Citizen Science

Local environmental projects open for funding

The Nature Commission conducts a programme of citizen science initiatives, projects, and surveys, with a goal to encourage our island community to connect with nature by taking part in national data collection. This work also helps to build the local biological evidence-base for informed decision-making. Citizen science creates a powerful feedback loop between data collection, community involvement, and scientific progress, making science more democratic, inclusive, and impactful.

Overview

How to Support this Project

To support this project, please contact: office@naturecommission.gg

The Nature Commission is a Guernsey charity that works with business, government, the third sector, and the public to enhance the Island's natural environment and promote greater native biodiversity. In particular, the Nature Commission is working to reverse the decline in biodiversity by protecting and enhancing Guernsey's natural environment for the health of our economy and well-being of our island community.

For more information visit Nature Commission Guernsey

Project Information

Citizen science is for everyone!

The aim is to empower local communities to take part in biological data collection through citizen science, with support, training, and learning resources provided by the Nature Commission as needed. In time, projects can be fully transitioned to be undertaken by citizens, enabling the Nature Commission to implement additional projects into its portfolio and rolling these out publicly in due course.

The data collected from these projects are submitted to the Guernsey Biological Records Centre, to be used to enhance our understanding of species and habitats, and to direct effective conservation interventions

Examples of the citizen science projects the Nature Commission leads can be found below.

Funding needed

The current cost of implementing the programme of citizen science projects is approximately £9,160 per year.

This may fluctuate year on year as new projects are added to the Nature Commission's citizen science portfolio.

Examples of citizen science projects already underway

Big Seaweed Search

A UK project that collects data on 14 seaweed species to better understand the impacts of ocean acidification and Invasive Non-Native Species. It also collects data on some of our native seaweeds to help us understand the health of intertidal habitats.

Great Eggcase Hunt

This project helps The Shark Trust learn more about sharks, skates and rays by finding and recording eggcases. Empty eggcases can help indicate presence and diversity of egglaying species in our waters.

UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS)

One of the longest running insect monitoring schemes in the world, it now records data on over 2,000 sites per year. The mission of UKBMS is to assess the status and trends of butterfly populations for conservation, research and quality of life, and has produced important insights into almost all aspects of butterfly ecology.

BeeWalk

A national recording scheme run by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to monitor the abundance of bumblebees on transects across the country, including Guernsey.

Freshwater Critter Count

Freshwater invertebrates are under recorded locally and not much is known about them. Freshwater Critter Count is a great way to understand more about our freshwater invertebrates and the value of ponds and other waterbodies for wildlife.

Garden Paws

This project involves building your own footprint tunnel and using it to discover the small mammals living in your gardens and local green spaces by identifying their footprints It’s easy, fun and perfect for families, schools, and nature lovers of all ages!

Species Spotter Sheets

The Nature Commission have created a variety of species spotter resources to encourage more recording of species that are often overlooked and under recorded. Spotter sheets are available for fungi, ladybirds, slugs, lichen, moss, and species that you'll find in your garden, with more spotter sheets on the way! Users can then record what they've seen on iRecord, a free biological recording app.

Which UN Sustainable Development Goals does this Project contribute to?

This project helps to progress against the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:

#4 quality education
#13 climate action
#14 life below water
#15 life on land

Outcomes

Scalability: citizen scientists can collect data across vast areas and timeframes that would be impossible for professional researchers alone
High volume of data: projects like species counts generate massive datasets
Unique local insights: citizens often notice patterns or changes in their own environments that may be overlooked by external researchers
Public engagement in science: it helps demystify scientific research and fosters trust and interest in science among the public
Education and empowerment: participants gain skills in observation, species identification, data collection, critical thinking, and environmental literacy
Community building: citizen science often brings people together around shared interests
Policy influence: data collected by communities can inform local decision-making
Cost-effective research: involving volunteers can dramatically reduce research costs while increasing reach and scope
Fosters environment stewardship: people who contribute to ecological data collection are more likely to adopt environmentally responsible behaviours.