizing participants with the OTTERS project toolkit for developing future CS campaigns on water stewardship.
- Conducting a survey to evaluate participants’ attitudes toward CS initiatives in Ukraine and their willingness to engage in them.
Invitations were sent to 65 individuals from Ukraine, representing a diverse range of social groups, including teachers from secondary schools, university and college lecturers, students and PhD candidates, and staff members from scientific institutions, governmental agencies, and private companies. Participants also came from various academic and professional backgrounds, including biology, biotechnology, botany, chemistry, computer science, earth sciences, economics, geography, geology, human health, and landscape gardening.
A total of 57 participants actively engaged in the session and provided responses to the survey. Despite the participants’ diverse professions, the session revealed a strong public interest and willingness to engage in CS initiatives focused on improving freshwater and marine resource management in Ukraine. The survey responses demonstrated a high awareness of existing water resource challenges and included numerous suggestions for potential solutions.
These findings highlight the importance of fostering Citizen Science initiatives to address water resource issues in Ukraine, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts between scientists, educators, policymakers, and the public.
