Community-based Science Research Articles

Citizen science observations shed light on how anthropogenic food sources influence wildlife disease.

Research Highlight: Knutie, S., Bahouth, R., Bertone, M., Webb, C., Mehta, M., Nahom, M., Barta, R., Ghai, S., Love, A., Horan, S., Soldo, A., Cochrane, E., Bartholomew, J., Cowan, E., Bjerke, H., Balenger, S., Butler, M., Cornell, A., Kennedy, A., Rolland, V., Schultz, E., Stanback, M., Taff, C., Albery, G. (2024). Understanding spatiotemporal effects of food supplementation on host-parasite interactions using community-based science. Journal of Animal Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.14155. Wildlife have become increasingly dependent on anthropogenic food supplementation, resulting in altered nutritional intake and inter- and intraspecific interactions. Subsequently, supplemental feeding can affect both the immunological function of individuals and transmission dynamics among individuals and species. The magnitude of the effect supplemental feeding has on disease is likely to vary across time and space with the nutritional demands of hosts. However, the broad temporal or spatial scale effects of supplementation are poorly understood. Recently, Knutie etal. (2024) introduced their citizen science program, the Nest Parasite Community Project, a broadscale coordinated effort by scientists and the public to monitor box nesting wild birds and their ectoparasites across the eastern United States. The authors amassed an impressive 4-year data set with hundreds of nests spanning the entire US breeding range of Eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis). In the first study to come from the project, the authors demonstrate that the effects of food supplementation on host-parasite interactions vary across time and space and do not consistently influence host-parasite outcomes, highlighting that host-parasite interactions are often context dependent and influenced by many environmental factors (e.g. weather and habitat quality). The authors also found that supplemental feeding increases host fitness, regardless of parasitism. The study provides strong evidence that citizen science projects can help broaden our understanding of how human food sources influence wildlife disease in various environmental contexts.

Designing for Critical Science Agency in a Community-Based Science Curriculum

Much of the literature that examines critical science agency (CSA) focuses on how students enact their CSA to support knowledge construction and agentic action. Few studies, however, address how science curricula can be specifically designed to support students in exercising their CSA. In this study, I examine features of a community-based science (CBS) curricular design that engages students in justice-oriented science learning to advance their CSA. More specifically, I analyze the design and structure of an environmental science elective course to investigate features of CBS curricular design that support students in exercising their CSA, including: (1) leveraging learning goals to create community change, (2) developing students’ toolkits, (3) cultivating spaces for advocacy and critical hope, and (4) critical and ongoing reflection. The findings suggest that science curriculum can be purposefully designed to assist students in exercising their CSA through generative learning experiences that empower them as community change agents. As we move toward more equity and justice-centered science learning, I recommend that future science curricula take community-based science approaches to design, structuring learning around students’ CSA by attending to how formal science learning can be used as an avenue to support community change.

Understanding spatiotemporal effects of food supplementation on host-parasite interactions using community-based science.

Supplemental feeding can increase the overall health of animals but also can have variable effects on how animals defend themselves against parasites. However, the spatiotemporal effects of food supplementation on host-parasite interactions remain poorly understood, likely because large-scale, coordinated efforts to investigate them are difficult. Here, we introduce the Nest Parasite Community Science Project, which is a community-based science project that coordinates studies with bird nest box 'stewards' from the public and scientific community. This project was established to understand broad ecological patterns between hosts and their parasites. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of food supplementation on eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) and their nest parasite community across the geographic range of the bluebirds from 2018 to 2021. We received 674 nests from 69 stewards in 26 states in the eastern United States. Nest box stewards reported whether or not they provided mealworms or suet near nesting bluebirds, then they followed the nesting success of the birds (number of eggs laid and hatched, proportion that hatched, number and proportion of nestlings that successfully fledged). We then identified and quantified parasites in the nests. Overall, we found that food supplementation increased fledging success. The most common nest parasite taxon was the parasitic blow fly (Protocalliphora sialia), but a few nests contained fleas (Ceratophyllus idius, C. gallinae and Orchopeas leucopus) and mites (Dermanyssus spp. and Ornithonyssus spp.). Blow flies were primarily found at northern latitudes, where food supplementation affected blow fly prevalence. However, the direction of this effect varied substantially in direction and magnitude across years. More stewards fed bluebirds at southern latitudes than at northern latitudes, which contradicts the findings of other community-based science projects. Overall, food supplementation of birds was associated with increased host fitness but did not appear to play a consistent role in defence against these parasites across all years. Our study demonstrates the importance of coordinated studies across years and locations to understand the effects of environmental heterogeneity, including human-based food supplementation, on host-parasite dynamics.

StadtWildTiere – added value and impact of transnational urban wildlife community science projects

We present and exemplify the potential of the long-term community science (= citizen science) project StadtWildTiere (German for ‘urban wildlife’) in a transnational context. StadtWildTiere gathers opportunistic sightings of urban wildlife to raise awareness of, increase knowledge of, and promote biodiversity in urban areas across Central Europe. Transnationally similar methodologies enable direct comparisons concerning occurrence, distribution, and trends of urban wildlife populations and allow for new insights into and potential conservation and management measures of these otherwise unmonitored wildlife populations. We advocate the use and promotion for such community-based science projects, which align with the guiding principles of awareness, knowledge, and action. Such projects should whenever possible connect with similar initiatives in other countries to benefit from comparisons and get a strong impact on a transnational level.

(Re)defining expert in science instruction: a community-based science approach to teaching

Instructional practices in science education often create dichotomies of “expert” and “outsider” that produce distinct power differences in classrooms. Building upon the idea of “making present practice” to disrupt these binaries, this paper presents select findings from a year-long study investigating two urban teachers' use of community-based science (CBS) instructional practices to create relational shifts that reframe expert and expertise in science instruction. By examining how CBS instructional practices reframe power through co-learning experiences, our findings demonstrated that teachers positioned youth as knowledge constructors through three instructional practices: (a) creating space for students to share their knowledge and experiences, (b) positioning students’ lives and experiences as assets to/within science, and (c) being responsive to assets in future lessons. We use these findings to demonstrate how CBS instructional practices support shifts in relational dynamics by creating spaces of rightful presence, where students are viewed as legitimate classroom members who contribute scientific knowledge in practice and have power in the classroom space. By relinquishing traditional boundaries in science teaching to deconstruct ideas of who holds power, we position CBS instructional practices as a means to expand educational equity by legitimizing students’ diverse sensemaking and re-mediating hierarchical structures in classroom spaces.

ROLE OF PACKAGING EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF SMEs

One of the problems often faced by SME entrepreneurs is the lack of knowledge about the right type of material to use according to the product they have and the design and composition of labels according to applicable regulations. Packaging designs and labels become icons that can make these products competitive and attract more consumers. So that the main goal of SME entrepreneurs is achieved, namely increasing turnover. Among them, P-IRT/MD permits, halal certificates, product composition, serving sizes, serving suggestions, and storage suggestions, so that consumer safety in consuming these products can run well. Dapoer Ikan partners Umi Ali and Rendang Bu Guru are SMEs that do not yet have a P-IRT permit and labels that do not comply with food packaging regulations. The knowledge that is still minimal about this is the background for the TICK Study Program to carry out community-based science and technology services regarding improving the quality of packaging for the UKM Dapoer Ikan Umi Ali and Rendang Bu Guru through socialization and training. The implementation of the service is carried out through offline educational seminars and training regarding 1) Packaging design for SMEs that sell; 2) Appropriate material selection and 3) Appropriate SME packaging regulations. This activity aims to make partners able to compete better by having packaging that is in accordance with regulations and attractive label designs and TICK Study Program can apply their knowledge to Dapoer Ikan Partners Umi Ali and Rendang Bu Guru. The results of the evaluation of participants' activities became more knowledgeable about the world of packaging and all participants agreed to hold seminars and training activities like this on a regular and continuous basis so that packaging, product quality and product sales turnover increased.

New York State Tick Blitz: harnessing community-based science to understand range expansion of ticks.

Ticks and tick-borne diseases are an immense public health burden in New York State (NYS), United States. Tick species and associated pathogens are expanding into new areas, shifting threats to human, and animal health across the state. For example, the invasive tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann (Acari: Ixodidae), was first detected in the United States in 2017 and has since been identified in 17 states, including NYS. In addition, Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Acari: Ixodidae) is a native tick thought to be reestablishing historical populations in NYS. We implemented a community-based science project called the "NYS Tick Blitz" to determine the distribution of A. americanum and H. longicornis in NYS. Community volunteers were recruited, provided with education, training, and materials to conduct active tick sampling during a 2-wk period in June 2021. Fifty-nine volunteers sampled 164 sites across 15 counties, for a total of 179 separate collection events and 3,759 ticks collected. The most frequently collected species was H. longicornis, followed by Dermacentor variabilis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), and A. americanum, respectively. Through the NYS Tick Blitz collections, H. longicornis was identified for the first time in Putnam County. We conducted pooled pathogen testing on a subset of specimens, with the highest rates of infection detected for pathogens transmitted by I. scapularis, including Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti. Most participants who completed a follow-up survey (n = 23, 71.9%) were promoters of the NYS Tick Blitz and 50% (n = 15) reported that they enjoyed participating in meaningful science.

Science Around Us: Development of a Community-based Science Curriculum for Local Preschools in the Philippines

Teaching science for preschool children is essential in setting the foundation for science literacy and in kindling young children’s interest in learning science. Hence the goal for designing a culturally relevant science curriculum is a gigantic challenge to all preschool teachers. This study proposed a community-based science curriculum for local preschools in northern Philippines. It supports the idea that nature should be utilized in nurturing the interest of young children in learning science. Qualitative method was used in gathering data from parents, teachers, and community leaders. Community resources that could be utilized for learning scince were identified, the legal framework for preschool education was analyzed, and the current national curriculum standards for kindergarten was analyzed to design and develop a science-based curriculum for young children. The result, which is a proposed curriculum, integrates cultural scripts, indigenous knowledge and practices, learners’ interests and needs, and community resources in the selection of curriculum contents and learning experiences. The proposed community-based science curriculum could be a model for developing a culturally relevant and responsive education for indigenous people.

Learning to Enhance Community-Responsiveness in an Out-of-School Club Program

This article describes a methodology and method that can be adopted by informal education leaders who are interested in establishing or developing a community-responsive focus for out-of-school club programming. Based on an adaptation of Dewey’s Laboratory School model, a university research team partnered with a community-based science club provider (the STEM Academy) to establish a model club space where ways of enhancing community-responsiveness could be explored. The overall aim was to scale up an iterative practice of research-informed adaptations into a program of over 20 clubs. The partnership was focused on a two-phase process, equipping the STEM Academy to continue an ongoing research practice in the absence of university influence. The first phase of the study involved gathering information regarding science needs, wants and preferences of a new community context. The second phase established a model club space and sought community feedback on the efficacy of the club in meeting community desires. The research approach used to establish the club and gather ongoing data is described in this article which ends by proposing a schema that can be adapted to suit other out-of-school clubs and programs.

The Pelatihan pemanfaatan media online sebagai sarana pemasaran bagi usaha mikro dimasa pandemi di kota depok

The Business Administration study program takes part in volunteer activities with a community-based science and technology service scheme. This service is performed to improve microbusinesses' understanding of digital marketing in the city of Depok with the aim of expanding the marketing area, which will have an impact on income. This activity employs a contextual approach methodology, whereby theoretical information is initially provided, and then a workshop immediately creates an account on online media and uploads products made by traders. In order to allow participants who are unable to attend at the service venue to participate in this community service activity elsewhere by using the Zoom platform. The participants were given counseling from the very beginning of the process of downloading an account creation program, building a digital store, and marketing product photographs with narration and descriptions of the product, the participants received coaching. The participants were very excited to participate in the series of events that had been planned by the committee, both in listening to the speaker's presentation and when carrying out implementation practices in online media. sale. This activity ran smoothly and in good order from the morning until the afternoon

Empowerment of Health Cadres in Utilizing Family Medicinal Plants (TOGA) as an Effort to Control Non-Communicable Diseases in the Elderly

The aging process results in a decrease in physical and psychological conditions, a decrease in independence, an inability to work and an impact on the non-fulfillment of independence in fulfilling daily basic needs and socializing with the community. Community empowerment efforts to optimize promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative for elderly problems need to carry out activities that can support these efforts through the elderly Posyandu, providing support for the elderly and optimizing the use of family medicinal plants for curative efforts for the elderly health problems. This activity aims to apply community-based science and technology for health cadres to manage elderly health problems. The method used in this empowerment is by making health promotion media in the form of leaflets and flipcharts, lectures, demonstrations, providing equipment for processing family medicinal plants, training in cultivating family medicinal plants and training in the production of traditional family medicines which are carried out in Jenggawah Village, the working area of the Jenggawah Health Center. Fifty health cadres attended empowerment participants. Pretest results obtained good knowledge 6%, good attitude 5%, good behavior 3%. After the community service activities were conducted, the post-test scores for good knowledge were 68%, good attitudes were 74%, and good behavior was 62%. So it can be concluded that there has been an increase in knowledge and skills in managing elderly health problems, especially non-communicable diseases, and an increase in cadres’ ability to process herbal ingredients. Suggestions that can be given are that cadres need to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in their daily activities and when implementing the elderly Posyandu.

Challenges and triumphs of taking a research-informed approach toward improving community responsiveness across a community-based science club program

ABSTRACT This article details the learning experiences emerging from a research collaboration between a university-based research team and an informal education provider (the STEM Academy). The aim was to enhance the community responsiveness of a series of science clubs for children living in low-income communities in a metropolitan area of Canada. The study examined a new afterschool science club that ran for seven months, serving 20 children aged 8-11. Data sources included focus groups and individual interviews with children attending the club, semi-structured interviews with club staffers and school-based educators associated with the children, and detailed field notes made by a researcher-volunteer after every club session. Data was analyzed using a constant comparative approach which revealed four key lessons that the STEM Academy gained from this experimental club space: (i) Community responsiveness requires power sharing in multiple dimensions; (ii) Enjoying informal science learning can support formal science learning; (iii) The informal club context attends to children's needs and interests beyond science; and (iv) Territorial lines are blurred in community-responsive ventures. The experimental club allowed us to identify and recommend certain approaches for other informal education providers seeking to become more locally relevant (even those operating at multiple sites).

Boundary spanning leadership in community-centered geoscience research

Community-based research models hold potential to change who conducts geoscience research, its relevance to the public, and how researchers may begin to address historical injustices. However, this potential is contingent on such projects being led in ways that meaningfully and equitably bridge the worlds of scientists and community stakeholders. Here, we present an in-depth, comparative case study of leadership in two place-based, community-based projects funded through an NSF initiative. Primarily focusing on two Principal Investigators, we draw data from participant interviews, journal entries, and project observations over fourteen months. One project is centered at an urban watercress farm in Hawai’i and one is centered on the Los Angeles River in California. We use theories of symbolic boundaries and methods of comparative case study to identify leadership practices that facilitate successful place-based, community-based research involving scientists and members of historically excluded communities. We find boundary-spanning leadership to include a critical awareness of scientific history, efforts to center community at all phases of the work, and trust-building practices that strengthen confidence in the team. This work carries theoretical implications for geoscientists working across politicized differences, practical implications for leadership development, and structural implications for the incentives and design of community-based scholarship. We hypothesize community-based science could increase the perceived social and cultural relevance of geosciences, and thereby broaden participation and reduce inequities in who contributes knowledge to these fields.

Developing Grade 5 Students’ Scientific Habits of Mind Through Community-based Science Learning

Students are future citizens who will be able to make more informed decisions on social movements. Reasoning, inherent skepticism, the ability to situate things in bigger settings and discern connections are all part of scientific habits of mind. This action research aimed to develop grade 5 students’ scientific habits of mind through community-based science learning to meet the requirement of passing criteria 70% of mean score. Target group were 12 of grade 5 students from one primary school, located in Mahasarakham province, Thailand. The research tools were 2 spirals of lesson plan and community-based science learning organization, observational tools were 2 sets of 30-multiple choice test of scientific habits of mind, 10 items of 5-rating scale of scientific habits of mind questionnaire, and students’ interview form towards community-based learning. Mean, standard deviation, and percentage were employed for data analysis. The findings pointed that first spiral of learning organization, students had 82.92% of mean score. The second spiral of learning organization, students had 90.83% of mean score. It can be concluded that community-based learning help students to gain their scientific habits of mind.

External fishing effort regulates positive effects of no-take marine protected areas

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been established across the globe to mitigate the effects of multiple stressors on marine communities. In many locations, MPAs have generated positive effects on fish communities, but the impacts of fishing pressure—the primary stressor MPAs seek to manage—have not been well investigated. We examined changes in fish biomass inside and outside of no-take MPAs over 14 years in central California, USA. Using data from the community-based science program, the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program, we tested which environmental and human-induced stressors most influence the strength of MPA responses. While temperature and productivity were included in the best fit model, we found that fine-scale fishing effort data, following reserve implementation, best explained the spatial variation in fish community responses to MPAs. Specifically, differences in fish biomass between MPAs and sites open to fishing were larger for reserves near heavily fished locations and these areas exhibited the highest rate of change in fish biomass, indicating strong positive effects of the MPA on the most heavily exploited fish communities. As MPAs continue to be used as a prominent conservation strategy in coastal systems, managers should consider both the suite of human-induced (socio-ecological interactions) and environmental conditions that may alter MPA success as well as establish long-term monitoring programs to fully assess the functionality of marine reserves into the future.

Media-multitasking and cognitive control across the lifespan

The exponential rise in technology use over the past decade, and particularly during the COIVD-19 pandemic, has been accompanied by growing concern regarding the consequences of this technology use for our cognition. Previous studies on the influence of technology-multitasking (the use of two or more technologies simultaneously) on cognitive performance have provided mixed results. However, these past studies have generally ignored the considerable developmental trajectories that cognitive abilities undergo across the lifespan. In a large community-based science project we investigated the relationship between media-multitasking and cognitive flexibility (multitasking ability) in participants aged 7–70 years. Higher levels of every-day technology multitasking were associated with higher levels of multitasking performance across an age range in which multitasking ability undergoes developmental change. These findings suggest that age is an important moderator of the relationship between technology use and cognition.

PENGUATAN EKONOMI MASYARAKAT DESA MELALUI EKONOMI KREATIF BERBASIS ECOFRIENDLY DI DESA SULANGAI, PETANG, BADUNG

The tourism industry is the driving force behind the province of Bali's economic growth. Tourism development, on the other hand, is still concentrated in southern Bali. This leads to economic inequity in Bali's province. Sulangai Village is one of the villages in Badung Regency, Bali Province, that has begun to build its economy by using ecotourism as a means of improving its people's economic situation. However, many people in Sulangai Village continue to rely only on agriculture as a source of income due to the village's limited tourism opportunities. Village development must also be backed up with a reliable source of village income. To be able to create the economy from the smallest level, namely the family, various strata of the village community must be empowered. This will be attempted to be implemented in the form of community-based science and technology service activities. The village administration of Sulangai plays an essential role since, as a result of local autonomy, the village is no longer the aim of development but the development itself. As a result, the activity's goal is to stress community empowerment by teaching the concept of a creative economy based on environmental sustainability. This activity plan will also include plans for the creation of Village-Owned Enterprises and cooperatives as a way for locals to put their empowerment into action and become a driving force in Sulangai Village's economy. Then, in order for this action to have a substantial influence, it is required to examine the Village Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMDes) and have it implemented in the following year's village revenue and spending budget.

Middle-School Student Engagement in a Tick Testing Community Science Project.

Simple SummaryLyme disease is a common tickborne illness endemic to many countries, including the United States. Scientists have a role to play in disseminating public health knowledge to decrease the prevalence of tickborne disease, which can include encouraging preventive behaviors and recognizing the early signs of the disease. Middle-school students are at significant risk of developing Lyme disease and an ideal population to engage in community-based science, since these experiences provide valuable opportunities for career explorations and to extend the students’ understanding of science. Our work shows that the students can meaningfully contribute to research by generating samples that can be used to test whether the ticks contain pathogens.Studies of tickborne illness have benefited from interactions between scientists and community members. Most participants in community science projects are well-educated adults, but there are anticipated benefits from engaging younger students in research. We evaluated whether an outreach experience for rural middle-school students promoted student interest in science and resulted in the generation of samples that could be used for tick testing to assess disease risk. Middle-school students from 78 Wisconsin communities developed interdisciplinary hypotheses about the spread of Lyme disease, identified ticks, and extracted DNA from ticks to assess the prevalence of pathogens Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophillium, and Babesia microti. As a result of this intervention, students were able to successfully complete the research protocol and explain the rationale for completing the experiment. Of student participants, 84.7% reported no difficulty completing the protocol, 66% of the student samples gave reliable PCR results, and 76% of students reported interest in participating in similar experiments. Our study shows that tick outreach programs that incorporate community-based science promote knowledge about Lyme disease, facilitate engagement between students and scientists, and generate samples that can be successfully utilized for pathogen testing.

Challenges and competencies of entrepreneurial leaders in driving innovation at DIY laboratories

ABSTRACT Do-It-Yourself laboratories (DIY labs) are autonomous community-based science research spaces that facilitate creative experiments independently in an unstructured location. The research on do-it-yourself (DIY) laboratories is emerging and there remain various questions to answer about the structure, leadership style, innovation strategies and environmental and public safety policies of DIYs. Keeping in view various challenges of DIY labs, this study theoretically highlights the challenges of DIY labs and competencies required for DIY leaders in coping with challenges and driving innovation. Drawing on existing literature of entrepreneurial leadership competencies, this paper proposes a comprehensive entrepreneurial leadership competency model comprising of personal, functional, interpersonal, technological, ethical and environmental competencies. This study offers insights into the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and DIY innovation, thus laying a foundation for further research in this domain. The competency model proposed in this study helps individuals to understand and learn the capabilities of becoming more effective DIY entrepreneurial leaders and foster innovation and creativity in DIY labs.

Pengembangan Usaha Produk Perikanan Yang Bernilai Tambah Dari Hasil Samping Tulang Ikan Dan Daging Bagi Masyarakat Sekitar Pondok Pesantren Almurrabby Kabupaten Kubu Raya

The training for the application of science and technology was carried out in the community around the Al Murrabby Islamic Boarding School, Sungai Rengas Village, Kubu Raya Regency with the aim of providing insight into the processing of fishery products. This can be seen from the condition of the fish cultivated by ponds in the village of Sungai Rengas. It is seen that they are sometimes underutilized optimally and are not handled and just left alone. Through the community-based science and technology transfer program (PPM), it is hoped that the community's understanding of the development of fishery products can increase, besides that the potential of marine catch and aquaculture fisheries are optimally utilized and community income will increase. PPM activities carried out include 1) counseling / lecturing activities, 2) Product processing practices / training / demonstrations, 3) Activity modules and guidelines, and 4) Monitoring and evaluation of the results of training activities. The results of this activity can be seen from the results of the questionnaire which shows that after receiving the training the participants are very enthusiastic and have the desire to open their own business in the hope of increasing their income and welfare. It is hoped that this activity will be sustainable, such as the development of processed other fishery products, community assistance both in technology transfer and development of production facilities as well as easy access to capital assistance.
 Keywords : processing of by-products, training / counseling, increasing income