On 4 November 2025, from 11:00 to 16:00, the University of Tartu Library will host the conference “Unified Data Space for Estonian Nature II: Citizen Science Data”, which will also be streamed live via UTTV.

The conference is organised by the Environmental Committee of the Estonian Academy of Sciences in cooperation with NATARC, a project of the Estonian Research Infrastructure Roadmap.

The previous conference, held in 2024, addressed the question of how biodiversity and geoscience research data collected in Estonia could be integrated into a unified, publicly accessible data space for both national and international use. A key initiative in this process has been the creation of the biodiversity and geoscience data space (natarc.ut.ee), developed jointly by universities and state institutions, and linked to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). A significant share of the archived and published data originates from citizen scientists.

This year’s conference will highlight the role of citizen science in data collection, exploring its opportunities, challenges, and future perspectives. Citizen participation enables the gathering of extensive and diverse datasets that research institutions alone could not compile, yet which are of immense value for informed environmental decision-making. At the same time, citizen science brings research closer to the public: it popularises scientific methods, raises environmental awareness, and shapes participants’ attitudes. Equally important is its educational value, offering young people hands-on experience with scientific research.

More information: https://www.akadeemia.ee/sundmused/konverents-eesti-looduse-uhtne-andmeruum-ii-harrastusteaduse-andmed/