Citizen science is scientific work undertaken by members of the general public, often in collaboration with or under the direction of professional scientists and scientific institutions.
Citizen scientists help with the collection and/or analysis of data. For example, recording observations of animals or plants, identifying animals or plants in photographs, sampling water quality and assessing air quality. As a citizen scientist, you collect valuable scientific data that can make a meaningful impact to scientific research and environmental decision making.
Citizen science involves getting together with like-minded people, and having fun picking up and sharing new skills.
Families, individuals, students, businesses and community groups are all welcome.
You don’t need a science background or technical know-how to take part. All you need is an enquiring mind.
Our vision
Our citizen science projects are part of a growing global movement to meaningfully engage the community in scientific research.
Our vision is to drive this new era of public participation in science by developing collaborative, engaging projects that support scientific research and decision-making.
By working together with the wider community, we can gather robust data to make more informed decisions about how we manage our environment.
More information
- You can look for current activities on VIP online and as an app on iOS and Android.
- Find out about our projects by heading to our Get involved page.