The citizen science project 'CurieuzeNeuzen in de Tuin' received an enormous number of registrations from volunteers, including Bernard Siau, participant, citizen scientist and donor. Bernard told us that 'CurieuzeNeuzen in de Tuin' immediately aroused his interest, given his background as a civil engineer as well as his interest in climate issues. 'CurieuzeNeuzen in de Tuin' gave him the opportunity as a citizen to contribute to society by measuring data in his own garden.
Social commitment for everyone
“As a citizen, you commit yourself to this citizen science project as an important factor in helping to collect data. The open and transparent communication immediately creates a great deal of willingness to participate. I find such projects extremely interesting and a very good initiative because in this way you involve citizens in social projects.”
“Social engagement takes time, but I'm happy to do it. Supporting financially also felt like a logical choice for me. The great thing about citizen science projects such as 'CurieuzeNeuzen in de Tuin' is that everyone can contribute in their own way. In this way you give everyone in society the opportunity to make a social commitment to care about tomorrow today.”
Make a difference as a citizen
“Participating in itself didn't take much time. I had to pick up the package with the lawn dagger and install it in my garden. Everything was explained very clearly in the supplied instructions, so it was just a matter of going through the steps properly. Pretty soon after this I was also able to retrieve results in the dashboard, such as the temperature of my soil. The interactive aspect appealed to me enormously, you were immediately included as a participant in the results.”
“As a participant, you didn't really have a task. At a certain point, however, I did have a problem where I was no longer getting data forwarded. For this I contacted and was helped almost immediately. I really appreciate this as a participant, you are not left to your own devices and you are really an important pivot in the research.”
Quick insights as a participant
“We received daily measurement results via the online dashboard. I checked these on a regular basis purely out of interest. In addition, we were also kept up-to-date through articles in 'De Standaard' about 'CurieuzeNeuzen in de Tuin'. I also found this very interesting and beautiful that the project received so much deserved attention. As a participant I read everything with great interest because I was of course very closely involved in this. We also occasionally received a newsletter with updates.”
The garden report
“As the end of the research approached, I naturally became very curious about the results of my own garden, but also about the general findings. When I was able to consult my garden report, the data was in line with my expectations, but there were also a number of new insights that I found interesting. I live in the Flemish Ardennes and from the results you could notice a very big difference with Limburg. I also found the data from cities very fascinating, these are results that can certainly be used.”
The investigation continues
“When it was announced that 'CurieuzeNeuzen in de Tuin' would have a sequel, I didn't hesitate for a second to run again! The extremely wet summer of 2021 brought an unexpected turn. Nature, of course, cannot be dictated to. So I think it's great to see that the project wants to collect even more data. All this data can later be used to create a greater understanding among society at large about climate change. I am already very happy to have participated and that I can also make my contribution in phase two. Persistence in such projects is extremely important, as is transparent communication about this to citizens.”