Israel Center for Citizen Science

A new Center at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History in Tel Aviv 

The terms "citizen" and "science" are not, on the face of it, terms that naturally seem to go together, but the new Israel Center for Citizen Science, based at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University, aims to link the two in ways that benefit both.

This initiative involves interested members of the public in scientific research and biodiversity conservation in Israel by encouraging them to take an active role in documenting and collecting data about their surroundings. It was established in collaboration with Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL-JNF) and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel

How does it work?

The Center coordinates a list of ongoing research into many aspects of environmental and biodiversity projects. People are encouraged to take an active role in documenting and collecting data about their surroundings, which then contributes to the research. In this way, a national network for sharing knowledge and building advanced databases can be built.

Say, for example, you are interested in birds. You can take part in research by photographing and reporting observations through a designated phone app for a specific project, such as participation in the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Have you seen a bat in daylight hours? You can report the sighting and help researchers learn why the nature of bats is changing. Another project involves surveying salamanders on rainy winter nights in the Haifa area, with the aim of learning about their populations and distribution.

If flowers are your passion, you can participate in a study of the common anemone, whose goal is to understand which color is most common, where and why.

Reporting is done through dedicated apps such as those connected to the Israeli Center for Citizen Science database: BioCollect, iNaturalist, and eBird. This ensures that your reports become part of Israel's national database, supporting research and informing biodiversity and environmental management decisions.

As Chair of the Steinhardt Museum for Natural History, Prof. Tamar Dayan put it, "Citizen science – public engagement in scientific activity – is a new scientific approach gaining significant momentum around the world. It combines science and community, by acknowledging the potential contribution of the public, as individuals and communities, to advance scientific knowledge and insights, whilst also recognizing the importance of science for the general public."

Dan Alon, CEO of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel notes, "In recent years the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, with various partners, has led citizen science initiatives and connected citizens and scientists on issues related to nature conservation and protection of biodiversity and open spaces. This collaboration fosters a contribution to science and nature conservation in Israel; many participants have reported on gazelles, wild boar, salamanders, anemones, birds, butterflies, hedgehogs, fireflies, rats, fire ants, bats, and more."

And according to Dr. Tomer Gueta, Director of the Israel Center for Citizen Science at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History: "Citizen science allows us all to take an active part in biodiversity conservation in Israel. Public engagement in research processes such as data collection and analysis, does not only enrich scientific knowledge; it also strengthens people's feeling of belonging to their natural environment."

You don't have to have a university degree or scientific background to take part. All you need is interest and a willingness to follow guidelines, and you will be contributing to a greater understanding of our environment.

Now that is a win-win situation!

For more information – the website of the Israel Center for Citizen Science >>https://citizen-science.smnh.tau.ac.il/?lang=en