Citizen science for conservation in Africa (CISCA)

CISCA’s aim was to translate citizen science data collection into conservation action in Africa. It  did this through developing the capacity of 26 African conservation citizen science managers, giving them skills to engage citizen scientists, design robust citizen science protocols, generate useful data and use the results to inform conservation strategies and policy

Project Aims

To translate citizen science biodiversity monitoring into more effective decision making for conservation.

• Capacity for biodiversity monitoring: Build capacity to analyse citizen science monitoring data, and use these results to inform conservation and policy.
• Manage citizen science projects for conservation outcomes: Build capacity to recruit, maintain, and train non-experts and maximise the validity of data that they collect.
• Translate citizen science biodiversity data into policy and action: African scientists will gain skills in creating and presenting outputs of citizen science monitoring data, and in communicating these results to decision makers and conservation managers.

Key Activities

After initial meetings between the project partners to finalise project outcomes, the key activities were:

Training workshops

Two five-day workshops were held, in Kenya, in April and October 2019. We received over 200 applicants for both workshops. A total of 26 aspiring citizen science managers from 16 institutions in nine countries were trained – with the majority attending both workshops.

The first workshop gave participants skills and knowledge to analyse, interpret and present their citizen science data. Participants learnt how to use the statistical computing software R and applied their new skills to their own data. They also learnt how to understand biases and long-term trends in data. A focus of the training was on producing maps and other ways of presenting results that are needed for management decisions and advocacy.

The second workshop built on the knowledge gained from the first workshop – and participants were able to present what they had achieved since then. A key focus was how to engage with citizen scientists and on building communication skills, including advocacy and publishing.

Workshops were participatory and included tutorials, group discussions, practical exercises, and case studies. At the end of the second workshop participants developed communication pieces from their citizen science projects – including manuscript outlines – and received feedback and peer to peer reviews.

Networking between participants

The workshops created strong links between the participants with vibrant interactions and sharing continuing through a WhatsApp group created by the TBA. Maintaining these connection is important in strengthening citizen science work in Africa.

Conservation Impact

The project has created a network of African scientists with the skills to analyse their biodiversity atlas data and use these results to influence policy and practice.  It also generated more effective citizen science projects – across a range of taxa – through enhancing the capacity of African project coordinators.   A lasting impact will be that the project will recruit more ambassadors for nature, through their engagement as citizen scientists.

In the long run, the project will ensure conservation and management is effective and evidence-based, because it will be based on continually up-dated, locally derived knowledge.

Outputs

26 citizen science managers gained the skills, knowledge and confidence to engage citizen scientists, design robust protocols and communicate their results to different audiences.

All reported that they had achieved positive changes in their work as a result of the training workshops they attended.

i) career growth
Six participants incorporated their citizen science skills in their master’s degree studies. Three have since graduated. One told us he got a new job as a result of the training, which is to: “[work] with citizen scientists in implementing onsite and offsite mitigation [for wind energy]”.

ii) new citizen science projects, new data & publications
Participants started new citizen science projects; these include a new project on mushrooms, a new bird atlas project in Liberia, new maps of red listed dragonflies, a new map of an urban forest that is informing restoration activities and distributions of indigenous species.
Four articles have been published.

iii) enhanced conservation impact & sharing skills
After the workshops, a participant said “The fishermen .. were collecting sea turtles eggs for food but since [involving them] in my citizen science project, they’ve become ambassadors of the conservation of the threatened sea turtles.”
Participants are also sharing their skills by training others.