Researchers ask citizens and their mobile phones for help

A QR code in a Danish wetland points to a new way of working with research. Here, ordinary citizens can help scientists understand how nature recovers — one measurement at a time. Along a footbridge in Lille Vildmose, visitors can measure water levels, record temperatures, and take pictures of the vegetation. It only takes a few minutes, but the data can become part of a larger European research project. Behind this effort are, among others, researchers from Aarhus University, working on the projects WET HORIZONS and NBS4Drought. “It is physically impossible for us scientists alone to monitor hundreds of natural areas over long periods. Here, citizen science can help fill the gap,” says Lorenzo Pugliese, a specialist consultant at the Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, in a press release. Solving a Central Challenge The method addresses a fundamental challenge in environmental research: tracking the development of nature over time. Wetlands and peat bogs develop slowly, and their recovery can take decades. At the same time, research projects typically last only a few years. “We restore an area, monitor it perhaps for four years, and then we don’t know exactly what happens,” says Lorenzo Pugliese. Peat bogs are particularly important to monitor. They cover only about three percent of the Earth’s surface but store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined. At the same time, they help reduce both droughts and floods. Tested in Lille Vildmose Lille Vildmose in Northern Jutland serves as a test area. Thousands of people visit the area each year, many with an interest in nature and biodiversity. Here, researchers have established simple measurement stations where visitors can contribute data via QR codes. To ensure quality, citizen observations are compared with measurements from automatic sensors. “If we can demonstrate that the method works, it can be scaled to many more areas,” says Lorenzo Pugliese. According to the researchers, citizen science is not only about data but also about engaging people with nature. “Citizens contribute to science, but science also gives back: knowledge, engagement, and a stronger connection to a place,” says Lorenzo Pugliese. Experiences show that motivation often lies in the desire to protect nature and be part of something bigger. Citizen science is already part of several European projects and is expected to play a larger role in the future. According to the researchers, collaboration between citizens and scientists will be crucial if the EU’s ambitious goals for nature restoration are to be achieved. Read more about the initiative here.