Local community members who on a daily basis observe events in nature are an important source of information. If properly designed and carefully tailored to local issues, participatory monitoring can provide valuable data, cost-effectively and sustainably, while simultaneously building capacity among local constituents and prompting practical and effective management interventions. We work with participatory monitoring in the South, in the Arctic and in Europe. Our work includes:

 

Participatory monitoring for natural resource management. We work with establishing and institutionalizing bottom-up approaches to monitoring and management of biodiversity, natural resources and resource use. With local partners, we design monitoring schemes and we assist in all aspects of their implementation – right from supervising data collection to facilitating change in policy and practice - with the use of the results emanating from the monitoring.

 

Community-based monitoring in the Arctic. We develop capacity among community members and authorities and we raise awareness among professional scientists and decision-makers on the use of indigenous and local knowledge to manage resources in rapidly changing environments such as the Arctic.

 

Monitoring of ‘Payment-for-Ecosystem-Services’ schemes. We test and research community-based approaches for monitoring ecosystem services like carbon and biodiversity values in tropical forests and woodlands. Our work includes participatory MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Review) systems in schemes like REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation).

 

Citizen science in Europe and Denmark. We develop, review and promote citizen science initiatives in Europe and Denmark. With soft-ware developers, we establish and pilot user-friendly IT-based solutions. With the Citizen Science Association in the USA, we research the theory and practice of citizen science. As volunteers we are enrolled in citizen science schemes.

 

Monitoring and evaluation. We undertake monitoring and evaluation of civil society, good governance, agriculture and other projects and programs.