The conference opened with a round of greetings marking the launch of the Center, followed by two engaging keynote talks:
Prof. Dror Burstein (the Hebrew University of Jerusalem) presented a holistic view of nature in his talk
Understanding-Love-Protection, exploring the connections between ecology, eco-poetics, eco-psychology, and the rights of nature.
Prof. Muki Haklay (University College London), joining via Zoom, spoke in his presentation about the integration of citizen science in research, its evolution alongside open science in Europe, and showcased leading initiatives. He highlighted how citizen science contributes to public engagement and policy development, including increased funding, scientific publications, and related resources.
The second session featured a panel panel moderated by Prof. Ayelet Baram-Tsabari (Faculty of Education, Technion), a lead partner in the Center. Panelists included Dr. Anna Trachtenbrot (Ministry of Environmental Protection), Dr. Yael Wagner (KKL-JNF Chief Scientist’s Office), Prof. Dan Malkinson (University of Haifa), Dr. Yoav Perlman (Israel Ornithological Center, SPNI), and Alon Sapan (Director, the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History). They discussed why they support citizen science, how it integrates into their work, and the challenges they face. Some reflected on their paths into the field, lessons about public participation, data credibility, and community engagement. Others shared how they use citizen science data and their plans for expanding public involvement in conservation.
In the Center Presentation Session, the ICCS team members presented its four core components:
Infrastructure of the Israel Center for Citizen Science – Dr. Tomer Gueta, ICCS Director
Technological Infrastructure of the Center – Naama Arkin, Head of Tech Development
Project Network – Dr. Nirit Lavie Alon, Network and Content Director
Research and Science Communication at the Center – Dr. Yaela Golumbic, Head of Research and Development
After a lunch break that fostered networking and new collaborations, the afternoon featured a round of short talks showcasing Citizen Science in Action:
Citizen Science in Schools – Professor Yael Kali, University of Haifa
Using Citizen Science Data to Answer Ecological Research Questions – Prof. Ofer Arazi, University of Haifa and Dr. Yiftach Nagar, University of Haifa and Tel Aviv-Yaffo Academic College
SeaWatch: Marine Observations and Reports – From Hazards to Observations – Bar Sternbach, Marine Projects Coordinator, Environmental and Nature Conservation Division, Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel
Justice and Community Science – Professor Ayelet Shavit, Tel-Hai Academic College
The National Program for Butterfly Monitoring in Israel: Findings from Data Analysis in the State of Nature Report – Dr. Ittai Renan, HaMaarag Director, the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University
Sharks and Rays in Israel: Marine Citizen Science, Management, and the Power of Social Networks – Dr. Adi Barash, The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History and Sharks in Israel Association
In the closing segment, some participants joined a hands-on workshop with the iNaturalist platform in the Botanical Garden, while others took part in one of four roundtable discussions:
Engaging Diverse Audiences in Science, led by Professor Neta Ziv and Dr. Yaela Golumbic
Establishing a Forum for Project Leaders, led by Dr. Nirit Lavie Alon and Dr. Liat Hadar
Citizen Science at KKL-JNF, led by Dr. Orit Skutelsky and Dr. Yael Wagner
Data Standardization in Citizen Science, led by Dr. Tomer Gueta and Shalom Levital
Both the workshop and roundtables generated important insights and recommendations.
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