Citizen Science: Why Researchers Can’t Go It Alone
For many people, the word “science” conjures an image of serious looking researchers in lab coats surrounded by complicated machinery. While science can certainly involve that sometimes, there’s also so much more to it, and it’s not just for the professionals!
Science is something anyone can partake in, and when community members get involved, it’s often called “citizen science”. Researchers benefit from the support of community members in so many ways! Involvement from the community allows researchers to collect more data than by themselves, provides unique insights from those who know an area best, and helps translate scientific work into real, actionable change.
1. More hands, more data
Researchers are often limited by how much data they can collect on their own. When you’re just one person or a small research team, it can be tough to collect as many measurements or samples as you want. With more data, researchers can have greater confidence that their findings accurately reflect the natural systems they’re studying. A group of citizen scientists can help a researcher to sample more locations, more often, and more efficiently!
A great example of this is A Teeny Tiny Truth, a project by WAI Wānaka in collaboration with doctoral candidate Veronica Rotman. With help from more than 30 community members, microplastic samples were collected across four seasons. That level of sustained effort wouldn’t have been possible without citizen scientists and an engaged community. Even preschoolers, like the curious explorers from Riverside ECE, helped collect samples, which proves that you’re never too young to contribute!
2. No one knows your home like you do
Citizen scientists also offer something researchers can’t always access on their own: local knowledge. Citizen scientists can provide unique and invaluable insights for researchers through their intimate knowledge of an area. For example, someone who has lived next to Lake Wānaka for many years may have observations about how invasive plants started appearing, what things have changed in Wānaka as it’s grown and how that has affected the lake, or changes in the number of birds seen nesting in the lake with new conservation initiatives.
This kind of local knowledge is unique and may help researchers better understand the past and present of a region. These local experiences help establish the baseline for an area and how that may be different from the current situation. Local knowledge can also spark new research questions or highlight environmental shifts that need further investigation. When communities and researchers work together, they create a more complete picture of the environment.
3. People power real change
While sharing research through academic journals and conferences is important, making science actionable is just as crucial, especially when it comes to protecting the environment.
When citizens are informed and involved, scientific research can more easily influence policy and planning. Community groups like WAI Wānaka help shape the sustainable, protected future of the region through contributions to things like the Upper Clutha Integrated Catchment Management Plan and the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) Climate and Biodiversity Plan. It’s the collaboration of all the staff, volunteers, supporters, and researchers that make this kind of resource advocacy possible. It’s crucial that people connected to a resource and the science shape the future of management and monitoring.
Citizen science empowers communities to advocate for their environment. When people are part of the science, they’re also part of the solution.
Citizen science is not just limited to New Zealand either, and community members around the world have made big impacts in protecting their water resources. One example is in Northern California of the United States, where a large community-based effort to on water quality in Lake Tahoe called “Keep Tahoe Blue” has made decade long strides in protecting and improving the water quality of the lake.
Ready to be a citizen scientist?
If you’re ready to get involved in science, check out some of WAI Wānaka’s citizen science opportunities and make an impact:
- Get Your Feet Wet Events – Hands-on environmental monitoring sessions.
- Litter Intelligence – Help track and communicate litter trends.
- A Teeny Tiny Truth – Join the team investigating microplastics.
- Secchi Disk Outings – Measure water clarity and other conditions in local lakes.
Keep an eye on upcoming events and opportunities to get involved: https://waiwanaka.nz/events/
Science is stronger together.
Whether you’re collecting samples, sharing local knowledge, or advocating for the environment, your contribution matters. Researchers can’t do it all alone, but with your help, they don’t have to. Science is better when it’s done together.
This blog was written by US based WAI volunteer Shelby Defeo, who recently finished a PhD in Environmental Systems with a concentration in Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering with a focus on lakes.