Welcome!

The world we live in is changing. Climate change is affecting people, plants, animals, the ground beneath us, and the air and water around us. It is changing the way the planet functions. We’re in this together. We believe that environmental research has the power to connect with people’s everyday lives and spark their imaginations. We need to know how we can work together most effectively to understand and respond to these changes. We’re a passionate group of researchers and we have come together to answer this question with you.

We want you to join us in opening up environmental research on the major environmental challenges facing our planet. Citizen science – the participation of volunteers in science projects – has been identified as a solution. Over the next 12 months, our project OPENER is scoping out how to open up science for all.

1. First, we’re identifying ways so that everyone can become involved in all stages of the research process. We use the term ‘citizen science’ to describe this.
2. Second, we’re also training researchers and other practitioners so that they have the skills to facilitate successful and sustainable participation.
3. Finally, we’re creating a vision for a national community of citizen science and public engagement with environmental science for the 21st century.

Collectively our team has over 100 years worth of experience in pushing for and enabling participation in science. We are drawing on our networks locally, nationally and internationally to bring everyone together to open up science for all! If you’d like to join our mailing list, please complete this very short form.

NOTE: We’re funded by NERC, the Natural Environment Research Council. For more details of the scheme click here.