Activities
The PaCS Board conducted a member survey to determine priority activities for the group’s first few years. The following were identified as priorities:
I. Promoting/Tracking Conservation Impacts
II. Connecting with Natural Resource Management and Policy
III. Citizen Science Best Management Practices
IV. Conferences and Workshops
Current Initiatives:
The initiative is a new project called "Conservation Impacts of Citizen Science" and relates to Priority I: Promoting/Tracking Conservation Impacts and Connecting with Natural Resource Management and Policy.
This project seeks to document the broad ranging conservations impacts and outcomes of citizen science within communities all around the world. We are looking for citizen science project managers and leaders to contribute information about the associated conservation outcomes that have resulted from their previous, or ongoing, citizen science projects. These conservation outcomes could include, but are not limited to, policy changes, evidence of successful conservation management, changes to resource management programs, habitat restoration, and educational initiatives.
Please join the project here to help us build a more holistic picture of the tangible benefits of citizen science from around the world. Feel free to share widely with your networks.
Future Initiatives
Other activities that were suggested by the membership include the following. If you are interested in joining or leading any of these, please contact us at pacs@conbio.org.
Connecting with Natural Resource Management and Policy
- Science storytelling (local, open to the public, virtual) at meetings.
- Provide resources for agencies /academic institutions to recognize and reward community engaged scholarship.
- Develop initiatives for citizen science to better contribute to biodiversity conservation and natural resource management and policy.
Citizen Science Best Management Practices
- Best Management Practices (BMPs) for citizen science in conservation: when and how should we use citizen science?
Conferences and Workshops
- A symposium or group meeting at a Citizen Science Association Conference.
- Symposium or other activity at International Congress for Conservation Biology and SCB Region meetings.
- Trainings at SCB on projects such as eBird, iNaturalist, etc., to raise awareness of those opportunities.
- Small conferences that can be organized to cover specific topics in citizen science research.
- Host workshop on beginning a citizen science program or using common tools and resources.
- Workshop for scientists to communicate with non-scientists.