The finalists for the this year’s Citizen Science Awards 2023 have just been announced and they are Insect Investigators and Find Our Fungi!.
These awards recognise the work of citizen science projects in engaging and gathering results from contributions of the community to science, helping to inspire and educate new generations, and these projects show how the power of channeling knowledge and enthusiasm is able to advance the boundaries of scientific understanding.
Insect Investigators work with schools across South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland to collect specimens of invertebrates: butterflies, spiders and more. They run classroom sessions with students to educate them in the scientific process, and how it is applied to Australian biodiversity.
Find Our Fungi! is a community fungi monitoring project where citizen scientists are provided with information to discover, identify and map the location of fungi in the Murraylands and Riverland regions in Australia.
Two of our Environment Institute members have been integral parts of the creation of these programs. Dr Erinn Fagan-Jeffries, a Research Fellow from the School of Biological Sciences, is the Project Manager for the Insect Investigators project; and Dr Jasmin Packer, also a Research Fellow from the School of Biological Sciences, is part of the Find Our Fungi! project.
Sponsored by The Australian Citizen Science Association – SA, Inspiring SA and the Department of Environment and Water, these awards celebrate the relevance and impact of citizen science in modern research.
The winner of the Citizen Science Awards 2023 will be announced this Friday, 11 August, at the launch of National Science Week in SA and awards presentation. We look forward to hearing the results!
