Mart Külvik

Learning and the transformative potential of citizen science.

The number of collaborative initiatives between scientists and volunteers (i.e., citizen science) is increasing across many research fields. The promise of societal transformation together with scientific breakthroughs contributes to the current popularity of citizen science (CS) in the policy domain. We examined the transformative capacity of citizen science in particular learning through environmental CS as conservation tool. We reviewed the CS and social-learning literature and examined 14 conservation projects across Europe that involved collaborative CS. We also developed a template that can be used to explore learning arrangements (i.e., learning events and materials) in CS projects and to explain how the desired outcomes can be achieved through CS learning. We found that recent studies aiming to define CS for analytical purposes often fail to improve the conceptual clarity of CS; CS programs may have transformative potential, especially for the development of individual skills, but such transformation is not necessarily occurring at the organizational and institutional levels; empirical evidence on simple learning outcomes, but the assertion of transformative effects of CS learning is often based on assumptions rather than empirical observation; and it is unanimous that learning in CS is considered important, but in practice it often goes unreported or unevaluated. In conclusion, we point to the need for reliable and transparent measurement of transformative effects for democratization of knowledge production.

The Role of Information, Knowledge, and Acceptance During Landowner Participation in the Natura 2000 Designations: The Cases of Otepää and Kõnnumaa, Estonia

Across the European Union, the Natura 2000 network is among the most important measures for preventing the biological degradation of landscapes. However, land-use conflicts in several member states show that the designation of Natura 2000 areas has not been an effective process, foremost due to insufficient public and stakeholder involvement. This chapter presents an investigation of landowner involvement during the Natura 2000 designations in Estonia, focusing on two aspects: first, the role of information and knowledge in the participatory process; and second, the acceptance of Natura 2000 among landowners. Insights gained from two case studies in northern Estonia (Konnumaa) and southern Estonia (Otepaa) indicate that despite extensive communication processes during designations, many landowners lacked basic knowledge on Natura 2000 issues and on consultation procedure at the beginning of involvement processes and afterwards. Our results additionally suggest that addressing the needs, expectations and knowledge claims of different stakeholders within participatory processes is a necessary precondition for gained acceptance in biodiversity-related landscape planning.