The Biodiversity Center of Upper Austria in Linz is the state’s central institution for natural science research and collections and ranks among the most important facilities of its kind in Austria. It preserves extensive collections on natural history objects (animals, plants, fungi, fossils, etc.), and conducts international research on biodiversity — ranging from the documentation of native species to the analysis of ecological changes. An important foundation for this is ZOBODAT, a freely accessible natural history data portal.
A special connection to citizen science is evident in the working groups at the Biodiversity Center. In these groups, interested citizens work alongside experts to study various groups of organisms — birds, insects, plants, and fungi. Through their volunteer work, they make a valuable contribution to the collection, documentation, and analysis of biodiversity data. This close collaboration between science and the public embodies the core of citizen science: the active participation of people in scientific processes.
The Biodiversity Center serves as a vital interface between research and society. It provides infrastructure, scientific expertise, and long-term data collections, thereby enabling the integration of citizen scientists into ongoing research activities. In this way, the Center makes a significant contribution to expanding knowledge about biological diversity while simultaneously raising public awareness of the need to protect it.