A team of dedicated volunteers from Clean Rivers is collaborating to track plastic waste along the riverbank. Credit: Schone Rivieren.
Curious about what drives citizens to join a citizen science initiative focused on plastic pollution? Liselotte Rambonnet delved into this question and more through her study on the Clean Rivers project.
Rambonnet, a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Biology Leiden, discovered that participants in this project grew increasingly passionate about addressing the plastic crisis and gained a deeper understanding of plastic pollution and scientific exploration. The findings have been published in Citizen Science: Theory and Practice.
Since 2017, hundreds of volunteers from Clean Rivers have been actively involved in uncovering the types of plastic waste present in our rivers. Rambonnet, along with her colleagues Frans Rodenburg and Anne Land-Zandstra, sought to understand the motivations, attitudes, and knowledge of these volunteers, tracking potential changes over time. They conducted surveys over several years to gather insights.
The research enthusiasts were primarily driven by a desire to combat plastic pollution at its source. Notably, this action-oriented motivation saw a significant increase, as revealed by the study from Leiden. Volunteers already held positive views on nature and science, which remained relatively stable. While their awareness of plastic pollution was quite high, their understanding of scientific research was slightly lower. However, over time, volunteers expanded their knowledge on both plastic pollution and research methodologies.
The initial year had the most profound impact, with volunteers undergoing training on research techniques, including identifying, categorizing, and assessing plastic waste.
“First-time volunteers may be taken aback by what they discover,” Rambonnet shared. “While people may hear about the plastic crisis in the media, witnessing it firsthand can evoke a stronger sense of urgency. This could further fuel their motivation for action.”
2024-06-07 00:51:02
Post from phys.org