Why citizen science?
We are passionate about citizen science because it bridges the gap between academia and the general population, making scientific research more inclusive and accessible. By involving citizens, we hope to collect valuable data and foster a deeper connection between people and their local green spaces.
Involving vulnerable populations is particularly important to us as they are often not considered in urban (green) design and microbiology studies. We aim to empower communities by actively involving them in scientific research and ensuring their voices are considered when we provide advice to urban planners.
Specifically, participants of the BUGS project will:
o Gain knowledge on microorganisms and human health,
o Receive training in microbiome sampling that may spark interest in science,
o Be empowered by directly contributing to scientific research and production, and
o Use their voices to help provide advice to urban planners of their city.
The BUGS project is supported by IMPETUS, a European project that supports citizen-science initiatives. You can read more about IMPETUS and browse through other exciting citizen science initiatives here: https://impetus4cs.eu/accelerator-2024/#csis-2024.
Join us in this ground-breaking effort to boost public health through microbial biodiversity in urban green spaces!