App for the scientific recording of Austrian butterflies

On behalf of Blühendes Österreich - BILLA gemeinnützige Privatstiftunga, butterfly expert Peter Huemer published a report on the dramatic state of the butterfly fauna in May 2016. In Europe, their number had fallen by half since 1990 and over 50 percent of Austria’s butterflies are acutely threatened with extinction according to the Red Lists. Butterfly habitats have been massively restricted by agricultural intensification, increasing urban sprawl and the drastic loss of species-rich flower meadows in general, and their disappearance, which has received little public attaention to this date, ist described by experts as a clear indication of the imbalance in the entire ecosystem.

Every photo counts

The foundation Blühendes Österreich and the Lower Austrian environmental movement “Natur im Garten" are calling for Austria's first butterfly census with the "Schmetterlinge Österreichs" app.

Whether garden owner or park visitor, farmer, mountain lover or hiker or simply nature lover and butterfly fan - every Austrian can make a contribution to recording the population of Austrian butterflies as a citizen scientist: The app contains around 160 identifiable butterfly species and 32 moths and enables butterfly observations to be reported with just a few clicks and without complicated technical applications. Using an integrated photo function, photos are uploaded to a gallery within seconds and made available to the community and researchers.

Austrian butterfly gallery

Users contribute to the largest Austrian butterfly gallery with their sightings and photos. In less than a second after creating a photo and a sighting report, the data is put online in a gallery and can be shared and discussed with the butterfly community. The gallery is visible in a desktop version as well as on a smartphone. The passion, performance and commitment of each user is made visible and their reports are scientifically evaluated. Making the work of users visible is a major concern for Blühendes Österreich and “Natur im Garten”.  

Identification forum

All butterfly lovers are invited to help users of the app with questions about identification or sightings. Blühendes Österreich and "Natur im Garten" seek to establish a lively and communicative butterfly forum with Austrian butterfly lovers. With the smartphone as a constant companion, the direct and simple connection to the community is given.

Citizen Science

By using the app and reporting sightings, each individual user contributes to the valuable recording of Austrian butterfly populations. Blühendes Österreich publishes the sightings as well as an annual evaluation (in cooperation with "Natur im Garten").

The proven experts Dr. Helmut Höttinger, Dr. Peter Huemer and DI Thomas Holzer have been recruited to provide scientific support and advice. Dr. Huemer is also on the board of the Blooming Austria Foundation.

Podcast episode (only available in German)

In November 2022, project coordinator Ines Lemberger was a guest on the Österreich forscht podcast "Wissen macht Leute" and provided many exciting insights into the project - you can listen to the episode here. 

Citizen Science Seminar (only available in German)

Ronald Würflinger, secretary general of Blühendes Österreich, gave a lecture on "Austria's Butterflies" as part of the "Citizen Science Seminar" lecture series at BOKU University in 2022: "Of Power of Community, Butterflies and Open Data". 

Austria's Butterflies on Social Media

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Videos (only available in German)

Schmetterlings-App enthüllt

Zeig her deinen Schmetterlingsgarten

2. Runde: Zeig' her deinen Schmetterlingsgarten 2018

Ausgeflattert II - im Burgenland, Niederösterreich, der Steiermark und in Wien

Ausgeflattert III - in Kärnten, Oberösterreich, Salzburg, Tirol und Vorarlberg

• Scarce swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius) Scarce swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius)
• Painted lady (Vanessa cardui) Painted lady (Vanessa cardui)
• Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
• Meadow brown (Maniola jurtina) Meadow brown (Maniola jurtina)
• European peacock European peacock
• Small white Small white
• Marbled white (Melanargia galathea) Marbled white (Melanargia galathea)
• Common brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) Common brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)
• Common blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus) Common blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus)
• Silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia) Silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia)
• Hipparchia hermione Hipparchia hermione
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This project fulfils version 1.1 of the quality criteria for citizen science projects on Österreich forscht.

The “Blick ins Dickicht” project is dedicated to the search for the smallest native dormouse – the hazel dormouse. Until now, only very little has been known about this rare small animal. In order to learn more about its way of life and also how best protect it in working forests, evidence of hazel dormice is being sought in the Wienerwald forest and in the Donauauen national park. There are many different ways to participate here.

Where are hazel dormice found?

The hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) is a type of rodent that lives in shrubs and bushes in the mixed forests of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Particularly important to this species is the availability of fruit-producing hedge plants and wood, such as hazelnut, brambles, honeysuckle, blackthorn and wild cherry.

A hidden lifestyle

The small, nocturnal dormouse is an omnivore. It eats, for example, seeds, buds and berries, as well as insects, small boneless animals and bird eggs. They are active from April to October, but hibernate during the winter months in nests that they build on the ground, often hidden under uprooted trees. Here, the hazel dormouse rolls into a ball and lowers its body temperature, heart rate and metabolism to a minimum.

Females have a litter of up to five once or twice a year and nurse them for around a month.

Hazel dormice are notably good climbers and are rarely on the ground during their active months.

Threats and protection

The hazel dormouse is protected in accordance with Annexe IV of the Fauna-Flora Habitat (FFH) guideline and is therefore among the most strictly protected species across Europe. The main cause of danger is loss of habitat and habitat fragmentation.

What are the goals of this project?

Due to the protection status according to Annexe IV of the FFH guideline, there is a reporting obligation in accordance with Article 17 of the FFH guideline. Despite this, Austria does not have any systematic categorisation and little is still known about the current state of the hazel dormouse. The goal of this project is therefore to improve the information base on the distribution, reproduction and population variations among dormice. Furthermore, the data that is gathered will also serve to coordinate management plans and silvicultural measures with considerations for the protection and growth of hazel dormouse populations.

How can I take part?

Opportunities for participation range from looking for traces of feeding on nuts to building and installing tracking tunnels to monitoring nesting boxes and thereby taking part in long-term monitoring of selected investigation areas of the Österreichischen Bundesforste in the Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve and National Park Donauauen.

Looking for traces of feeding on nuts

In autumn, you can find bitten seeds, from hazelnuts for example, under bushes and on the edge of forests. Traces of feeding left by dormice are very characteristic and therefore easy to identify. This method is thus ideally suited to providing evidence of the presence of hazel dormice, which is still unknown.

Building and installing tracking tunnels

These tracking tunnels, which are also easy for children to make, are installed in suitable places between ground level and chest height. Attracted by the bait, like some peanut butter, small animals such as hazel dormice will venture inside. Because the bait is placed on a mixture of cooking oil and activated charcoal, when leaving the tunnel, the animals will leave visible footprints on the paper strips. The footprints can then be used as proof.

Participating as a nesting box monitor

Nesting boxes that hazel dormice can use to build their nests will be installed in locations selected in advance by the project managers in the areas being investigated in Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve and National Park Donau-Auen. These nesting boxes will be observed by citizen scientists from April to October, during which time they will be checked in two-month intervals and inspected to see if there is a hazel dormouse inside.

Project management

Project manager for Wienerwald and Burgenland: Dr Claudia Kubista

Wienerwald Forest Management Unit

Pummergasse 10-12

3002 Purkersdorf

Phone: +43 (0)2231 63341-7173

Mobile: +43 (0)664 618 90 40

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Project manager for Donau-Auen project area: Birgit Rotter

National Park Donau-Auen

Schloss Eckartsau

2305 Eckartsau

Mobile: +43 (0)664 618 89 36

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Partner

Österreichische Bundesforste, Forstbetrieb Wienerwald

Biosphärenpark Wienerwald Management

Österreichische Bundesforste, Nationalparkbetrieb Donau-Auen

This project fulfils version 1.1 of the quality criteria for citizen science projects on Österreich forscht.

We invite urban community gardens, garden projects or similar garden initiatives to take part in this project and research alongside us. The goal of this project is to scientifically assess the potential risk of heavy metal contamination in crop plants in Vienna’s city gardens.

Background

Urban gardening has become increasingly popular over the last two decades. However, gardeners are often concerned about their crops being contaminated by heavy metals.

Plant access to heavy metals is strongly influenced by the soil properties and the plants being cultivated. Through targeted soil management, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of heavy metals transferring to plants.

We want to learn whether the heavy metal content in plants grown in one variant (e.g. a mix with compost) differs from that of plants grown in a control variant (untreated urban soil).

How do we want to test this?

We need you for this! Become a citizen scientist and conduct a “pan test” in your urban garden with spinach and/or radishes. Plant and soil samples will be collected from these tests and an analysis for heavy metals will then be carried out in our laboratory.

The entire gardening community will benefit from involvement in this project. Together, we can collect the following information about the location of the garden:

• Whether and to what extent your garden is polluted by heavy metals.
• If there is contamination, whether the transfer of these heavy metals to plants can be reduced by selected soil treatments.
• In addition, we will also work with you on site to determine soil and plant parameters, such as pH values, soil microbial activity and plant vitality. Through this, you can also receive more information about the condition of the soil on site and your soil treatment.

More information on the Heavy Metal City-Zen project can be found on the website.

Who can take part in the Heavy Metal City-Zen project?

• People who are involved in a community garden, garden project or similiar garden initiative.
• These gardens are in Vienna or an urban area surrounding Vienna.

What do I need to do to take part in the project?

Just send us an e-mail stating that you are interested in participating to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Project results

The results from the project are presented in the corresponding blog post (in German).

Project management: Andrea Watzinger –  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Scientific project management: Rebecca Hood-Nowotny –  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Institute of Soil Research
Department of Forest and Soil Sciences
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Konrad-Lorenz-Strasse 24 | 3430 Tulln

For updates, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

The project was funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).

This project fulfilled version 1.1 of the quality criteria for citizen science projects on Österreich forscht.

Due to the enormous request and the multitude of consignments of fossil images encompassing almost the entire Earth history, the precise issues and the resulting project target were adapted in accordance to the requirements and wishes oft he citizen scientists. The geographical and chronological distribution of fossils in Austria is a particular focal point in the scientific problem of this geoscience project. Exciting field research in the Austrian Alps forms the foundation of the resulting research. Effective explorations in Austria are continuously declining, but knowledge about fossils is always increasing. This gap can be closed with the combined energy of both young and old, from scientists to citizen scientists. Methods from biostratigraphy and taxonomy are used, as are the latest techniques in photographic documentation. The relative age of ammonites, molluscs and snails are identified, which then allows basic classification in taxonomic groups. These methods and goals then lead to more complete data on the distribution of various fossil groups in Austria. Scientists then benefit from knowing about sources for different fossil groups in new locations and citizen scientists benefit from precise identification by specialists.

Here you can also find the Young Science contact for interested schools and teachers.

This new project gives interested citizen scientists, who range from school pupils to amateur collectors and professional scientists, a basis for identifying new fossil findings, publishing these and thereby completing the network of data from the Earth history in Austria. The collaborators are thus collecting new data for research into the Earth history of the Alps in particular but also of Austria in general. This can be through photo documentation or by actively collecting Cretaceous fossils. Another very useful dimension to this project is the treasures kept in private collections belonging to many citizen scientists. These discoveries are entered into accessible data sets and inventory databases and should result in a comprehensive picture of deposits formed during the Earth history and its fossils in Austria. The data is evaluated, made available as a graphic online and shown on the Fossilfinder APP. The aim of this is to then create an interactive map showing the geographic distribution of these discoveries. The new project enables a correlation with other places of discovery from the same era and fossil associations in Europe.

The tasks within the project are supported individually. The project manager is, on the one hand, responsible for coordinating and creating data sets and processing the information into publications and databases that can be accessed and viewed by any interested party, whether scientists, collectors, amateur researchers or citizen scientists. The areas of responsibility for citizen scientists mean that the volunteers in the project are allocated a variety of tasks. These range from collecting finds and reporting them to the joint potential description to the final inventory and publication of the fauna and flora in Austria’s Earth history.

There will soon be a link to the data and the accompanying results on the project page on Österreich forscht. This will also provide a detailed description of where and how you can find and utilise the project data.

Those who are interested in taking part should contact Dr Alexander Lukeneder via e-mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or telephone (0043 1 52177 251).

Podcast episode

If you would like to learn more, you can listen to the Wissen macht Leute podcast episode about the project (in German).

Contribute fossil findings in the interactive map

App: SPOTTERON Citizen Science Plattform

Open interactive map in full screen

Image gallery

Click on an image to enlarge.

Citizen Scientists

• Citizen Scientist Vinzenz Loimayr, Vinzenz Loimayr Citizen Scientist Vinzenz Loimayr, Vinzenz Loimayr
• Citizen Scientist Alfred Leiblfinger, Dominik Kaluza Citizen Scientist Alfred Leiblfinger, Dominik Kaluza
• Citizen Scientist Andrea Beran, Andrea Beran Citizen Scientist Andrea Beran, Andrea Beran
• Citizen Scientist Andreas Bonanni, Alexander Lukeneder Citizen Scientist Andreas Bonanni, Alexander Lukeneder
• Citizen Scientist Anton Englert, Alexander Lukeneder Citizen Scientist Anton Englert, Alexander Lukeneder
• Citizen Scientist Bertold Lumplecker, Hubert Putz Citizen Scientist Bertold Lumplecker, Hubert Putz
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• Citizen Scientist Eva Hasenzagel, Eva Hasenzagel Citizen Scientist Eva Hasenzagel, Eva Hasenzagel
• Citizen Scientist Ferdinand Estermann, Florian Hummer Citizen Scientist Ferdinand Estermann, Florian Hummer
• Citizen Scientist Franz Mayer, Liane Mayer Citizen Scientist Franz Mayer, Liane Mayer
• Citizen Scientist Franz Topka, Alexander Lukeneder Citizen Scientist Franz Topka, Alexander Lukeneder
• Citizen Scientist Gerhard Wanzenböck, Werner Kerndler Citizen Scientist Gerhard Wanzenböck, Werner Kerndler
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• Citizen Scientist Horst Kühschelm, Horst Kühschelm Citizen Scientist Horst Kühschelm, Horst Kühschelm
• Citizen Scientist Justine Uprimny, Alexander Lukeneder Citizen Scientist Justine Uprimny, Alexander Lukeneder
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• Citizen Scientist Martin Maslo, Alexander Lukeneder Citizen Scientist Martin Maslo, Alexander Lukeneder
• Citizen Scientist Oliver Schmitsberger, Martin Penz Citizen Scientist Oliver Schmitsberger, Martin Penz
• Citizen Scientist Peter Skoumal, Marlene Skoumal Citizen Scientist Peter Skoumal, Marlene Skoumal
• Citizen Scientist Petra Lukeneder, Alexander Lukeneder Citizen Scientist Petra Lukeneder, Alexander Lukeneder
• Citizen Scientist Reinhard Polak, Reinhard Polak Citizen Scientist Reinhard Polak, Reinhard Polak
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• Citizen Scientist Umberto Uprimny, Alexander Lukeneder Citizen Scientist Umberto Uprimny, Alexander Lukeneder
• Citizen Scientist Wolfgang Maherndl, Johanna Maherndl Citizen Scientist Wolfgang Maherndl, Johanna Maherndl
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• Citizen Scientists Karl Bösendorfer, Alexander Lukeneder Citizen Scientists Karl Bösendorfer, Alexander Lukeneder
• Citizen Scientist Harald Spitznagel, Claudia Spitznagel Citizen Scientist Harald Spitznagel, Claudia Spitznagel
• Tristan Tuncay Riedl Tristan Tuncay Riedl
• Young Scientist Lisa Marie Lukeneder, Alexander Lukeneder Young Scientist Lisa Marie Lukeneder, Alexander Lukeneder
• Lisa Petracs Lisa Petracs
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Fossils

Publications with participation of citizen scientist

Lukeneder, A., Surmik, D., Gorzelak, P. et al. Bromalites from the Upper Triassic Polzberg section (Austria); insights into trophic interactions and food chains of the Polzberg palaeobiota. Scientific Reports 10, 20545 (2020)
Involved citizen scientists: Birgitt Aschauer and Karl Aschauer
Type of participation: collecting fossils, donating specimens to science

Lukeneder, A., Zverkov, N. 2020. First evidence of a conical-toothed pliosaurid (Reptilia, Sauropterygia) in the Hauterivian of the Northern Calcareous Alps, Austria. Cretaceous Research 106, February 2020, 104248
Involved citizen scientists: Karl Bösendorfer
Type of participation: reporting the locality, collecting fossils

Lukeneder, A. 2018. A new ammonoid fauna from the Northern Calcareous Alps (upper Hauterivian–lower Barremian, Austria). Cretaceous Research, 88, 158-172.
Involved citizen scientists: Karl Bösendorfer
Type of participation: collecting fossils, donating specimens to science 

Picture: (c) Alexander Lukeneder

Lukeneder, A., Lukeneder, P. 2022. Taphonomic history and trophic interactions of an ammonoid fauna from the Upper Triassic Polzberg palaeobiota. Scientific Reports, 12, 7455.
Involved citizen scientists: Birgitt and Karl Aschauer
Type of participation: donating specimens to science 

Picture: (c) Alexander and Petra Lukeneder

Lukeneder, P., Lukeneder A. 2022. Mineralized coleoid cranial cartilage from the Late Triassic Polzberg Konservat-Lagerstätte (Austria)". PLOS ONE, 17(4): e0264595.
Involved citizen scienctist: Birgitt and Karl Aschauer
Types of participation: donating specimens to science 

Picture: (c) Alexander Lukender, 7reasons

Lukeneder, A., Zverkov, N., Kaurin, C., Blüml, V. 2022. First Early Cretaceous ichthyosaurs of Austria and the problem of Jurassic–Cretaceous ichthyosaurian faunal turnover. Cretaceous Research, 136, 2022, 105224.
Involved citizen scientists: Karl Bösendorfer, Alfred Leiflfinger
Type of participation: collecting fossils, donating specimens to science

Picture: (c) Lukeneder, NHMW

Lukeneder, A., Lukeneder P. 2021. The Upper Triassic Polzberg palaeobiota from a marine Konservat-Lagerstätte deposited during the Carnian Pluvial Episode in Austria. Nature Research, Scientific Reports, 11, 16644 (2021).
Involved citizen scientists: Birgitt and Karl Aschauer
Types of participation: donating specimens to science 

Interesting links

In the following you will find interesting internet links with Cretaceous period reference. On these pages citizen scientists can read the latest publications about fossils, environment or climate variations of the Cretaceous period. In addition, internationally and globally valid classifications and zonings of the Cretaceous can be viewed. Important data and facts for route planning and the localization of find points can be planned and retrieved in digital systems. Tectonic units and rock formations can be explored on geological maps.

All these data are freely accessible on the assigned links.

https://www.journals.elsevier.com/cretaceous-research

https://www.journals.elsevier.com/palaeogeography-palaeoclimatology-palaeoecology

http://www.stratigraphy.org/

https://www.google.at/maps

http://www.austrianmap.at/amap/

https://www.kompass.de/wanderkarte/

https://www.bergfex.at/

https://www.geologie.ac.at/onlineshop/karten

https://www.geologie.or.at/

https://fossils-of-austria.at/

Media

Citizen Science Seminar

In 2022, poject coordinator Alexander Lukeneder held a lecture about Fossilfinder as part of the lecture series "Citizen Science Seminar" at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU): "Fossilfinder - to report or not to report, that is the question" (in German). Here, you can watch the video recording of the lecture on our YouTube-channel:  

Pliosaurs in the Cretaceous Sea of Austria (in German)

Research in the Dolomites (in German)

Animation of the heteromorphours Cretaceous ammonite Dissimilites

Ammonite mass occurrences in Turkey

  Science Talk - Mass extinction, swamp forests and flying fish of Lunz

First ichthyosaur record from the Cretaceous period in Austria 

This project fulfils version 1.1 of the quality criteria for citizen science projects on Österreich forscht.

The growing flood of images cannot be processed by institutions alone. Partnership with citizen scientists is vital. Topotheque is a digital archive and network in which this historical legacy can be gathered. For the locally resident Topotheque users, every new image and new piece of information means a valuable building block with which they can document their regional history in more detail. Enthusiasm for the work with the Topotheques creates local archives that captures an interest that goes far beyond regional interest. This includes prop managers and costume designers on period films and scientists who can retrace the spread of a cattle breed in the 1930s. People have very often discovered a photo of a great-grandfather in the photos that were provided by a previously unknown person.

Realisation

The Topotheque is run by a municipality or an association. Volunteers and digital archivists at the Topotheque work on behalf of the municipality as links with the general public. Running a Topotheque is easy and the entry field on the administration user interface meets the international archive standard. Before the update was started, the Topotheque volunteers were introduced to the system in a two-hour training course using ICARUS. A Topotheque is usually opened at a locally organised event in which interested members of the public are presented with the Topotheque as a digital option to gather contemporary documents. Local museums and municipal archives often benefit from the Topotheque, as they can be sent originals. Similarly, memory institutions can take advantage of the Topotheque as a platform for their own inventories.

Dialogue counts

The Topotheque creates new groups of users. A Topotheque can not only answer questions about the history of a castle complex, but also provide quick information on the questions “What did the inn look like in the 1960s?” or “Are there photos of old innkeepers?”. Questions asked offhand, which often refer to details, can be answered. These questions are asked by a new and often younger userbase. To get in touch, you can ask the Topotheque a question, which can be answered directly through the website. This is because dialogue is the heart and soul of the Topotheque.

Expansion

The Topotheque was developed in an office in Wiener Neustadt. Based on the first “Prater” Topotheque as an example, municipalities in Lower Austria were the first to make private material about the community history available with the help of volunteers. The Topotheque was also well received in Upper Austria and implemented in a regional project as part of LEADER. The LEADER regions Weinviertel-Ost, Weinviertel Donauraum, Traunviertler Alpenvorland and Eferdingerland as well as other regions are using topotheques or preparing to use the Topothek. With Carinthia, where the Topothek was launched as a provincial project, the Topotheque is now being joined by a new province. In the “co:op” EU project, the topic of which is communication work in the archive, the Topotheque was established in seven other countries. Through the international archive platform ICARUS, the Lower Austria state archive joined as a scientific partner.

This project fulfils version 1.1 of the quality criteria for citizen science projects on Österreich forscht.

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 20 years are the best documented. The Institute of Silviculture has created the web GIS platform “Fire Database”, which is freely accessible and allows interested parties to query forest fire events and generate statistics or graphics.

Most forest fires are recorded in spring and summer. Parts of Carinthia, Tyrol, Styria and southern Lower Austria are particularly frequently affected by forest fires. In most cases, the cause of the fire is human behavior, such as an out-of-control fire, a carelessly discarded cigarette or hot ash. In the summer months, lightning induced fires also play a significant role. Several forest fires have been investigated as case studies to analyze the fire behavior, the mortality of the affected trees and the regeneration of forest stands.

Anyone who would like to actively participate as a citizen scientist in forest fire research can do so via the mobile app spotFIRE, which was launched in 2024. spotFIRE is available for Android, iOS and as a web version and enables the on-site documentation of wildfires. In addition, spotFIRE can be used to record the forest structure and fuel quantities. With their participation, citizen scientists support the continuation of the forest fire database and enable scientists to make better estimates of forest fire behavior in Austria.

Podcast episode

In June 2023, project coordinator Mortimer Müller was guest on the Österreich forscht podcast Wissen macht Leute - you can listen to the episode here (in German). 

Citizen Science Seminar

In 2021, poject coordinator Harald Vacik held a lecture about "Fire Database" as part of the lecture series "Citizen Science Seminar" at BOKU University: "Challenges of forest fire research in the alpine region" (in German). 

Links

• spotFIRE App
• Forest Fire Database Austria
• Forest Fire blog Austria
• Forest fire research at BOKU
• European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS)

• Cloud of smoke from the forest fire near Neunkirchen, Lower Austria, on 1st August 2013 Cloud of smoke from the forest fire near Neunkirchen, Lower Austria, on 1st August 2013
• Forest fire near Neunkirchen, Lower Austria, on 1st August 2013 Forest fire near Neunkirchen, Lower Austria, on 1st August 2013
• Damage caused by the forest fire near Neunkirchen (1) Damage caused by the forest fire near Neunkirchen (1)
• Damage caused by the forest fire near Neunkirchen (2) Damage caused by the forest fire near Neunkirchen (2)
• Damage caused by the forest fire near Neunkirchen (3) Damage caused by the forest fire near Neunkirchen (3)
• Damage caused by the forest fire near Neunkirchen (4) Damage caused by the forest fire near Neunkirchen (4)
• Number of forest fires 2003-2024 (reported via Fire-Database) Number of forest fires 2003-2024 (reported via Fire-Database)
• Distribution of forest fires over the year (totals from 2003-2024; reported via Fire-Database) Distribution of forest fires over the year (totals from 2003-2024; reported via Fire-Database)
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This project fulfils version 1.1 of the quality criteria for citizen science projects on Österreich forscht.

In Viel-Falter: Butterfly Monitoring volunteers, together with researchers from the Department of Ecology of the University of Innsbruck, observe, identify and count butterflies. The aim is to build up and establish an Austria-wide systematic butterfly monitoring.

Butterflies are an excellent indicator group for the ecologically extremely important animal group of insects. They react quickly and sensitively to habitat and environmental changes. Butterflies are also excellent for raising awareness of the importance of biodiversity due to their positive image.

Given the diverse habitats in Austria, 4,095 different species of butterflies live here, considerably more than in the much larger Germany. At the same time, many butterfly species are threatened and even species that used to be common are seen more rarely. The main causes for this downturn are changes in land use, intensification in agriculture and use of pesticides. Precise statements are difficult, however, as there are hardly any long-term monitoring programs to date. This is exactly what will change thanks to the Viel-Falter: Butterfly Monitoring.

In the Viel-Falter: Butterfly monitoring, surveys by volunteers (Citizen Science) are combined with professional scientific surveys. Thus, the advantages of two approaches are used to collect high quality and scientifically sound data. Thereby, the Viel-Falter butterfly monitoring also makes an important contribution to an Austrian biodiversity monitoring as well as an EU-wide butterfly monitoring.

At the same time, the monitoring contributes to raising awareness of the importance of biodiversity by involving volunteers. Education and public relations are therefore an important part of the Viel-Falter: Butterfly monitoring. At regular training and education events, participating volunteers and other interested parties can improve their knowledge and species awareness and make an important contribution to nature conservation.

Online course on butterfly monitoring

To ensure good data quality, intensive and personal training and support of the volunteers involved is of great importance. Our online course makes it possible to address many interested parties while maintaining a high level of quality. The course explains what biodiversity monitoring is, why it is important, and how butterfly monitoring works. The course is concluded by an individual personal meeting.

Click here for the blog post that introduces the course in more detail (in German).

Our aims are:

• Knowledge-based decisions instead of flying blind!
• Systematic and long-term monitoring of butterfly stands in Austria.
• Building a reference data set on the occurrence and development of butterfly populations in Austria, especially in the Alps.
• Making an essential contribution to monitoring biodiversity in Austria.
• Raising awareness for the importance of biodiversity and the preservation of regional biodiversity.
• To contribute to an Austrian biodiversity monitoring as well as to the European butterfly monitoring.
• Integration or creation of interfaces to surveys of other animal groups, especially insects.

How can you participate?

Anyone interested in butterflies can observe butterflies with a simple identification guide for butterflies in predefined locations in Austria. The observations will be carried out several times a year. No previous knowledge is required. The Viel-Falter team will offer personal training tailored to the individual volunteer.

Partners

The Viel-Falter: Butterfly Monitoring is managed by the Department of Ecology of the University of Innsbruck and implemented together with the Natural Science Collections of the Tyrolean State Museums and EURAC.

It is part of the Insect Monitoring Austria: Butterflies funded by the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK), the Butterfly Monitoring Tyrol funded by the Department of Environmental Protection of the Province of Tyrol and the Butterfly Monitoring Vorarlberg supported by inatura, the Province of Vorarlberg and the Blühendes Österreich Foundation.

Gallery

• Argynnis niobe Argynnis niobe
• Parnassius apollo Parnassius apollo
• Butterfly workshop with volunteers Butterfly workshop with volunteers
• Enthusiastic volunteers Enthusiastic volunteers
• Volunteer with magnifying mug Volunteer with magnifying mug
• Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) in magnifying mug Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) in magnifying mug
• UNESCO award for Viel-Falter UNESCO award for Viel-Falter
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This project fulfils version 1.1 of the quality criteria for citizen science projects on Österreich forscht.

The European genealogy database

"Connecting genealogists"

GenTeam is a European platform of genealogical databases. Both scientists and amateur genealogists can make their data available here for free for other researchers. The cooperation of collaborators from many different countries has made it possible to compile databases that one researcher could not typically manage alone due to the volume. Our focus is currently on the indexing of ecclesiastical sources from Lower Austria, on a baptismal and death index of Vienna, as well as on an overall index of Austria-Hungary's casualty lists from the First World War. The baptismal index of Vienna between 1784 and 1900 alone will probably comprise about 4 million data records, of which more than 3,000,000 have already been recorded. They will in turn become the basis for scientific research. Of the approximately 3 million data of the loss lists, more than 2 million have already been recorded.

The more than 64,000 registered users currently have more than 21 million records available. These users come from a variety of countries from around the world. They are primarily genealogists, although there are also scientists, historians and biographers who increasingly make use of this resource. GenTeam is free and there is no membership fee.

All voluntary membership is more than welcome!

Project coordinator Felix Gundacker made the platform available with GenTeam (and also promoted its potential), while researchers and research groups have the option to provide data and forward these lists to coordinators (sometimes after prior query/consultation). To conclude, the coordinator ensures that all data is put online.

“Soon, everyone who visits the GenTeam site will ask themselves how they got by without this fantastic source!”
Dr Peter Braunwarth, 2011

This project fulfils version 1.1 of the quality criteria for citizen science projects on Österreich forscht.

Austria is rich in a wide range of mineral deposits. Precise documentation of both “old” deposits (e.g. mining heaps and tunnels, slag heaps) and “new” location spots (e.g. quarries, natural outcrops, road cuts, etc.) is one of the focuses of the Department of Mineralogy and Petrography at the Natural History Museum Vienna. This can be achieved only with the help of mineral collectors, amateur mineralogists and members of the general public interested in mineralogy who collect minerals and make them available to scientific experiments. The outstanding collaboration with collectors with regard to documenting mineralogy in Lower Austria (“NÖ mineral database”) and Vorarlberg should be expanded to other federal states. Tyrol in particular is still relatively unexplored in comparison to other federal states.

© Harald Schillhammer

Who can participate?

Mineral collectors, amateur mineralogists and members of the general public who are interested in mineralogy.

Time period

The project is running for an unspecified period.

Where?

Across all of Austria (especially Tyrol).

What data is needed?

Citizen scientists can support research by collecting minerals and documenting mineral discoveries, as well as providing samples for mineralogical analyses. The results of scientific analyses will usually be published in popular scientific publications (in German) (e.g. as “Neue Mineralfunde aus Österreich” [New minerals found in Austria] in the journal “Carinthia II” or, more rarely, in the journals “Der Steirische Mineralog”, “Der Aufschluss”, “Mineralien-Welt” or “Lapis”), whereby the project manager sends the final article to all participants in PDF format. Articles in “Carinthia II” generally become open access one year after publication, which means that anyone can download them for free.

Shortly after publication, the project manager will enter the new mineral analyses in all publications, together with meaningful photos, into freely accessible international mineral and mineral location databases, such as Mindat (in English) and Mineralienatlas - Fossilienatlas (in German).

The publications are often written in co-authorship with the finder, especially if they provided important information through good documentation of the discovery and circumstances of finding, or through research into literature in archives and by surveying residents at the location.

Exceptional scientific results will also be published in international, English-language scientific journals.

Examples of popular science publications from recent years are:

• Journal "Carinthia II": Neue Mineralfunde aus Österreich LXV (2016) [PDF]
• Journal "Carinthia II": Neue Mineralfunde aus Österreich LXVI (2017) [PDF]
• Die Mineralogie der weltweit einzigartigen Schlacken von Waitschach, Kärnten [The mineralogy of globally unique slag from Waitschach, Carinthia] [PDF]
• Kolitsch, U. & Slama, M. (2016): Zur Mineralogie des niederösterreichischen Anteils des Semmering-Basistunnels: ein erster Bericht. [Mineralogy of the Lower Austrian part of the Semmering Base Tunnel: a first report] Der Steirische Mineralog 31, 20-27. [PDF on e-mail request]
• several individual contributions in: Walter, F., Auer, C., Bernhard, F., Bojar, H.-P., Brandstätter, F., Grill, J. A., Kiseljak, R., Knobloch, G., Kolitsch, U., Lamatsch, P., Lenz, C., Löffler, E., Melcher, F., Postl, W., Prasnik, H., Rausch, L., Reicht, M., Schachinger, T., Schillhammer, H., Schreieck, E., Schwabl, S., Steck, C., Steiner, T., Trattner, W. & Weißensteiner, G. (2020): Neue Mineralfunde aus Österreich LXIX. Carinthia II, 210./130., 153-218. [PDF]

How can I take part?

If you are interested and/or want to take part, please contact:

Priv.-Doz. Dr. Uwe Kolitsch
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This project fulfils version 1.1 of the quality criteria for citizen science projects on Österreich forscht.

Citizen Science Network Austria

In 2017 the Citizen Science Network Austria was founded, which is coordinated by the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences. This network aims to further develop citizen science in Austria, to promote quality and to strengthen the dialogue between science and society.

In order to formalise these tasks of the network, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by all member institutions of the network. The most important excerpts from this MoU are listed here:

These institutions from the fields of science, research, education and practice declare to pursue the following objectives, taking into account the respective institutional scope of their activity:

• To establish citizen science more strongly in Austria
• To promote the quality of citizen science in Austria
• To strengthen the profile of citizen science in Austria

These member institutions declare that, in order to achieve these objectives, they intend to fulfil the following tasks in particular:

• Participation in annual meetings within the framework of the Austrian Citizen Science Conference.
• Use of the online platform Österreich forscht (www.citizen-science.at) to make citizen science and citizen science projects visible to the public.
• Establishment of and active cooperation in working groups on specific topics by representatives of the signatory partner institutions.

You will find a list and short introduction of all member institutions in the Partners section. In addition, the Citizen Science Network Austria also enters into partnerships with international networks. Individual agreements on cooperation are made with these networks. A list of the international partners can be found under the heading International Partners. In addition, the Citizen Science Network Austria is also pleased to welcome supporters who support the network or the platform Österreich forscht, especially through their activities. These can be found in the category Supporters.

Since 2017, we have reported on the accomplishments of the Citizen Science Network Austria in the form of an annual performance report. These performance reports can be found in the section performance reports of our website.