Exploring the Potential of Citizen Science in Natural Resource Management Organizations

Citizen science has contributed to science and has influenced natural resource management decisions and policies across the nation. Recently, citizen science has seen explosive growth in the United States, particularly in... [ view full abstract ]

Citizen science has contributed to science and has influenced natural resource management decisions and policies across the nation. Recently, citizen science has seen explosive growth in the United States, particularly in ecology, the environmental sciences, and related fields of inquiry. However, there still is a lack of clarity about what value citizen science can add to organizations that management natural resources. Here we explore the current use of citizen science in natural resource and environmental science and decisionmaking in the United States, and make recommendations for the future. Our findings draw from the work of an ambitious working group report that is currently in press.

We find that organizations generally conduct citizen science for two reasons: (1) to do science that might not otherwise be feasible, and (2) to better engage the public in helping to make decisions. We suggest that these goals reflect the two primary ways that citizen science can inform and assist managers and policymakers. The pathways converge and generate synergies between science and public input and engagement. Moreover, the two pathways can help organizations meet their goals by contributing at various points in a typical policy cycle. We find that citizen science can make valuable systematic observations and identify problems or issues; help in formulating public policy; strengthen public input into policymaking by legislators and other decisionmakers; help government agencies and other organizations implement the corresponding policies; help evaluate the impact of a policy or decision; and help in enforcing laws and regulations pertaining to natural resources. Organizations that use citizen science should carefully choose project designs that match their needs and goals. We also provide recommendations for future investments in citizen science that could help address grand challenges in natural resource management.