{"id":2339,"date":"2023-01-15T21:46:57","date_gmt":"2023-01-15T13:46:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecology.shanghai-visual.org\/web\/?p=2339"},"modified":"2023-02-15T09:55:18","modified_gmt":"2023-02-15T01:55:18","slug":"nsfc-citizenscience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecology.shanghai-visual.org\/web\/nsfc-citizenscience\/","title":{"rendered":"The Contribute of Citizen Science to support Urban Nature and Ecological Literacy in Chinese Cities (NSFC grant ID#6201101276)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
citizens science, urban-nature, urban ecology, data science, digital fabrication<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
The proposal investigates by practice the concept of \u201cecological civilisation\u201d at the urban level; it produces knowledge about ecological literacy through cases of ecological participation. 
The project includes two parts: the first part selected and analysed existing projects that use technology for a positive impact on Nature. This collection acquired knowledge about how technological development is supporting ecological challenges within cities. The outcome of this phase is an online catalogue of cases. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The second part is applied Action Research and fieldwork; initiatives of CS and participatory ecology have been prototyped and implemented. Observation and mapping of biodiversity, collecting nature data using homemade printed circuit boards (PCB), developing interactive devices which embed ecology concepts and are available to citizens to use, and experimenting with biomedia and biomaterials to study ecological cycles are among the tools used in this phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As an outcome, a laboratory of Citizen Science and Participatory Ecology open to everyone has been established, supported by the University and the Fablab, and hosted in Xinhua community Design Centre. This laboratory will continue to offer learning opportunities about ecology and enable more participation in discovering urban nature. The projects completed 4 publications and 4 papers are under peer review or final editing. I also participated in and organised many dissemination and public events, which served as an outreach of the project and also as a fundamental component of the participatory methodology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Overview of the implementation of the research plan<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Outline of the results according to the planned objectives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Produce dissemination work about the concept of ecological literacy and current existing projects about urban-nature relationship, with a focus on Citizen Science (achieved)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Design and implement action research to involve citizens in Citizen Science and ecological practice (partially achieved)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Utilise instruments of dissemination and cooperation to bring the results outside of academia and create the possibility of a long-term laboratory of practice to continue the work on participatory ecology and Citizen Science (achieved)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    Considering the restrictions of the pandemic and despite the difficulties of creating full-scale participatory action of CS, we still managed to create many opportunities to expose citizens to access and experience in interactive ways data from science and nature, and in this way make progress on studying and contributing to ecological awareness. This work will continue with more research results in the next months following the further implementation of the activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
     2. Research contents, methods, and outline of outcomes<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
    2.1 Case studies<\/em>
    PI performed a collection of case studies throughout the duration of the project with the goal to understand how technology is currently utilised in ecology projects (data-science, AI, digital fabrication), and which technologies may be more relevant for our design work (sensors and data-science, interactive device, fabrication and biomedia). 
    Outcomes: we used this collection as a base to build the     \u201cEcology Dataset Platform\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
    2.2 Action Research (lab-work and fieldwork)<\/em>
    Despite the pandemic restrictions, Action Research is being pushed forward:<\/p>\n\n\n\n