Urban Citizen's 6.3.2: monitoring Dublin’s rivers and streams through citizen science

Urban Citizen's 6.3.2 is an ongoing citizen science project, monitoring rivers and streams across the UNESCO Dublin Bay Biosphere. Volunteers from the general public and community groups are trained to conduct regular surveys, that include visual observations, nutrients testing, and macroinvertebrate monitoring. In order to examine geographical and temporal patterns, the project spans over two years and involves four different catchments, that are surveyed monthly. The project aims at filling existing data gaps, detecting unnoticed issues, and ultimately creating a scalable model that can be expanded to other geographical areas for river restoration. Through training workshops, regular interactions and co-creation, volunteers are provided with background knowledge and practical monitoring skills, empowering them to become long-term river stewards. Here, we are presenting insights on the project development, current results, challenges and lessons learnt, and potential outcomes.