Presentation from Working with arts festivals at the 2013 Science Communication Conference organised by the British Science Association - slides by Michael Pocock

1. Real science and real
engagement: the value of
citizen science
Michael Pocock

2. 2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
50km
Horse-chestnut leaf-miner
Cameraria ohridella

3. 1. Hands on – very
interactive
2. Working with schools
and the media
3. Hypothesis led =
involvement in the
scientific process
Mission:
pest controllers
Is pest control
greatest where the
moth has been longest? Parasitoid = ‘Pest controller’
Cameraria ohridella = ‘Alien moth’

4. Mission: alien moths
Is the level of damage to
trees is greatest where the
moth has been longest?
0
1
2
3
4

5. Website
 Interactive
 Easy to develop
 Not field-based =
less accurate & fewer
records
2010

6. 2011
Take photo and score damage
GPS gets location
Describe ground cover
(hypothesis-led science)
With Dave Kilbey
Funding:
2010
Website
 Interactive
 Easy to develop
 Not field-based =
less accurate & fewer
records
Photo: Dave Kilbey

7. More engagement 
• 18,000+ downloads
• Greater participation, new audiences
• Newsworthiness
Better science 
• Greater accuracy
• Ease of contributing (6160 uploads from
2450 devices)
• Data validation
iTunes No. 1 UK
education app
Crowd-sourced validation of uploaded photos

8. 1
b
1
2
3
4Modelleddamagescore
atendofSeptember
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
rep(1:9, 3)
ParasitismofC.orhidellainJuly
interpolated
extrapolated
c
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
Arrival date
Results
The level of leaf
damage is greatest
where the moth has
been longest
The level of ‘pest
control’ is greatest
where the moth has
been longest →
interesting ecology

9. The final mission: Can birds save our conker trees?
Inspired by the citizen scientists themselves

10. With Darren Evans
Funded by:
The highlights
• Engaged c. 18, 000 people
• Reached several million
people
• Received 10, 000+ data
points
• Addressed hypotheses
about an invasive insect
• Discovered new biology
about the insect
• Real science and good
engagement