Why the views of Latin American Scientists on Citizen Science as a Tool for Pollinator Monitoring and Conservation Matter?

Abstract

Pollinators are threatened all over the planet; scientific data about the status of them is essential for planning conservation and impact mitigation. Appropriate methods and costs for monitoring are being discussed and non-scientist participation in data collection in citizen science (CS) projects is a very promising option. However, there is criticism regarding the quality of data gathered by non-scientists and their real contribution to scientific research, which makes the engagement of scientists in these projects crucial for data verification and validation and training volunteers. CS is still poorly spread in Latin America, so in order to propose strategies to engage scientists, it is necessary to understand the attitude of these professionals towards CS and their interests in engaging in it. To this end, we conducted a survey with 96 biodiversity scientists based in five Latin American countries. In general, the respondents have a very favorable attitude towards CS, although only a small percentage of them are engaged in CS projects. Obtaining data for scientific research is the scientists' main interest in CS, although some of them have also expressed more altruistic reasons for engaging in CS related to ethical and social values. Our paper also suggests five interrelated strategies that can be taken to engage scientists in CS, covering the following: (a) create funding lines to support projects, (b) include extension and outreach activities in the system of scientists' evaluation, (c) promote an inter and transdisciplinary infrastructure, (d) promote scientists' building capacities in CS, and (e) encourage scientists to do science communication.

A Buzz for Sustainability and Conservation: The Growing Potential of Citizen Science Studies on Bees

“…Feedback to volunteers on the research is of utmost importance for maintaining citizen scientist motivation and collaboration throughout the project [70]. More so, communicating project outcomes represents an ethical principle for professional researchers (fifth and tenth principles [13]).…”

Insect Pollinators, Major Threats and Mitigation Measures

“…Finally, Viana et al (2020) presents the relevance of the citizen science to involve the public in research activities and thus raise awareness of the importance of pollinator conservation. In this article, the authors discuss what are the main obstacles for Latin American researchers to use tools of citizen science in the work of monitoring biodiversity, and point out public policies that encourage this new way of doing research together with the community.…”