Israel Center for Citizen Science

The Israel Center for Citizen Science at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History was established in early 2022, to promote public participation in environmental research to promote biodiversity science and conservation in Israel. The center fosters sustainable technological, scientific, and social facets, to forge stronger foundations for citizen science in Israel. It will be the hub, source of knowledge and support, for existing citizen science programs and future initiatives, nationally.

How Nature Museums Advance Citizen Science

Many museums worldwide play a central role in building and maintening citizen science infrastructure, both by strengthening the connection between the public and nature and through their unique combination of taxonomic, scientific, public engagement, and technological expertise. Citizen science fosters the development of taxonomic skills among nature enthusiasts while establishing a tradition of two-way knowledge sharing. The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History is recognized as a national research hub for the study of biodiversity. In addition to using its collections for research and education, the museum actively promotes public-participation research through its Citizen Science Center.

Vision and Goals of the Israel Center for Citizen Science

The center aims to promote public participation in monitoring and researching biodiversity and the environment to benefit science and nature conservation in Israel. Its goals include providing technological, scientific and methodological support for both existing and new initiatives; making data and research findings accessible to the public, stakeholders and decision-makers; and developing a dedicated database that meets international standards.

Center Infrastructure

The center has established a central technological platform based on a biodiversity data atlas called the Living Atlas, to aggregate, manage, and display biodiversity information collected through citizen science projects in Israel. The BioCollect application is currently being adapted to facilitate data collection for a wide range of citizen science projects, tailoring the data collection protocols and public participation to meet the unique needs of each project. In addition, the iNaturalist system and its accompanying applications (iNaturalist, Seek) are being adapted for the Hebrew language and the local context of Israel.

The central technological platform will serve as a gateway (central portal) to citizen science in Israel, featuring a project catalog, guides, various resources, and a library of training materials. Upon completing the establishment of the core infrastructure, the center will assist initiatives seeking support based on its capabilities and resources. The center operates a scientific advisory committee, and in the future, working group forums will be organized according to specific needs and topics.

Partners of the Israeli Center for Citizen Science

The Israel Center for Citizen Science operates with the participation and support of the following partners:

The Israel Center for Citizen Science collaborates with various entities and organizations that participate in planning and executing key tasks, assist in the center’s effective operation, and share knowledge and skills to enhance its current activities.

Get Involved in Citizen Science

Whether you’re on the scientific side or the citizen side, we can’t do it without you!

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