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Especially in nature and species conservation, where a large number of observations have to be collected and evaluated over a long period of time or over a long distance, collaboration with volunteers offers great opportunities. The crowd makes possible what individual researchers would need a great deal of time and capacity to do. Citizen Science projects can also strengthen the environmental awareness of participants. We present six exciting Citizen Science projects in this area.
How do domestic pigs behave in a natural environment? To find out, a small family of three sows and their piglets live for three years in a large outdoor enclosure in the canton of Lucerne. 20 cameras spread across the entire area record how the pigs sleep, suckle, forage in the forest, play, fight or wallow in the mud. Using our Digital Tool for data analysis, the Project Builder, anyone who is interested can participate in the research project. Short excerpts from the camera footage are shown and a few questions are asked about the behavior of the pigs seen in the footage. As well as making a valuable contribution to science, participants can also learn more about these curious animals and win great prizes. The results help to improve the conditions in which pigs are kept. More about the project
In this somewhat unusual project, participants send in samples of their cats' poop. If you turn up your nose now - it's for a scientific purpose. The project investigates the impact of cats on the local wildlife as well as the risks to their health and well-being. Anyone who lives in the city of Zurich and would like to find out more about the health of their own cat is cordially invited to take part in the project. Participants not only receive a free screening of their own cat's microbiome, but also actively participate in research and thus make a valuable contribution. More about the project
The project, which has now been completed, investigated the potential of urban mini-green spaces for bees and butterflies. The research question was whether a greater diversity of plants in the city of Zurich has a positive effect on the number of insects. Volunteers were trained to identify a selection of wild bees and butterflies. They then regularly identified and recorded the flower visitors on a selected green area during the summer months. With additional activities, the project has been successful in bringing the importance of these small insects closer to the city dwellers and raising their environmental awareness. More about the project
This project takes you to some of the most remote rivers in the world. Wild rivers provide habitats for diverse plant and animal species and play an important role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and promoting biodiversity. The biodiversity of rivers is concentrated in the wildest stretches, but these are disappearing at an extremely rapid rate worldwide. On our Project Builder, participants analyze satellite images of river sections. Based on this analysis, an AI model will then be trained to show the wildness of large rivers worldwide. In this way, participants help to ensure that our rivers can be better protected in the future. More about the project
In order to develop models for flood or drought forecasts, measurement data of various criteria are needed. However, this data is often not collected sufficiently. This is where Citizen Science and the collection of environmental data by volunteers offers an exciting solution. With the CrowdWater app, participants can enter their own estimates - for example, water levels of rivers or soil moisture. The collected data is used to improve hydrological models and thus better predict floods and droughts. More about the project
Soil is home to trillions of bacteria, fungi, insects, worms and other creatures that characterize healthy soil through their abundance and productivity. The more diverse the living organisms, the better the soil can function. To study soil life, the project had the original idea of using cotton underpants. Participants buried underpants all over Switzerland, which they dug up again after a while, photographed and dried. The more corroded the underpants, the more active the soil life and the healthier the soil. The aim was to shine a spotlight on the essential but barely explored and fascinating universe beneath our feet. More about the project
You can also find more exciting Citizen Science projects on our project overview page or at the Schweiz forscht platform.
Editor: Ursina Roffler
