Finding Common Ground: Methods For Sustaining Citizen Science Engagement That Increase Indigenous Plant Biodiversity In Southwestern Ontario

Nature-based solutions to address biodiversity loss require supports that reach beyond government grants. The Conservation Impact Bond (CIB) developed by Southwestern Ontario regional conservation charity, Carolinian Canada Coalition, is an example of a novel financial tool to incentivize biodiversity conservation by supporting citizen science.

My research evaluated Carolinian Canada’s In The Zone Tracker and its allied programs. A systematic review of the literature about Canadian citizen science projects provided context.

(1) The ITZ Program reversed plant biodiversity loss at a local level through planting projects that generated a self-reported increase in native species.

(2) Information about citizen science projects was difficult to discover. Academic research into citizen science projects published in peer-reviewed literature creates a more permanent record than web-based, grey literature.

(3) Citizen science projects do not necessarily improve science literacy. Rather, the ITZ tracker helped people to find common values and make positive, evidence-informed differences in their communities.