On 9 October, the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project, coordinated by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action, took part in the event ‘Citizen Science: preparing for a collaborative future in research’, organised by the Vice-Presidency of the Regional Government of the Azores, through the Regional Directorate for Science, Innovation and Development, in partnership with the Rede Portuguesa de Ciência Cidadã.

The event brought together researchers, stakeholders, and representatives from the Sistema Científico e Tecnológico dos Açores, providing a forum to share experiences, best practices, and methodologies for public engagement in science.

During the presentation entitled “Citizen Science: everyone protecting the nature of the Azores – The role of LIFE IP AZORES NATURA in the early detection of invasive species and community engagement”, the contribution that every citizen can make to the conservation of Azorean biodiversity through recording and sharing nature observations was highlighted.

The presentation highlighted the importance of Citizen Science as a fundamental tool for: i) increasing knowledge about the Azores’ biodiversity; ii) supporting the monitoring of the territory; iii) contributing to the early detection of invasive alien species; iv) bringing science closer to society; and v) promoting active community participation in nature conservation.

Through platforms such as iNaturalist, members of the public, researchers, and organisations responsible for environmental management can collaborate to gather relevant information, contributing to more informed decision-making and strengthening the protection of Azorean ecosystems.

The LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project would like to thank the organisation for the invitation and the opportunity to share its experience, highlighting the importance of collaboration between the scientific community, environmental management bodies and society at large in tackling the challenges of nature conservation in the Azores. With the financial support of the LIFE Programme of the European Union.