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Forget dusty textbooks and ivory towers. Citizen Science is the radical idea that the most valuable data about our local world isn't locked away in a university lab—it's right outside your door, and you are the best person to collect it.
It is a global movement where ordinary people partner with professional scientists to monitor, measure, and protect the world we all share.
Forget dusty textbooks and ivory towers. Citizen Science is the radical idea that the most valuable data about our local world isn't locked away in a university lab—it's right outside your door, and you are the best person to collect it.
It is a global movement where ordinary people partner with professional scientists to monitor, measure, and protect the world we all share.
🔬 What Does a Citizen Scientist Actually Do. 🤔
🔬 What Does a Citizen Scientist Actually Do. 🤔
You might already be one and not even know it!
You might already be one and not even know it!
👁️👂🏻• You are the "Eyes and Ears" on the Ground: Scientists can't be everywhere at once. You provide the hyper-local, real-time data that makes massive research projects possible.
📏🚯• You are the Data Collector: Using a simple app, a measuring tape, or just your own two eyes, you record things like: the species of a bird, the diameter of a tree, or the amount of litter in a river.
🕵🏻♂️🚐• You are the Policy Influencer: The data you gather isn't just filed away. It's used by local councils, environmental agencies, and The Parks Trust to make real, binding decisions about how your neighbourhood is managed.💂🏻♂️
👁️👂🏻• You are the "Eyes and Ears" on the Ground: Scientists can't be everywhere at once. You provide the hyper-local, real-time data that makes massive research projects possible.
📏🚯• You are the Data Collector: Using a simple app, a measuring tape, or just your own two eyes, you record things like: the species of a bird, the diameter of a tree, or the amount of litter in a river.
🕵🏻♂️🚐• You are the Policy Influencer: The data you gather isn't just filed away. It's used by local councils, environmental agencies, and The Parks Trust to make real, binding decisions about how your neighbourhood is managed.💂🏻♂️
🐄The Milton Keynes Story:
🐄The Milton Keynes Story:
Designed to Be Green
Designed to Be Green
Our city is the perfect example of why this matters.
When Milton Keynes was designed in 1967, the planners had a radical vision: a city that was actually built to clean the air. They lined the grid roads with millions of trees specifically to act as natural air scrubbers, absorbing the pollution from the cars.
57 years later, Citizen Science proves the plan worked!
Through projects like Treezilla, scientists can use the data you collect (like a tree's species and size) to calculate the precise, millions-of-pounds-worth of pollution reduction those trees provide every single year. You don't just see a tree; you see a vital, functioning piece of our city's public health infrastructure.
Our city is the perfect example of why this matters.
When Milton Keynes was designed in 1967, the planners had a radical vision: a city that was actually built to clean the air. They lined the grid roads with millions of trees specifically to act as natural air scrubbers, absorbing the pollution from the cars.
57 years later, Citizen Science proves the plan worked!
Through projects like Treezilla, scientists can use the data you collect (like a tree's species and size) to calculate the precise, millions-of-pounds-worth of pollution reduction those trees provide every single year. You don't just see a tree; you see a vital, functioning piece of our city's public health infrastructure.
📸The Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC)
📸The Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC)
Success Story:
Success Story:
Citizen Photos Guide Conservation
Citizen Photos Guide Conservation
To see the true, local power of Citizen Science, look to Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) in Hampshire. This is a brilliant example of a local council putting community data directly to work managing its parks and nature reserves.
• The Problem: TVBC needed a cost-effective, continuous way to monitor how quickly different woodland management techniques—like thinning trees to let in light—were working in their Local Nature Reserves (LNRs).
• The Citizens' Action: TVBC installed Fixed Point Photography (FPP) posts at key LNRs, including Valley Park Woodlands. Citizen Scientists visiting the reserve simply place their smartphones in the cradle and snap a photo.
• The Impact: The Council collects these geotagged, time-stamped citizen photos and uses them to create time-lapse videos of the landscape. This visual evidence helps TVBC track the progress of wildflower seeding and shows if the ground flora is flourishing after maintenance. This information is then used by the Council's officers to adjust their management strategy for that year, ensuring resources are used effectively to protect and enhance the habitats.
In Test Valley, Citizen Scientists moved from being passive visitors to essential field staff. Their photos provided the Council with the evidence needed to review and adjust their annual management plans, proving that community input directly controls how their local green spaces are cared for.
To see the true, local power of Citizen Science, look to Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) in Hampshire. This is a brilliant example of a local council putting community data directly to work managing its parks and nature reserves.
• The Problem: TVBC needed a cost-effective, continuous way to monitor how quickly different woodland management techniques—like thinning trees to let in light—were working in their Local Nature Reserves (LNRs).
• The Citizens' Action: TVBC installed Fixed Point Photography (FPP) posts at key LNRs, including Valley Park Woodlands. Citizen Scientists visiting the reserve simply place their smartphones in the cradle and snap a photo.
• The Impact: The Council collects these geotagged, time-stamped citizen photos and uses them to create time-lapse videos of the landscape. This visual evidence helps TVBC track the progress of wildflower seeding and shows if the ground flora is flourishing after maintenance. This information is then used by the Council's officers to adjust their management strategy for that year, ensuring resources are used effectively to protect and enhance the habitats.
In Test Valley, Citizen Scientists moved from being passive visitors to essential field staff. Their photos provided the Council with the evidence needed to review and adjust their annual management plans, proving that community input directly controls how their local green spaces are cared for.
☣️The Tees Valley Success Story:
☣️The Tees Valley Success Story:
A Community Fights Back
A Community Fights Back
To see the true, local power of Citizen Science, look north to the Tees Valley—a coastal area struggling with historic industrial pollution.
For decades, the Tees coastline has faced issues with plastics, chemicals, and industrial residue. The local community didn't wait for a huge government team to show up; they became the change.
• The Problem: The local Tees Valley Wildlife Trust needed high-resolution data on what was polluting their rivers and coastlines.
• The Citizens' Action: Volunteers were trained as Citizen Scientists for projects like Shoresearch and Wilder Coast. They regularly walk the beaches and riverbanks, not just picking up litter, but using approved methods to survey and record marine plastic pollution and track coastal erosion. They even monitor seal populations.
• The Impact: The data collected by these local teams was so robust that it directly highlighted pollution hotspots, proving the impact of contaminants like "nurdles" (plastic pellets). This citizen-collected evidence has been used to influence Northumbrian Water and other major bodies, leading to improved sewage outfall management and extended clean-up operations in previously ignored areas.
In the Tees Valley, Citizen Scientists moved from being passive residents to powerful, evidence-based advocates who held industry accountable and achieved real, measurable improvements to their local water quality and coastal habitats.
To see the true, local power of Citizen Science, look north to the Tees Valley—a coastal area struggling with historic industrial pollution.
For decades, the Tees coastline has faced issues with plastics, chemicals, and industrial residue. The local community didn't wait for a huge government team to show up; they became the change.
• The Problem: The local Tees Valley Wildlife Trust needed high-resolution data on what was polluting their rivers and coastlines.
• The Citizens' Action: Volunteers were trained as Citizen Scientists for projects like Shoresearch and Wilder Coast. They regularly walk the beaches and riverbanks, not just picking up litter, but using approved methods to survey and record marine plastic pollution and track coastal erosion. They even monitor seal populations.
• The Impact: The data collected by these local teams was so robust that it directly highlighted pollution hotspots, proving the impact of contaminants like "nurdles" (plastic pellets). This citizen-collected evidence has been used to influence Northumbrian Water and other major bodies, leading to improved sewage outfall management and extended clean-up operations in previously ignored areas.
In the Tees Valley, Citizen Scientists moved from being passive residents to powerful, evidence-based advocates who held industry accountable and achieved real, measurable improvements to their local water quality and coastal habitats.
🗺️ Your Local Impact: Citizen Science in Milton Keynes
Our unique City of Trees and technology means your participation can be hyper-focused and highly effective. Here are the projects you can join right now:
🗺️ Your Local Impact: Citizen Science in Milton Keynes
Our unique City of Trees and technology means your participation can be hyper-focused and highly effective. Here are the projects you can join right now:
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) 🌳🔬 –: Your Essential Guide: Uncovering the Nature Revolution Happening in Milton Keynes!
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) 🌳🔬 –: Your Essential Guide: Uncovering the Nature Revolution Happening in Milton Keynes!
Partnering for a Wilder World: Spotlight on Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) 🌳🔬
The Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) is a vital force in our region, dedicated to ensuring wildlife not only survives but thrives across the three counties. As the only voluntary organization focused on all aspects of nature conservation in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire, their work spans from remote reserves to our bustling urban doorsteps.
Partnering for a Wilder World: Spotlight on Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) 🌳🔬
The Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) is a vital force in our region, dedicated to ensuring wildlife not only survives but thrives across the three counties. As the only voluntary organization focused on all aspects of nature conservation in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire, their work spans from remote reserves to our bustling urban doorsteps.
Join the Movement: #TeamWilder and the Community Network 💪
BBOWT's boldest vision is to see more nature everywhere—in parks, gardens, schools, and cities. This vision is championed by the #TeamWilder initiative, which mobilises individuals, businesses, and community groups to take direct action for nature, no matter the scale.
Join the Movement: #TeamWilder and the Community Network 💪
BBOWT's boldest vision is to see more nature everywhere—in parks, gardens, schools, and cities. This vision is championed by the #TeamWilder initiative, which mobilises individuals, businesses, and community groups to take direct action for nature, no matter the scale.
What BBOWT Does for Wildlife 🦉
BBOWT's mission is multifaceted, working to create more, bigger, better, and joined-up wildlife sites:
What BBOWT Does for Wildlife 🦉
BBOWT's mission is multifaceted, working to create more, bigger, better, and joined-up wildlife sites:
• 🍃 Nature Reserve Management: They manage precious wild places, protecting and enhancing key habitats like chalk grassland and woodlands.
• 💦 Species and Habitat Monitoring: They run specialized projects to support declining species, such as the water vole, and monitor ecosystem health.
• 🗣️ Advocacy and Planning: BBOWT campaigns to give nature a voice, ensuring wildlife is fully considered in the planning system and advising landowners on habitat care.
• 🌎 Living Landscapes: They create large, connected areas of land where wildlife can move and flourish across urban and rural boundaries.
The BBOWT Community Network is key to this effort, helping local groups like yours to share ideas, gain resources, and make connections to maximize impact:
• 🤝 Networking and Collaboration: They host regular meetups (both online and in-person) to facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge sharing.
• 🗺️ Interactive Action Map: Community groups can register their activities to inspire others and showcase the amazing work being done across the region.
• 💡 Resource Hub: BBOWT provides guides and support to help groups successfully manage wild spaces, fundraise, and campaign.
• 🍃 Nature Reserve Management: They manage precious wild places, protecting and enhancing key habitats like chalk grassland and woodlands.
• 💦 Species and Habitat Monitoring: They run specialized projects to support declining species, such as the water vole, and monitor ecosystem health.
• 🗣️ Advocacy and Planning: BBOWT campaigns to give nature a voice, ensuring wildlife is fully considered in the planning system and advising landowners on habitat care.
• 🌎 Living Landscapes: They create large, connected areas of land where wildlife can move and flourish across urban and rural boundaries.
The BBOWT Community Network is key to this effort, helping local groups like yours to share ideas, gain resources, and make connections to maximize impact:
• 🤝 Networking and Collaboration: They host regular meetups (both online and in-person) to facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge sharing.
• 🗺️ Interactive Action Map: Community groups can register their activities to inspire others and showcase the amazing work being done across the region.
• 💡 Resource Hub: BBOWT provides guides and support to help groups successfully manage wild spaces, fundraise, and campaign.
Citizen Science in Milton Keynes 📊
Citizen science is at the heart of BBOWT’s conservation strategy, empowering local people to gather the vital data needed to monitor and protect species.
For residents of Milton Keynes, this means opportunities to become real-life conservationists:
• 🔍 Wildlife Surveying: Residents contribute to essential long-term datasets by recording sightings of birds, bugs, and butterflies.
• 💧 Water Quality Testing: Projects like the Thames Waterblitz involve volunteers in testing local rivers and streams for pollutants, helping to identify pollution sources and protect aquatic life.
• 🛠️ Local Action: Through practical volunteer opportunities in areas like Little Linford Wood or local green spaces, citizens directly improve habitats.
We were delighted to attend the BBOWT Community Network networking event in Milton Keynes on 25/11/25. It was a highly informative and helpful event that showcased the incredible local action happening right here on our doorstep!
Citizen Science in Milton Keynes 📊
Citizen science is at the heart of BBOWT’s conservation strategy, empowering local people to gather the vital data needed to monitor and protect species.
For residents of Milton Keynes, this means opportunities to become real-life conservationists:
• 🔍 Wildlife Surveying: Residents contribute to essential long-term datasets by recording sightings of birds, bugs, and butterflies.
• 💧 Water Quality Testing: Projects like the Thames Waterblitz involve volunteers in testing local rivers and streams for pollutants, helping to identify pollution sources and protect aquatic life.
• 🛠️ Local Action: Through practical volunteer opportunities in areas like Little Linford Wood or local green spaces, citizens directly improve habitats.
We were delighted to attend the BBOWT Community Network networking event in Milton Keynes on 25/11/25. It was a highly informative and helpful event that showcased the incredible local action happening right here on our doorstep!
⭐ Local Milton Keynes Projects Creating a Wilder World
The network event and BBOWT’s work highlight fantastic community-led projects that are making Milton Keynes a wilder place. These groups are prime examples of #TeamWilder in action:
• 🌿 CMK Green Gym: A hands-on conservation group focused on improving and maintaining green spaces within Central Milton Keynes.
⭐ Local Milton Keynes Projects Creating a Wilder World
The network event and BBOWT’s work highlight fantastic community-led projects that are making Milton Keynes a wilder place. These groups are prime examples of #TeamWilder in action:
• 🌿 CMK Green Gym: A hands-on conservation group focused on improving and maintaining green spaces within Central Milton Keynes.
• 🐦 Swifts Bird Box Initiative (General): A crucial effort across the city dedicated to installing artificial nest boxes and surveying for natural sites to protect and boost local Swift populations.
Here are other inspiring local community groups actively protecting nature:
• 🐦 Swifts Bird Box Initiative (General): A crucial effort across the city dedicated to installing artificial nest boxes and surveying for natural sites to protect and boost local Swift populations.
Here are other inspiring local community groups actively protecting nature:
• 🍎 Wolverton Community Orchard
• About: Created in 2003 from a derelict allotment, this site boasts over 50 fruit trees, a pond, and a sensory garden. A core of dedicated volunteers maintain the space and host three community events per year with music and refreshments.
• Link: Wolverton Community Orchard Facebook Page
• 🍎 Wolverton Community Orchard
• About: Created in 2003 from a derelict allotment, this site boasts over 50 fruit trees, a pond, and a sensory garden. A core of dedicated volunteers maintain the space and host three community events per year with music and refreshments.
• Link: Wolverton Community Orchard Facebook Page
• 🐦 Save Wolverton's Swifts and Martins
• About: Established in 2020, this community group works to protect and grow the good population of Swifts and Martins in Wolverton. They have installed over 140 nestboxes and actively recommend swift brick integration in new planning applications.
• Link: Save Wolverton's Swifts and Martins Facebook Group
• 🐦 Save Wolverton's Swifts and Martins
• About: Established in 2020, this community group works to protect and grow the good population of Swifts and Martins in Wolverton. They have installed over 140 nestboxes and actively recommend swift brick integration in new planning applications.
• Link: Save Wolverton's Swifts and Martins Facebook Group
• 🐦 New Bradwell Swifts and Martins
• About: Dedicated to local swift conservation by installing artificial nest boxes and surveying the area for existing natural nesting sites.
• Link: New Bradwell Swifts and Martins Facebook Group
• 🐦 New Bradwell Swifts and Martins
• About: Dedicated to local swift conservation by installing artificial nest boxes and surveying the area for existing natural nesting sites.
• Link: New Bradwell Swifts and Martins Facebook Group
• 🐦 Stony Stratford Swifts and Martins
• About: A community initiative focused on installing artificial nestboxes and conducting surveys to protect the Swifts and Martins that visit Stony Stratford.
• Link: Stony Stratford Swifts and Martins Facebook Group
• 🐦 Stony Stratford Swifts and Martins
• About: A community initiative focused on installing artificial nestboxes and conducting surveys to protect the Swifts and Martins that visit Stony Stratford.
• Link: Stony Stratford Swifts and Martins Facebook Group
A Collective Future: Building a Wilder Milton Keynes, Together :
A Collective Future: Building a Wilder Milton Keynes, Together :
As we've explored, the collaborative spirit between BBOWT and passionate community projects across Milton Keynes is truly remarkable. From the flourishing Wolverton Community Orchard to the widespread Swift initiatives and the hands-on work of CMK Green Gym, these efforts are weaving a stronger, more vibrant tapestry of nature into our urban and rural landscapes. This is more than just conservation; it's about building resilient ecosystems and fostering a deeper connection between people and nature.
As we've explored, the collaborative spirit between BBOWT and passionate community projects across Milton Keynes is truly remarkable. From the flourishing Wolverton Community Orchard to the widespread Swift initiatives and the hands-on work of CMK Green Gym, these efforts are weaving a stronger, more vibrant tapestry of nature into our urban and rural landscapes. This is more than just conservation; it's about building resilient ecosystems and fostering a deeper connection between people and nature.
Our experience at the BBOWT Community Network event reinforced this powerful truth: when communities unite, nature flourishes. The success stories paint a clear picture of shared knowledge and collective effort driving tangible change. Inspired by what's already happening, let's look forward to a future where Milton Keynes is not just greener, but truly wilder, thanks to our collective dedication. By supporting BBOWT and joining local #TeamWilder initiatives, we can all contribute to a healthier, more biodiverse region.
Our experience at the BBOWT Community Network event reinforced this powerful truth: when communities unite, nature flourishes. The success stories paint a clear picture of shared knowledge and collective effort driving tangible change. Inspired by what's already happening, let's look forward to a future where Milton Keynes is not just greener, but truly wilder, thanks to our collective dedication. By supporting BBOWT and joining local #TeamWilder initiatives, we can all contribute to a healthier, more biodiverse region.
Let's keep the momentum going and grow our wilder world, together! What wild step will you take next? 🌍🌱
Let's keep the momentum going and grow our wilder world, together! What wild step will you take next? 🌍🌱
🌳Treezilla: The Monster Map of Trees
🌳Treezilla: The Monster Map of Trees
Measure local trees (height, width, species) using an app.
Directly calculates how much air pollution the city's trees remove, supporting our clean air status.
Measure local trees (height, width, species) using an app.
Directly calculates how much air pollution the city's trees remove, supporting our clean air status.
🐌iSpot Nature (OU)
Upload photos of any plant or animal you see for identification.
Builds a huge database of biodiversity for the Wetland Arc and Parks Trust to manage our green spaces.
Upload photos of any plant or animal you see for identification.
Builds a huge database of biodiversity for the Wetland Arc and Parks Trust to manage our green spaces.
🗺️Tracking the Impact (NEP)
Perform formal surveys of wildlife in a designated 1km square.
High-level data used by the council and partners to guide regional Local Nature Recovery policy.
Perform formal surveys of wildlife in a designated 1km square.
High-level data used by the council and partners to guide regional Local Nature Recovery policy.
🦋The Riverfly Partnership
Sample river invertebrates using a simple kit near local watercourses.
Provides an early warning system for pollution spikes in the River Ouse and its tributaries.
🌳Tiny Forest
Tree Keeper Monitoring
Monitor tree growth and soil health at local Tiny Forest sites.
Helps researchers understand the environmental impact of these dense urban forests and their climate resilience.
Tree Keeper Monitoring
Monitor tree growth and soil health at local Tiny Forest sites.
Helps researchers understand the environmental impact of these dense urban forests and their climate resilience.
🦔Big Hedgehog Map
Log any sighting of a hedgehog (alive or dead).
Tracks the population decline of one of our most loved mammals, informing conservation priorities.
💧 Chalk Stream Projects
The Chilterns Chalk Stream Project runs several citizen science initiatives, often focused on the River Chess, one of the Chilterns' chalk streams:
The Chilterns Chalk Stream Project runs several citizen science initiatives, often focused on the River Chess, one of the Chilterns' chalk streams:
- Riverfly Monitoring: Volunteers conduct monthly surveys of invertebrate life in the rivers, which acts as a key indicator of river health.
- Water Vole Surveys: Volunteers help monitor the local population of the endangered Water Vole.
- MudSpotter: A technique to identify sources and entry points of fine sediment pollution into the river, which is a major threat to chalk stream habitats.
- Modular River Survey: Volunteers help track changes in the river's biodiversity and physical structure (hydrogeomorphology) before and after river restoration work.
- ChessWatch: Volunteers monitor water quality by recording parameters like temperature, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity
🦋 Wider UK Schemes
Buckinghamshire residents can also get involved in national citizen science projects that operate locally, often supported by groups like the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT):
Buckinghamshire residents can also get involved in national citizen science projects that operate locally, often supported by groups like the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT):
- RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch
- Big Butterfly Count
- National Bat Monitoring Programme
- Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS)
Ready to Start?
Click the links below to find out more and get involved. No degree required—just curiosity!
Ready to Start?
Click the links below to find out more and get involved. No degree required—just curiosity!
NAUTILUS ALSO HAVE A BIG INVOLVMENT IN CITIZEN SCIENCE
NAUTILUS ALSO HAVE A BIG INVOLVMENT IN CITIZEN SCIENCE
At Natural AI, our goal is to empower a new generation of environmental stewards...
At Natural AI, our goal is to empower a new generation of environmental stewards...
Tech for Good: Our Commitment to Environmental Education
Tech for Good: Our Commitment to Environmental Education
Deep-Sea Exploration
Deep-Sea Exploration
Natural AI is not part of Nautilus , We just love what they do with the environment.
Natural AI is not part of Nautilus , We just love what they do with the environment.
Exploring the Last Frontier
Exploring the Last Frontier
Ocean Exploration Trust and the Nautilus Exploration Program seek out new discoveries in geology, biology, and archaeology while conducting scientific exploration of the seafloor. Our expeditions launch aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus — a 68-meter research ship equipped with live-streaming underwater vehicles for scientists, students, and the public to explore the deep sea from anywhere in the world. We embed educators and interns in our expeditions who share their hands-on experiences via ship-to-shore connections with the next generation. Even while we are not at sea, explorers can dive into Nautilus Live to learn more about our expeditions, find educational resources, and marvel at new encounters.
Their Technology
Their Technology
Ocean exploration is a complex endeavour, and Nautilus is outfitted with the latest tools and technology to provide scientists and engineers both onboard and ashore with the data they need for continuing research in geology, biology, archaeology, and physical oceanography
Nautilus Live and the Nautilus Exploration Program are operated by the non-profit organization Ocean Exploration Trust (OET), founded in 2007 by Dr. Robert Ballard to engage in pure ocean exploration. Our international programs center on scientific exploration of the seafloor, innovating new ways and technologies to conduct that exploration, and engaging and educating the next generation on the significance of STEM and ocean science. Our expeditions are launched from aboard Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus —a 68-meter research vessel — and also from other vessels OET charters to deploy our mobile ROV system. During our expeditions, we offer explorers on shore via live video, audio, and data feeds from the field in addition to ship-to-shore interactions with classrooms and learning venues for students. We bring educators and students of all ages aboard during E/V Nautilus expeditions, offering them hands-on experience in ocean exploration, research, and communications.
Sharing the stories of science, technology, and people behind ocean exploration is a key component of OET’s education mission, and we strive to make our content easily available to media outlets.
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