Enjoy Workshop Reflections & Videos!

On November 7, 2024, the SciStarter Australia team welcomed more than 40 members of South Australia's citizen science community to a workshop hosted at the University of Adelaide. Presenters and participants from South Australia, as well as from other Australian states, New Zealand, and the USA shared diverse citizen science successes and experiences. 

View the talks by clicking the blue (hyperlinked) titles or visit our YouTube Playlist:

• Brief Intro to SciStarter Australia & Adelaide Project by Prof Rachel Ankeny & Prof Frank Grutzner, SciStarter Australia at The University of Adelaide

• SciStarter.org Features & Partnerships by Prof  Darlene Cavalier, ScStarter.org and Arizona State University 

• Visions of ACSA & Connecting Nationally by Dr Annie Lane, Australian Citizen Science Association 

• Soil Your Undies by Alice Woodward, Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board 

• Passport to Recovery by Prof Karen Burke da Silva, Flinders University 

• Fungi for Function: Bushland Health Indicators by Sophie Green, Fungi Map 

• Microplastic Mapping: Engaging Citizens to Find Effective Solutions for the Future by Dr Michelle Blewitt, AUSMAP 

• SciStarter Australia Platform Use Introduction by Jessie Oliver, SciStarter Australia 

• Best Practises Overview: Points to Consider by Prof Rachel Ankeny, SciStarter Australia 

• If You Build It, What Will Come: Measuring Healthy Landscapes by Natasha Davis, Green Adelaide 

• Toys for Turtles: Combatting Plastic Pollution with Outreach by Dr Nina Wootton, Toys for Turtles 

• Living Lightly Locally, Dr Keri Hopeward, University of South Australia 

• Belair Bush Buddies: After-School Nature-Based Activities, Karan Coombe-Smith, Friends of Belair National Park 

• Community-Led Restoration of Coastal Habitats by Dr Dominic McAfee, The University of Adelaide 

• Researching Cortinarius Mushrooms in the Southern Mount Lofty Ranges by Jessica Bamford, Wild Webcap 

• The Role of Citizen Science in Biodiversity Data Collection by Dr Erin Rogers, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) 

• Closing Remarks by Dr Frank Grutzner, SciStarter Australia at The University of Adelaide

The blend of experienced practitioners and newcomers fostered an inclusive and vibrant atmosphere, ensuring that everyone left feeling inspired and armed with practical strategies to implement in their projects. The event also offered valuable networking opportunities, with citizen science project managers and participants sharing experiences and exploring new collaboration possibilities.

Event Highlights 

The workshop began with a Welcome to Country by Uncle Rod O’Brien, a Kaurna elder, setting a thoughtful tone for the day. The program included presentations that highlighted the significance and potential of citizen science with a South Australia focus, and a few national and international discussions. A diverse range of projects were showcased featuring ecology, health, and social sciences, followed by engaging discussions. One breakout session engaged participants in discussing best practices in citizen science. In another session, we explored the recently launched SciStarter Australia, which is an online platform that supports people with promoting and finding citizen science projects that people can participate in from Australia. Participants provided invaluable feedback and ideas to fine-tune the platform for the Australian citizen science community. We look forward to seeing how the South Australian citizen science community continues to thrive and make meaningful discoveries together!

Thank you to the Participants and Sponsors!

The SciStarter Australia team, including Professor Frank Grutzner, Professor Rachel Ankeny, Wendy Warren, and Jessie Oliver, would like to thank all workshop attendees, including Uncle Rod, speakers, panellists, and broader participants, for making valuable contributions that led to this workshop being a success.

We would also like to thank organisations that funded the workshop, including the South Australia Department of Environment and Water via the South Australian Citizen Science Fund and the Environment Institute at the University of Adelaide. Without their generous support, this workshop would not have been possible.

Contact Us 

We welcome any feedback regarding SciStarter Australia as a new platform, and we would like to support you in adding or finding citizen science projects. We are interested in forging new collaborations as well. Please do not hesitate to send us an email regarding the use of SciStarter Australia or potential synergies to explore (scistarteraus@adelaide.edu.au).