Citizen Science

Citizen science banner

Welcome to the Vitoria-Gasteiz Citizen Science website, co-ordinated by the Environmental Studies Centre of Vitoria-Gasteiz. In this space you can get all the information about the Conservation and Monitoring Programs developed related to Citizen Science.

You can get more information using the following email: cienciaciudadana@vitoria-gasteiz.org.

Agenda

Programa de Conservación de Orquídeas: del 15 de abril al 30 de junio.
Programa de Conservación de Aves Urbanas: del 1 de mayo al 15 de junio.
Programa de Conservación de Odonatos: del 15 de mayo al 15 de octubre.
Programa de Conservación de Mariposas Diurnas: del 15 de abril al 15 de octubre.
Programa de Conservación de Mariposas Nocturnas: todo el año.
Programa de Conservación de Suelo: del 1 al 31 de mayo y del 1 al 31 de octubre.
Programa de Conservación de Rapaces Nocturnas: del 1 de febrero al 30 de junio.
Programa de Conservación de Patios Escolares: todo el año.
Programa de Conservación de Aves Palustres: todo el año.

If you want to register in any of them, please write to cienciaciudadana@vitoria-gasteiz.org.

The Monitoring Programs are open and they don't need inscription.

What is the Citizen Science Participation Network?

The Environmental Studies Centre (CEA), in collaboration with the Green Belt and Biodiversity Unit of the Department of the Environment and Public Space of the City of Vitoria-Gasteiz, launched the "Citizen Science Participation Network" project to monitor and conserve the biological diversity of our municipality. This project was born with the idea of promoting and educating citizens about biodiversity and due to the current need to deepen the knowledge and management of certain fauna and flora groups that live in our closest natural environment.

The objectives covered by this project are aimed at encouraging the development of environmental activities, involving citizens in awareness campaigns and monitoring of the natural environment, encouraging citizen collaboration in conservation tasks, promoting citizen contact with the Green Belt and increasing their knowledge of it.

The Citizen Science Participation Network has 7 active Conservation Programmes, which work in the fields of orchids, day and night butterflies, odonata, urban birds, soils and (since 2020) nocturnal raptors in the municipality of Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Red de ciencia ciudadana

Background

The Citizen Science Participation Network began its journey in 2013 with the creation of an "Orchid Conservation Program" (PCOr) in the Green Belt. One year later, in 2014, this monitoring was also extended to the orchids that flourish in the municipal area's meadows.

The maintenance of high levels of participation and loyalty from the participants were key elements in opening two other new conservation programs in 2014, this time related to the "Urban Birds" (PCAU) and the "Odonata/Dragonflies and Damselflies" (PCO) of our city.

Subsequently, in 2015, continuing with this success, the "Butterflies Conservation Program" (PCMD) was started, these being indicators of the state of the natural environment, which may set guidelines for the management and improvement of natural spaces and public parks in the municipality of Vitoria-Gasteiz. In the same line of work, in 2016, the network will be extended with a fifth "Night Butterflies (Moths) Conservation Program" (PCMN).

In 2018 a new "Soil Conservation Program" (PCS) was launched, with the aim of diagnosing the evolution and environmental status of the municipality's agricultural land.

In the year 2019 there has been a total of 105 participants within the 6 Conservation Programs carried out. The loyalty of the participants in 2019 was 93.75%, which suggests that Citizen Science has come to Vitoria-Gasteiz to stay.

Finally, in this 2020, the "Program for the Conservation of Night Birds of Prey" has been implemented with the collaboration of the Spanish Federation of Science and Technology-Ministry of Science and Innovation.