BioWaWi’s citizen science project invites everyone who enjoys spending time in nature to participate.

On Wednesday, November 29, 2023, on SWR Aktuell Baden-Württemberg (starting at 15:45)  and on SWR Kultur, and on Thursday, November 30, 2023, on NANO (starting around the 21-minute mark), the Citizen Science Forum was featured.

TV segments:

• SWR Aktuell Baden-Württemberg: Broadcast at 7:30 p.m. on November 29, 2023 | ARD media library (starting at 15:45) 
• NANO, November 30, 2023: Opening report from COP28 – 3sat media library (starting around the 21-minute mark)

Radio segment:

• How Going for a Walk Helps Science – SWR Kultur

Online article:

• Citizen Science – Walking for Science – SWR Wissen

Sign up if you’d like to record animal sounds with your cell phone and make the data available to scientists. You can register and get more information at biowawi∂dialogik-expert.de or by calling 0711-81046166.

We are seeking a student academic assistant (BA) to provide support for the “BioWaWi – Biodiversity and Water Management” project—funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)—in the division of innovative biodiversity monitoring using a smartphone app.

We are seeking a student academic assistant to support the BioWaWi citizen science subproject, to start as soon as possible. The position requires up to 50 hours per month.

You can find more information here:
Job Posting

Application:
Please send your application (cover letter and resume) as soon as possible, but no later than July 7, 2023, to: biowawi∂dialogik-expert.de
For more information about the position, please contact Dr. Gisela Wachinger, Tel. 0176-48844169

Citizen science literally means “citizen science.” In citizen science projects, citizens are invited to participate directly in science and research and to contribute their interests and ideas. Citizen scientists can get involved in many divisions and scientific topics—such as species monitoring and biodiversity research, as seen here!

The BioWaWi project is investigating the impact of the water cycle on biodiversity in the watershed served by Stadtwerke Bühl. Stadtwerke Bühl is responsible for the water supply in the region stretching from the Rhine Valley up into the Black Forest. The target is to develop an environmental management system for water supply that preserves and promotes biodiversity. The availability of clean water can also be viewed as a “service” provided by natural ecosystems, which is where the concept of “ecosystem services” comes from. Conversely, the various ecosystems—each with their own unique animals and plants—depend on the supply of water. So how can we protect and preserve these habitats, which are equally important for both people and nature? The BioWaWi project and its associated citizen science subproject are dedicated to addressing this and other questions!

The sounds that animals make are the starting point for our citizen science subproject: Citizens are invited to use their smartphones to record the calls, songs, and croaks of wild animals in various landscapes and upload them to a map of Europe. This creates sound profiles that are typical of each habitat. For example, a forest sounds different from an orchard meadow, a marsh sounds different from a drained cornfield, and rivers and lakes also have their very own acoustic characteristics. This is due to the birds, frogs, toads, crickets, and grasshoppers found in these different habitats, whose songs, sounds, and calls we hear. In this way, the audio recordings can serve as a reflection of the various landscape types.

In the first phase of the scientific project, the audio recordings will be classified into different habitats and landscape types (e.g., forest, field, or city) using artificial intelligence. Based on the animal sounds, it should then be possible to draw conclusions about the condition of the habitat. This is based on the assumption that soil moisture also determines the quality of the habitat for animals and plants. For example, animal and plant species that live in water-rich habitats differ from those that live in drier areas. Take the “marsh grasshopper,” a species of grasshopper, for instance: it can be recognized by the “song” it produces with its wings. This sounds completely different from the “song” of the “common grasshopper,” which is found in all types of meadows, or that of the “nightingale grasshopper,” which “sings” in dry, nutrient-poor meadows. Therefore, if soil moisture content determines the habitat type, differences in sound profiles should result depending on moisture parameters.

Here are some audio recordings made in our study area!

The target of this citizen science project is to develop a species monitoring system based on sound patterns that can be used by citizens and that yields scientifically reliable results. If soil moisture levels change—for example, due to drought events—the species monitoring system is designed to detect changes in sound patterns and, consequently, in species composition that are linked to changes in moisture levels. In this way, early protective measures regarding water management can be taken to protect the affected areas from drought or desiccation.

Anyone can use their smartphone to make audio recordings for our project! We’re especially looking for recordings from the Bühl area—from the Rhine Valley to the Black Forest—but we’d also love to hear from all over Germany and Europe! In the city, in the village, in fields, meadows, and forests—wherever you happen to be and hear something wonderfully natural. This could be birds, frogs, toads, crickets, or grasshoppers. To participate, all you have to do is download the free “Dawn Chorus” app from BIOTOPIA onto your smartphone (from major app stores) or here:  

https://dawn-chorus.org// .

No prior knowledge is required, and each recording takes just one minute. If many people participate in this citizen science project, this method could revolutionize species monitoring! To achieve this, we need a large number of audio recordings—so we appreciate every single one!

1. Hold the phone as steady as possible and tap “Single Shot”—the recording will be saved automatically after one minute.

2. You can select bird species. However, recordings without this information are just as valuable!

3. What kind of landscape are you currently in? If you select “other habitat,” you can describe the landscape yourself.

4. Enter “Biowawi” as the group name. This lets us know that the recording is part of our animal calls project.

5. If you want to add a photo, please take it facing the direction from which you heard the animal.

6. Click “Save” or “Upload.” DONE! You can also upload it later if you have a good internet connection.

The audio recordings, which are captured using the “Dawn Chorus” app from our partner BIOTOPIA, are analyzed by our partner MicroDoc (https://www.microdoc.com) using artificial intelligence and assigned to specific habitat types.

This allows everyone to contribute to monitoring biodiversity and to immediately see and hear their own results on the Dawn Chorus map.
In a co-design process together with the participating citizen scientists, we are also determining how participants would like to receive, use, and publish the results: They are involved in every step, from the methodological design to the analysis and application of the results. The target is to provide participants with immediate, location-specific information about the biodiversity of the various habitat types in the future.

Here are some videos that were also recorded outside the study area.

Do you have any questions or would you like to participate in our citizen science project? If so, please feel free to contact us! 

Email : biowawi ∂does-not-exist.dialogik-expert de,
Phone : +49 711 3585 2167
Links : https://www.buergerschaffenwissen.de/projekt/biowawi-biodiversitaet-und-wasserwirtschaft