With communities increasingly at the front lines of water challenges and institutional capacity stretched thin, the importance of volunteer-powered data collection, often referred to as “Citizen,” “Community,” or “Participatory” science, continues to grow.
All are invited to contribute to a session that Cleveland Water Alliance, Water Rangers, Great Lakes Sea Grant Network, Great Lakes Commission, and International Joint Commission are chairing at the International Association of Great Lakes Researchers’ (IAGLR) annual conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 2-6, 2025.
This session will explore the current state and future possibilities of Great Lakes participatory science in two sections:
1. Fundamental contributions of participatory science to research and management
2. Effective and authentic collaborations between participatory science groups and traditional institutions.
Each section will end with interactive discussions that explore models for bottom-up and top-down approaches to uplift local work and strengthen connections with institutional players.
Contributors will deliver a brief (~15 minute) presentation and answer questions from the audience. If you are interested, submit an abstract HERE and indicate that you want to present as part of session #8 – Charting the Future of Great Lakes Participatory Science. Deadline for submission is Monday, December 16th but the application itself only takes a few minutes to complete.
