Abstract: Citizen Science - the term is more than just a description of a method. In projects that involve citizens, science suddenly becomes interactive.
The focus is not only on contributing observations and measurements but also on imparting knowledge and identifying with the project or the topic. This wide-ranging participation of enthusiasts and interested parties means that research and environmental protection projects have to face entirely new challenges in a rapidly changing world.
"Citizen Science is about engaging with our environment. It is very important, especially for young people." - Herbert, 66 years old, pensioner and hobby researcher
Citizen Science has been around for a long time - and yet the basis has changed completely in recent years. With the smartphone, we all carry a full-fledged computer in our pocket every day, connected to the World Wide Web and equipped with sensors, GPS and a camera to boot. What once had to be transcribed from paper are now digital entries, structured, more flexible and closer to the moment of observation itself. Today, anyone who engages with nature can not only discover it, but document it. Without mobile technologies, Citizen Science would not have the potential it has today: To connect people directly with nature again. And the interface to this is the smartphone app.