ScienceUs - Crops Final Conference, From Local Action to European Impact

From Local Action to European Impact: Join the ScienceUs–CROPS Final Conference in Athens 25 November 2026 | Athens, GreeceHow can successful citizen science initiatives move beyond local experimentation, reach new communities and create lasting impact across Europe?On 25 November 2026, the ScienceUs and CROPS projects will come together in Athens for their Final Conference:“From Local Action to European Impact: The ScienceUs–CROPS Journey in Citizen Science Upscaling”The event will bring together citizen science practitioners, researchers, policymakers, project partners and stakeholders to exchange experiences, explore practical approaches to upscaling and reflect on how citizen-generated knowledge can contribute to more inclusive decision-making.Citizen science in actionA central part of the conference will showcase the experiences and achievements of the five initiatives supported by ScienceUs:CORE ACTS – Coastal Resilience: Action Through Citizen Science, IrelandThe Future is Climate, SpainBlue-Green Tops: Adapting Building Roofs for Climate Resilience, GreeceAcqua Sorgente, ItalyAlleviating Energy Poverty in Vulnerable Households, SpainTogether, these initiatives demonstrate how citizen science can address real societal and environmental challenges—from coastal and climate resilience to water monitoring and energy poverty.Their journeys also offer valuable lessons about what it takes to move from a promising local initiative to a sustainable model that can be replicated and adapted in other regions.From citizen-generated knowledge to policy impactCitizen science does not end with data collection. Its real potential emerges when evidence, community knowledge and lived experience are translated into decisions, policies and practical action.The conference will therefore explore how citizen science results and data can support inclusive policymaking, including the role of policy briefs in connecting project findings with the needs of decision-makers.Participants will also be introduced to the ScienceUs Upscale Academy, its portfolio of resources and the citizen science knowledge developed throughout the project.Exploring the practical dimensions of upscalingThe afternoon session will bring insights from the CROPS project and focus on three essential questions:Which citizen science projects are ready to scale?How can a citizen science project be successfully replicated and adapted?How can a scaled initiative remain useful, sustainable and connected to its communities?The discussion will draw on CROPS’ work in project curation, replication, orchestration, sustainability and community building.A dedicated CROPS Matchmaking Workshop, facilitated by OutBe, will create opportunities for participants to connect, exchange knowledge and explore potential collaborations. The conference will conclude with an open networking session.

ScienceUs–CROPS Final Conference

How can successful citizen science initiatives move beyond local experimentation, reach new communities and create lasting impact across Europe? On 25 November 2026, the ScienceUs and CROPS projects will come together in Athens for their Final Conference: “From Local Action to European Impact: The ScienceUs–CROPS Journey in Citizen Science Upscaling” The event will bring together citizen science practitioners, researchers, policymakers, project partners and stakeholders to exchange experiences, explore practical approaches to upscaling and reflect on how citizen-generated knowledge can contribute to more inclusive decision-making.

Webinar: Local communities and using citizen science in risk management

On 4 November, the European Local Development Network Association (LDnet) and the Estonian University of Life Sciences' (EMÜ) CS4Change project will host an online webinar on the role of citizen science in environmental risk management. Online seminar timings: Estonia: 17:30-19:00 EET UK: 15:30-17:00 GMT US East Coast: 10:30-12:00 EST The webinar will bring together research on how citizen science can help communities understand and respond to environmental risks. Speakers will explore cooperation with local stakeholders, civic monitoring before and during crises, and the evidence on whether citizen science helps communities manage risks. Participants are invited to share their questions and ideas.

Belgian Citizen Science Networking day

Record Eclipse Shadow Bands at the August 12, 2026 Eclipse

During the few moments before and after totality, rippling patterns called shadow bands race across the ground. This citizen science project invites eclipse observers across Iceland and Spain to record shadow bands and help answer questions that remain largely unexplored Why Participate? • Witness one of nature’s rarest optical phenomena. • Contribute to genuine scientific research. • Help answer questions about how location and altitude influence shadow bands. • Be part of an international citizen science effort. • Receive detailed observing instructions before the eclipse. We're Looking for Volunteers • Locations near the eclipse centerline in Iceland or Spain. • Locations near the edge of totality in Iceland or Spain. • High-altitude observation sites in Iceland or Spain. • If you're already planning to travel to Iceland or Spain for the eclipse, your observations could be especially valuable. See the following for more details: https://joeengineerpilot.github.io/EclipseShadowBandTool/2026_Citizen_Science_Event.pdf https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.09621

No project is an island|Bridges towards a joint legacy for the future of citizen science in Europe

Citizen science thrives on collaboration between researchers, policymakers, innovators, and the public. Yet within the citizen science community itself, a critical question remains: do we have the infrastructure to enable effective, lasting knowledge exchange across initiatives and projects? No project operates in isolation, and the collective learning generated across the field represents an underutilised asset for science and policymaking alike. At a time when public engagement is increasingly recognised as essential to rebuilding trust in institutions and tackling mis- and disinformation, the connections we build within the citizen science ecosystem matter more than ever. Sharing what works and what doesn't strengthens the community's capacity to deliver the scientific, environmental, and societal benefits that make citizen science a genuine return on investment for Europe. This summer, both the ECS and IMPETUS projects reach their conclusion. Before they do, we want to invite the citizen science community to come together to reflect on how these projects have supported citizen science across Europe and to celebrate the real-world impacts this work has made possible. The event will also provide an opportunity to hear from new and established citizen science projects, alongside stakeholders and decision-makers, ensuring that the momentum built can be sustained and that science continues to serve the society it represents. Building on the Citizen Science Archipelago series from the ECS project, this gathering reaffirms a founding principle of the citizen science community: no project is an island. Mutual exchange is not simply a nice-to-have; it is the foundation on which the continued growth and impact of citizen science depends.

A celebration of the ECS archipelago | Bringing citizen science to public libraries

As the European Citizen Science (ECS) project enters its final year, we are celebrating our achievements through a distributed series of events across Europe. Organised in collaboration with the Slovenian Citizen Science Network and Public Libraries, and as part of the ECS final event series, A celebration of the ECS archipelago, we are organising a day of collaboration and capacity building. This event focuses on the journey through the development of the ECS digital meeting point, the citizenscience.eu, showcases citizen science impact stories, delivers training on citizen science and highlights the importance of public libraries in creating community and enhancing scientific literacy. Attendance at the event is free, but as places are limited, participation is by invitation.

Strengthening Public Engagement in Research: Evidence, Impact, and Future Pathways

In collaboration with the IMPETUS and RIECS projects, ECS is organising a final policy event entitled "Strengthening Public Engagement in Research: Evidence, Impact, and Future Pathways" in Brussels. We will present engaging scenarios featuring real-life citizen science projects and share impact stories from European policymakers. These examples aim to highlight not only what has been achieved so far, but also the potential for even greater impact if support mechanisms for citizen science are strengthened. Following the presentations, there will be opportunities for networking and engaging with interactive elements over coffee and light refreshments. This event is primarily targeted at MEPs and European policymakers, but we may be able to open additional attendance spots depending on capacity. To register your interest, please contact Nadia at Nadia.Bates[at]mfn.berlin

ECSA's Aquatic Working Group webinar series

ECSA's Aquatic Working Group is launching a webinar series, with the first one coming on the 21st of May! The first webinar is titled "Creating a European Network of Citizen Science Projects on Freshwater Macroinvertebrates: Towards Comparison and Harmonization" - it will host a number of experts presenting their work from major European based projects focused on the topic. The listed projects are Riverfly Project (UK), CS Stream Index (CSSI) & (SSIS) (Ireland), RiuNet (Spain), and FLOW (Germany). Anyone interested can join us at the zoom link provided, and a recording of the webinar will be made available on ECSA's YouTube channel. See you soon and stay tuned for more!

Citizen Science meets potatoes: Engaging citizens in protecting plant health

12th of May is International Day of Plant Health. We want to use this opportunity to present three different projects dedicated to plant health: ROTATES, CERBERUS and PataFEST. From potatoes to vines, from lab analysis to crop rotation, from collaborative research to citizen science: The webinar will showcase different topics, approaches and ways of engaging with citizens while working on healthy soils and healthy crops.

Online lecture “The Many Faces of Citizen Science”

Citizen Science Festival in Oulu

On 6 March 2026, from 17:00 – 20:00, the University of Oulu, the European Citizen Science (ECS) project and the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA), will host the Citizen Science Festival in Oulu’s Valkea shopping mall. This event, free of charge and open to the public, is organised as part of the ECSA2026 conference which takes place from 3-6 March 2026 and as part of the ECS final event series: A celebration of the ECS archipelago. The festival will be open to the public and designed to bring citizen science directly into the heart of Oulu and into the daily lives of its people. The festival is about sharing the joy and impact of citizen science initiatives with everyone.

ECSA2026 Conference: Citizen Science bridging Centre and Periphery

It is the 6th European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) conference. Be part of the most exciting citizen science event in Europe and explore the ECSA conference’s exciting new structure, aimed at encouraging inclusivity and broadening networks. Participate in discussions and collaborate with citizen science practitioners, researchers, activists, scientists, policymakers, artists, and more.

TRAINING in German: CAS Citizen Science and Public Engagement

Hast Du eine Idee für ein partizipatives (Forschungs-)Projekt und fragst Dich, wie Du diese am besten umsetzen kannst? Steckst Du mitten in der Projektarbeit und merkst, dass die Dinge nicht ganz so laufen, wie Du es Dir vorgestellt hast? Oder bringst Du schon einiges an Erfahrung mit in partizipativen Projekten und möchtest über Deinen Tellerrand schauen? Dann bist Du hier richtig - egal ob ganz am Anfang einer vagen Idee oder schon mittendrin. Denn: Gemeinsam wissen wir mehr. Vielschichtige Perspektiven & Erfahrungen Neben Inputs zu zentralen Themen rund um partizipative Projektarbeit lebt der CAS von den vielschichtigen Perspektiven und Erfahrungen der Teilnehmenden. Diese kommen aus ganz unterschiedlichen Bereichen: zum Beispiel aus der Forschung, Museen, Bibliotheken, Archiven, NGOs, der Verwaltung oder dem Gesundheitsbereich. So vielfältig diese Zielgruppe auf den ersten Blick sein mag, sie eint das Interesse an der Umsetzung partizipativer Projekte, an gemeinsamer Wissensproduktion und dem Einbezug der Bevölkerung. Genau in dieser Kombination aus Unterschieden und Gemeinsamkeiten der CAS-Teilnehmenden sehen wir eine grosse Chance für das Von- und Miteinander-Lernen und für die Vernetzung mit Gleichgesinnten, die sich in ganz anderen institutionellen Umgebungen bewegen und zu den verschiedensten Themen arbeiten.