Citizen science is a collaborative approach to scientific research which involves the general public in the collection, analysis, and reporting of data. Citizen science allows non-professional scientists to contribute to various scientific fields, and is becoming increasingly valuable to help scientists gather large datasets which would otherwise be difficult to obtain.

When it comes to rivers, citizen scientists can be involved in many different types of monitoring, collecting data on water quality  wildlife, river morphology, and testing soils. You can find out more about some of the methods and protocols in our Knowledge Base.

Citizen science can help improve river health in many ways, such as providing better data to inform policy and target management action, but also by educating and inspiring communities to advocate for their rivers, and empowering participants to engage in local collective action and individual behaviour change.  Citizen science is also good for us! Research shows that nature-noticing activities have an even more positive impact on health and well-being than simply accessing blue and green space.

The term community monitoring is often used interchangeably with citizen science.