Building a Global Network for Community Science

WORKSHOP REPORT

ARTICLE: “COMMUNITY SCIENCE: A POWERFUL TOOL FOR CONSERVATION”

The Aspen Institute Science & Society Program, Villanova University, and the University of Pennsylvania & Perry World House organized a two-day workshop on Building a Global Network for Community Science.

The goal of this workshop is to build a vibrant, collaborative, international network of partners who are committed to the idea of civic science through communities: conducting scientific research that is deeply embedded in local communities and that respects local expertise. The workshop brought together individuals from around the world to discuss how the tools of science can be brought to bear on problems of local interest, particularly ones at the intersection of the human and natural world.

By free registration, the workshop was open to interested individuals working or aspiring to work in civic science fields.

Presenters represented the following projects:

Co-organized by Deena Weisberg (Villanova University), Michael Weisberg (University of Pennsylvania & Perry World House), and Aaron Mertz (Aspen Institute)

Supported by the Rita Allen Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Day 1: Monday, May 24, 2021, 3:00pm to 6:25pm EDT (convert to your time zone)

3:00pm – 4:00pm – Introductions and Conceptual Frameworks

  • Organizers’ Welcome (Deena Weisberg, Villanova University; Michael Weisberg, Perry World House at University of Pennsylvania; Aaron Mertz, Aspen Institute Science & Society Program)
  • Welcome from the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat (Youssef Nassef, Director, Adaptation Division of UN Climate Change)
  • Brief Introduction to Citizen Science and Community Science (Michael Weisberg, Perry World House at University of Pennsylvania)
  • Epistemic Injustice and Community Science (Gwen Otinger, Drexel University)
  • Community Based Participatory Research in Public Health (Jennifer Pinto-Martin, University of Pennsylvania)

4:00pm – 4:10pm – Break

4:10pm – 5:10pm – Case Studies: Assessing Needs, Identifying Partners, Co-Developing a Project

  • Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), Trinidad and Tobago (Candice Ramkissoon)
  • He Pātaka Wai Ora Project, New Zealand (Brendan Flack)
  • Coaching Conservation, Botswana (Lesley McNutt and Hugh Webster)

5:10pm – 5:55pm – Discussion about Assessing Needs, Identifying Partners, Co-Developing a Project (moderated by K.C. Cole, University of Southern California)

5:55pm – 6:25pm – Coffee/cocktails breakout room chats

Day 2: Tuesday, May 25, 2021, 9:00am to 1:30pm EDT (convert to your time zone)

9:00am – 10:00am – Case Studies: Executing a Project and Maintaining Enthusiasm

  • 10 Deserts Project, Australia (Gareth Catt)
  • Shan Shui Conservation Center, China (Lu Zhi)
  • Town Square Academia, Israel (Ayelet Shavit)

10:00am – 10:45am – Discussion about Executing a Project and Maintaining Enthusiasm (moderated by Victoria Herrmann, The Arctic Institute)

10:45am – 10:55am – Break

10:55am – 11:55am – Case Studies: Evaluation and Dissemination

  • ELOKA – Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (Noor Johnson)
  • Foldscope, Iraq, India, and Global (Manu Prakash, Muhamed Abbas, and Mo Pandirajan)
  • Galápagos Education and Research Alliance, Ecuador (Karen Kovaka and Ernesto Vaca)

11:55am – 12:40pm – Discussion about Evaluation and Dissemination (moderated by Cheryl Hojnowski, Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley)

12:40pm – 1:00pm – General Discussion about Next Steps (moderated by Aaron Mertz, Aspen Institute Science & Society Program)

1:00pm – 1:30pm – Coffee/cocktails breakout room chats