ABOUT THE PROJECT
The project is structured around three main pillars — engagement, data and policy — and moves forward through three phases: mapping, consolidating and scaling.
It also uses people’s connection with nature as a cross-cutting element to encourage broader and more sustained citizen participation.
The solutions developed will be tested and scaled through practical case studies in different European ecosystems.
THRIVE (Towards a Harmonised landscape that expands the Role of citizen science in biodIVersity & Ecosystem services monitoring) is a Horizon Europe project bringing together 16 European organisations with the aim of strengthening and harmonising the role of citizen science in biodiversity and ecosystem observation, and enabling data generated through citizen science to contribute systematically to official biodiversity and ecosystem monitoring systems and to European environmental policy.
Europe hosts numerous citizen science initiatives generating valuable biodiversity data, but the landscape remains fragmented. Initiatives use different tools, methodologies, standards and data flows; sustaining long-term participation is difficult; and citizen science data is still used unevenly in official monitoring systems and public decision-making. THRIVE aims to move from this fragmented landscape toward a more coordinated, interoperable, scalable system connected to public policy.
PROJECT FEATURES
Type of project: European
Duration: 36 months (01/09/2026 – 31/08/2029)
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
- Expand participation in citizen science, identifying barriers and engaging groups whose participation is currently limited, including vulnerable groups, through participation approaches adapted around people’s connection with nature.
- Unify and connect the European actors involved in citizen science and biodiversity monitoring (initiatives, citizens, researchers, administrations…) into a more coordinated pan-European network.
- Build actors’ capacity through specific training and learning resources that support the creation and maintenance of quality citizen science initiatives.
- Connect citizen science data with the needs of public policy and official monitoring systems, linking citizen observations to indicators, regulations and frameworks such as the Habitats Directive, nature restoration legislation, and international biodiversity commitments.
- Identify, organise and harmonise tools, protocols, technologies, standards and good practices for the collection, validation, storage, exchange and reuse of biodiversity data, promoting more interoperable and FAIR systems.
- Demonstrate and scale these approaches in seven real-world case studies across different ecosystems to test which methodologies, tools and data flows work, and how they can be transferred or expanded.
IBERCIVIS’S ROLE
Ibercivis leads the identification, analysis, harmonisation and practical application of tools and methodologies focused on data acquisition and management, including AI-based tools, that help make data generated through citizen science more interoperable, reusable and useful for biodiversity monitoring and public policy.
Ibercivis also takes part in activities related to FAIR data management, training on data publication and reuse, and tools designed to connect the capabilities of citizen science initiatives with the needs of policymakers.
OUR ACTIVITIES
- Develop a roadmap on tools, protocols, technologies and standards currently used in citizen science for biodiversity observation, particularly those related to data acquisition and management, through mapping, classification and evaluation in the case studies.
- Explore the use of artificial intelligence through RAG to: i) analyse the knowledge gathered, compare tools and protocols, and support the harmonisation of data collection and management processes; ii) develop a match-making tool between citizen science and biodiversity policy to identify which citizen science resources can address specific policy needs.
- Take part in consultations and co-design processes to identify the needs of users and professionals.
- Contribute to training on biodiversity data management in line with FAIR practices, for projects, data managers and developers.
