Explore Citizen Science Projects
Welcome at Österreich forscht!
Here you can find everything about Citizen Science in Austria. In the future, it should be just as normal to work in a citizen science project as to be a member of an association, e. g. the voluntary fire brigade or a music ensemble. We want people to see science no longer as an elite programme, but as a process that affects all our lives, a process which is an important part of society and is worth understanding. However, the fun and enjoyment of research should not be neglected. We do not understand citizen science as an infotainment concept, but as a collaborative process through which new insights can be gained.
Fire Database
- plants
- weather
- economy
- land use
- catastrophs
Since 2008, the Institute of Silviculture at BOKU University, Vienna, has been analyzing the occurrence, distribution, causes and characteristics of forest fires in Austria as part of various research projects. The data series spans several decades and includes around 8000 fires, of which around 7000 are forest fires. The last…
naturbeobachtung.at
- animals
- plants
- mushrooms
Since 2006, a wide variety of nature observations can be reported on naturbeobachtung.at. Specially designed reporting masks for various groups of animals, plants and fungi allow detailed entries. The reporters can, as far as possible, identify their observations taxonomically or report them as "undetermined species". The latter can then be…
Ural owl
- animals
Ural owl resettlement The resettlement of the Ural owl is led by a team of researchers headed by ornithologist Richard Zink at the Austrian Ornithological Centre at "Vetmeduni" Vienna. The goal is the "Come Back" of the big owl into the forests of Austria. A new occurrence in the alps…
Golden jackal
- animals
The golden jackal (Canis aureus) was not considered native in Austria, until the first golden jackal discovery was made in 1987, followed by sporadic records scattered over several federal states and in 2007 the first reproduction record was documented in the National Park "Neusiedler See-Seewinkel". Since then, rumours about camera…
The Psychological is Participatory
- health
- history
- politics
- culture
Counselling centres for women* are important institutions that have been founded since the 1980s by the second women's movement. In the project, researchers are conducting research together with counsellors and clients of Viennese women's* counselling centres. We are interested in the life stories of women* who seek help at counselling…
Biodiverciti
- plants
- animals
- land use
What role can you play in the biodiversity and climate crisis - in the familiar surroundings of your own garden? Citizen scientists implement biodiversity-enhancing measures in their garden, observe animals and plants and are analyzed how their attitudes and behaviors change. What are the aims of the project? BIODIVERCITI pursues…
City Nature Challenges in Austria
- plants
- fungi
- animals
Every observation counts! The City Nature Challenge (short: CNC) is an annual nature competition between regions that takes place in spring (usually at the end of April, beginning of May) and is held simultaneously in various cities and regions worldwide. On four consecutive days, people around the world document the…
Waterbird Census
- animals
Citizen Science with a long tradition The first water bird counts in Austria took place as early as the 1950s. In the following years, the number of counts was gradually increased, and from 1970 onwards Austria-wide surveys have been carried out. This makes the waterbird census one of the longest…
BIOM-Garten
- animals
Monitoring of Amphibians and Reptiles in Austrian Gardens The BIOM-Garten project invites people of all ages to look out for amphibians and reptiles in their gardens and report their observations. This will help to fill gaps in existing monitoring and implement better conservation measures for these endangered animals. What are…
SoilBlitz
- food
- land use
- plants
A snapshot of soil health With the SoilBlitz, Citizen Scientists independently carry out tests to determine local soil health, collect important data and become aware of the importance of healthy soils. What are the aims of the project? In a so-called ‘SoilBlitz’, five uncomplicated and fast tests are carried out…
Bug us with your ticks!
- health
- animals
For our national tick monitoring programme, we invite you to provide us with ticks. Your samples will help us analyse which tick species appear when and where in Austria. Moreover, ticks will also be investigated for the presence of pathogens. What are the aims of the project? The goal of…
Kremser scorpion
- animals
- history
Participatory exploration of the "Kremser scorpion” (Euscorpius tergestinus) with school students "Triestino scorpion" (Euscorpius tergestinus - still listed as E. carpathicus in the Red List of NÖ), which are threatened with extinction in Lower Austria, exists as an archaeozoon in Krems. This population is an isolated north-eastern outpost of the…
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