Over the course of this session we will go through, together with its protagonists, social organizations, neighborhood groups and universities, concrete experiences in which citizen science has been placed at the service of real problems. From the memory of environmental pollution in La Almozara (Zaragoza), to the neighborhood relationships and participatory processes developed in Las Fuentes (Zaragoza) and in San Matías (Tenerife). A journey that combines the conceptual framework developed in collaboration with Fundación Ibercivis and the Universidad de Zaragoza, with direct testimonies from those who have driven different processes from within the territory.

The aim is to share knowledge, learnings, methodologies and common challenges, understanding Citizen Science not only as a methodological tool, but, above all, as a way of weaving community and of putting knowledge at the service of those who inhabit the territories.

Registration: click here.

Citizen science with a community accent

Monday, 13 July 2026

5:30 pm to 8:00 pm (4:30 pm to 7:00 pm in the Canary Islands)

Program:

5:30 pm | 4:30 pm Presentation of the training

5:45 pm | 4:45 pm Inspiring framework and discussion

Citizen science with a community accent

Ms. Maite Pelacho López

Citizen Science Observatory in Spain

Fundación Ibercivis

6:25 pm | 5:25 pm Break I (5′)

6:30 pm | 5:30 pm Inspiring experience

Learning about the environmental pollution legacy of La Almozara (Zaragoza)

Mr. Óscar Pueyo Anchuela, resident of La Almozara, Beagle Research Group, Universidad de Zaragoza | Mr. Jorge Sánchez Aguilar, Ebro de La Almozara Neighborhood Association

6:50 pm | 5:50 pm Inspiring experience

ParticipaBarrio: Las Fuentes (Zaragoza)

Ms. Virginia Pellejero Lavega, Fundación El Tranvía | Mr. Chabier Gimeno Monterde, Universidad de Zaragoza

7:10 pm | 6:10 pm Inspiring experience

ParticipaBarrio: San Matías (Tenerife)

Ms. Concepción Casanova Gaspar and Ms. Gara Darias García, La Montaña de San Matías Neighborhood Association | Mr. Vicente Manuel Zapata Hernández, Universidad de La Laguna

7:30 pm | 6:30 pm Break II (5′)

7:35 pm | 6:35 pm Questions and dialogue among participants

7:50 pm | 6:50 pm Conclusions

This training has been organized by Vicente Manuel Zapata Hernández (Universidad de La Laguna) with the collaboration of Fundación Ibercivis through the Citizen Science Observatory in Spain.

La entrada Online Training with the Universidad de La Laguna and Ibercivis: Citizen Science with a Community Accent se publicó primero en Fundación Ibercivis.

From Ibercivis we invite you to the Presentation Event of the new web portal of the Citizen Science Observatory in Spain, with which we want to give a new boost to citizen science at the national level and across the different territories.

The event will be chaired by the Rector of the Universidad de Zaragoza and president of Fundación Ibercivis, Rosa Bolea, and will also include representation from the entities that make up the Board of Trustees of Ibercivis.

In addition to the rector’s presentation, the event will include a moderated dialogue on the evaluation of citizen science in research, a presentation on a success case, the launch of the new portal ciencia-ciudadana.es, its new features and its integration with the European platform citizenscience.eu.

The event will also include the official announcement of the 1st Citizen Science Congress in Spain, scheduled for 2027.

It will close with a reception for attendees.

• Date: Wednesday, 15 July 2026
• Time: 11:00 to 12:30
• Format: In person and online
• Venue: Aula Magna, Paraninfo Building, Universidad de Zaragoza

Whether you wish to attend in person or remotely, please register through the following registration form. Here is the link for online access.

We ask that you extend this invitation to members of your team or to anyone you think may be interested. Thank you very much.

We hope to be able to greet you personally in Zaragoza or virtually.

La entrada Presentation of the new platform of the Citizen Science Observatory in Spain. 15/07/2026 se publicó primero en Fundación Ibercivis.

The gathering, organized within the framework of the agreement between the Nuclear Safety Council and Fundación Ibercivis, will review the project’s scientific results and open a space for discussion on citizen science and radiological protection culture.

Register here to attend the event in person

Register here to attend online

The event will take place at the headquarters of the Nuclear Safety Council, in Madrid, from 10:30 to 14:00. The day will open with remarks from Francisco Castejón, a member of the CSN Council, followed by an overview of the project by Francisco Sanz, director of Fundación Ibercivis.

Next, Nacho Sáez will present the results of the hackathons held during the project, with subsequent participation from people who took part in them. After the coffee break, Arturo Vargas, from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, will present the sensor and metrology aspects, and the TTN Madrid community will explain how to connect an individual’s own device to Openred through The Things Network.

The second part of the morning will open with a talk on the measurement campaigns, given by Luis Quindós, from the Universidad de Cantabria, with testimonies from those who took part in them. Olga Varela, from Fundación Ibercivis, will present the social aspects of the project, with participation from an educational center. The scientific block will close with two talks on collective intelligence and risk perception, given by Alfonso Tarancón, from the Universidad de Zaragoza, and Roser Sala, from CIEMAT.

Before the closing, Fundación Ibercivis will present the future lines of work opening up based on what has been built in Openred. The event will conclude at 14:00 with closing remarks from Antonio Ortiz, from the CSN, and a group photo with all participants.

Registration is available at this form.

La entrada Openred closes its project with a public event at CSN headquarters on 9 July se publicó primero en Fundación Ibercivis.

The activity brought together more than 60 people from universities, research centers, educational centers, associations, companies and other entities linked to research, science outreach and citizen participation.

The workshop was organized by Fundación Descubre, the Universidad Pablo de Olavide and Fundación Ibercivis within the framework of the Andalucía + Ciencia Ciudadana project, and those registered reflected a wide diversity of experience in citizen science: some were approaching it for the first time, while others were already collaborating in participatory initiatives, managing citizen science projects, or had taken part in previous funding calls.

The session began with an introduction to citizen science, its historical evolution and its main characteristics as a research approach, accompanied by examples of projects, platforms and impacts. This was followed by a review of different funding programs and opportunities at the European and national level, assessing their suitability for integrating citizen science activities.

The core of the workshop was devoted to the elements that determine the design of a solid proposal: the role of citizens and their level of participation, the scope of action, the target audience of the project, the return to participants, data management and ethical aspects. The session also addressed practical questions of drafting and structure — from interpreting calls for proposals and forming consortia to preparing the budget and addressing evaluation criteria — with attention to the particularities that citizen science introduces in each section.

Throughout the session it was emphasized that citizen science cannot be incorporated into a project as a decorative or merely communicative element. For it to carry weight in a competitive proposal, it must be coherently integrated into the objectives, methodology, work plan and expected impacts.

The training closed with a discussion space in which questions mainly revolved around how to articulate citizen participation in different areas of knowledge. For Fundación Ibercivis, this type of activity is part of its work in strengthening capacities for the design of participatory projects and in supporting entities and researchers who want to translate their ideas into rigorous funding proposals with social impact.

La entrada Over 60 people explore how to bring citizen science into competitive proposals se publicó primero en Fundación Ibercivis.

The activity, carried out within the framework of the Life-Nitrazens project, introduced students in 4th, 5th and 6th grade of Primary Education to the issue of nitrates through a sample-collection route at various points around the municipality.

The Villadiego school hosted a new citizen science session as part of the Life-Nitrazens project, in which around 30 students from 4th, 5th and 6th grade of Primary Education took part. The aim of the activity was to introduce students to the importance of knowing about and caring for water quality, as well as to show in a practical way how sample collection is carried out for nitrate analysis.

During the session, students took part in a route around the municipality’s surroundings in which different water points were visited, including a well, a natural spring and the river. Along the route, the schoolchildren were able to learn about the sample-collection procedure, the importance of correctly recording the information associated with each point, and the role that citizens play in generating data useful for better understanding the state of the water.

Students took part hands-on in a demonstration activity on sample collection, which allowed them to become familiar with the equipment and understand the importance of carrying out the process in an orderly and rigorous manner.

In addition, sampling kits were given to some students from nearby towns, so that they could later carry out sample collection together with their parents, siblings or other family members. In this way, the activity was not limited to the classroom, but was conceived as an opportunity to bring citizen science into the family setting and to other nearby localities.

Life-Nitrazens is a European project focused on monitoring nitrates in water through citizen science. Through the participation of citizens, farmers, educational centers and local stakeholders, the project seeks to improve knowledge about the presence of nitrates in the territory and to foster greater awareness of the protection of water resources.

The session held in Villadiego made it possible to bring this issue to students in a simple, participatory way, connected to their immediate surroundings, reinforcing the idea that citizen science can also start at school.

La entrada Citizen science to determine nitrate concentration in water: session at CEIP Fray Enrique Flórez in Villadiego se publicó primero en Fundación Ibercivis.

The balloon reached a maximum altitude of 34,269 meters and landed near Villamayor de Gállego after just over two hours of flight.

The launch took place from the Quinto sports pavilion at 12:34. Educational centers, volunteers, technicians from the collaborating entities, and local members of the public took part in the preparation and setup, closely following the inflation and release of the balloon.

Communication and monitoring systems fitted to the balloon

The capsule carried several instrumentation and tracking systems on board: multiple APRS transmitters, LoRa devices connected to the TTN (The Things Network) network, cameras, a SPOT GEN3 tracker, and pressure and altitude sensors.

Results, distance traveled and balloon monitoring via TTN

The balloon ascended at an average speed of 5.47 m/s, reaching its maximum altitude of 34,269 meters at 14:17, and began its descent assisted by parachute. The maximum fall speed recorded was 84.8 m/s (equivalent to 305 km/h), typical during the depressurization and bursting phase of the balloon. The capsule landed near Villamayor de Gállego at 14:46, in an agricultural area, and was recovered at coordinates 41.698350, -0.761410 at an altitude of 334 meters. Real-time tracking was carried out through various platforms, including predict.sondehub.org, and the signal was received by receivers distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula, reaching TTN gateways located in France and North Africa, which highlights the reach of the LoRa coverage network at high altitudes.

The images obtained during the flight show the curvature of the Earth from the stratosphere, with the Ebro Valley and the surrounding mountain systems visible on the horizon. The altitude, pressure and telemetry data were recorded and are available for analysis.

The #SERVET project is part of the citizen science activity in the stratosphere carried out by the I3A (University Research Institute for Engineering in Aragón) of the University of Zaragoza, with the collaboration of Fundación Ibercivis in communication and outreach, Teconecta on the technological component, and the Ayuntamiento de Quinto as host site and local logistical support.

La entrada The eleventh launch of the #SERVET project reaches an altitude of 34,269 meters from Quinto, Zaragoza se publicó primero en Fundación Ibercivis.

The project, driven by the Nuclear Safety Council and Fundación Ibercivis, consolidates an open data infrastructure that will remain active and public.

Openred comes to an end with a citizen network operating throughout Spain. Over two years, the project has combined various participatory activities, citizen training in radiological protection, and an openly accessible digital platform to build the country’s largest collaborative record of environmental gamma radiation.

What Openred has built in two years

The starting point was instrumental rigor. Before distributing the devices, five detectors were evaluated at the Institute of Energy Technologies of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (INTE-UPC) through five laboratory phases. The selected model, the RadiaCode 102 — with a CsI(Tl) scintillator crystal and spectrometric capability — has been taken by the Openred project to different points across Spanish territory. More than 300 participants have taken measurements using this device.

Building on that instrumental foundation, the network grew through various lines of action. Three hackathons held in Madrid, Zaragoza and Santander, together with participants from Bilbao, brought together 138 people — students, engineers, makers and professionals — to develop hardware, connectivity and data visualization solutions. The winning proposal in Madrid, from the TTN-Moratalaz team, integrates the detectors into The Things Network via LoRa, WiFi and 4G, and is now part of the project’s infrastructure.

In parallel, measurement campaigns have reached various areas of Spain, such as the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Valencia, Salamanca, Badajoz, Melilla, the Moncayo and the GR11, with more than 392 participants measuring their environment with the support of local universities and laboratories acting as ambassadors — including the Universitat de les Illes Balears and the Universidad de La Laguna. In all cases, the data confirmed the environmental normality of the areas measured.

Additionally, more than 20 educational centers, ranging from vocational training programs to master’s degree programs, have incorporated Openred into their classrooms through a teaching unit developed by the project, as well as through training and measurement campaigns. That student data was incorporated into the same public platform via the website or the app (iOS and Android).

The infrastructure continues

The closing of the project does not mean the end of the network. The platform map.open-red.es will remain active and will continue to receive new measurements through the mobile app, available for Android and iOS. Anyone interested in gamma radiation who has a Radiacode 102 device can contribute their data to the collaborative map. In addition, the more than 280,000 georeferenced records are openly available for use in research, education or science outreach.

About Openred

Openred is a citizen science project whose objective is to create an open and collaborative map of environmental gamma radiation levels in Spain, while also promoting citizen culture in radiological protection.

Openred enables citizens to generate scientifically valuable data under a rigorous methodology, favoring the democratization of science — not only in access to it but also in the generation of knowledge.

Openred is an initiative driven by the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) and Fundación Ibercivis, in collaboration with experts from the Centre for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research (CIEMAT), the University of Zaragoza, the University of Cantabria and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.

La entrada Openred closes its initial phase after two years with 800 participants and more than 280,000 environmental gamma radiation measurements in Spain se publicó primero en Fundación Ibercivis.

The four-hour session made it possible to compare how each group’s responses varied when technical information was introduced and measurements were taken with gamma radiation detectors, within the Openred citizen science project.

On 17 June a Collective Intelligence experiment was carried out within the framework of the Openred project using the Kampal platform, in which eleven students from IES Benjamín Jarnés in Fuentes de Ebro (first year of Bachillerato and fourth year of ESO) and four students from IES Matadepera (second year of Bachillerato) took part. The connection between both schools was carried out online, which made it possible to run the activity simultaneously despite the geographical distance.

At IES Benjamín Jarnés the session was led by Francisco Sanz with the support of Asun Iguarbe, from Fundación Ibercivis, and with the collaboration of teacher Adolfo Amella Santolaria. At IES Matadepera, participants included Roser Sala Escarrabill, a researcher at CIEMAT, Olga Varela, from Ibercivis, and teacher Mercè Prieto.

What is collective intelligence?

Collective intelligence is the capacity of a group of people to solve problems more effectively than the most talented individual in the group (Woolley et al., 2010). This capacity, known as “factor c,” resembles a group’s intelligence quotient and depends not only on the ability of its members but, crucially, on how they interact (Gonzalo et al., 2023). Rather than being the simple sum of talents, collective intelligence emerges from coordination, active listening and the ability to build on others’ ideas (Levy, 2002; Surowiecki, 2005).

Collaborative work offers a key advantage: it overcomes the biases and limitations of individual thinking. In a well-designed collective process, participants propose solutions, share them and modify them. This dynamic generates a “wisdom of the crowd effect,” where the diversity of perspectives and interaction among peers makes it possible to filter out weaker ideas and strengthen the soundest ones (Bernstein et al., 2018). By combining individual knowledge with discussion and consensus, collective intelligence becomes an effective method for addressing “grand challenges” — such as radiological protection — turning citizen participation into a source of informed, shared solutions of higher quality than any isolated contribution.

How the session unfolded

The activity was structured in several phases. First, students answered an initial questionnaire on radiological protection through the Kampal IC collective intelligence platform, where each participant can see their group’s proposals and decide whether to adopt them or contribute an idea of their own. When asked for their opinions on this first phase, some groups noted that they would have liked a bit more time to answer.

This was followed by radiological training given by Begoña Pérez, a researcher in Ionizing Radiation Dosimetry at CIEMAT, which served to review key concepts on radiation and its measurement.

After a short break, the groups carried out real measurements of ambient gamma radiation with RadiaCode 102 detectors provided by Ibercivis around the schools. With this data, available on the platform, the collective intelligence experiment was repeated with the same initial questions, in order to observe to what extent the training received and the measurement experience had changed the group’s responses.

When comparing both rounds, the results showed no significant changes in most of the responses, although there was greater precision in the priorities and in the selection of relevant information by the students. This finding invites further exploration of how opinions on radiological protection are formed and maintained even after receiving direct technical information.

The measurements collected during the session were incorporated into the Openred open data platform, where they are integrated alongside the more than 250,000 records contributed at various points across Spain, available for consultation and contextualization.

About Openred

Openred is a citizen science project whose objective is to create an open, collaborative map of ambient gamma radiation levels in Spain, while also promoting citizen culture in radiological protection.

Openred enables citizens to generate scientifically valuable data under a rigorous methodology, favoring the democratization of science — not only in access to it but also in the generation of knowledge.

Openred is an initiative driven by the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) and Fundación Ibercivis, in collaboration with experts from the Centre for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research (CIEMAT), the University of Zaragoza, the University of Cantabria and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.

Bibliography

Gonzalo, A., Sanz-García, F., Varela, O., Rivero, A., Tarancón, A., Pelacho, M., & Moreno, A. (2023). Collective intelligence to find solutions to the challenges posed by the sustainable development goals (No. ART-2023-134500).

Bernstein, E., Shore, J., & Lazer, D. (2018). How intermittent breaks in interaction improve collective intelligence. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(35), 8734-8739.

Lévy, P. (2002). L’intelligenza collettiva. Per un’antropologia del cyberspazio. Feltrinelli.

Surowiecki, J. (2005). The Wisdom of Crowds. Anchor Books.

Woolley, A. W., Chabris, C. F., Pentland, A., Hashmi, N., & Malone, T. W. (2010). Evidence for a collective intelligence factor in the performance of human groups. Science, 330(6004), 686-688.

La entrada Students from Aragón and Catalonia take part in a Collective Intelligence experiment to test collaborative knowledge in radiological protection se publicó primero en Fundación Ibercivis.

These mark the first steps in a citizen science initiative aimed at gaining a better understanding of water quality and the presence of nitrates in rural areas.

The sampling, carried out thanks to public participation in the Santibáñez and Valdehumada valleys, enabled a total of 31 water samples to be collected, mostly from private wells, but also from fountains, water troughs, springs and other supply points, providing valuable information on water resources used in daily life.

Although the activity was initially aimed at people who had previously registered via the project’s website, community involvement has been one of the defining features of these early campaigns, and the response from local residents exceeded the organisers’ expectations. Several people spontaneously joined those already registered in the various localities, demonstrating the existing interest in understanding the quality of the local water they use regularly and in contributing to the generation of environmental knowledge useful for the region.

As well as helping with the collection, participants shared information on the history and traditional use of numerous water sources in the region, providing valuable local context to the data collected.

The samples have been preserved in accordance with the protocols established by the project and transferred to the University of Burgos, where the relevant laboratory analyses are currently being carried out.

Thanks to this network of participants, ambassadors and collection points, the project is beginning to build a detailed map of water quality in the study areas.

The sample collection campaigns will continue until next August in various areas of Castile and León, Aragon and Portugal.

The University of Burgos encourages local residents, associations, local councils, irrigation communities and anyone else interested to join this citizen science initiative. The more samples collected, the more comprehensive and representative the map will be, enabling us to determine the presence of nitrates and the state of water resources in the region.

Those interested can view the study areas and participation options, and register via the sampling campaign page on the website.

La entrada Life-Nitrazens’ first community campaign in Odra-Pisuerga measures nitrate levels in the water se publicó primero en Fundación Ibercivis.

The participating community collaborated in practical workshops and field measurements around Matadero-Medialab.

The TTN-Madrid working group and the Openred project have successfully completed their joint working session. This technical and collaborative meeting has consolidated the progress achieved in environmental monitoring and outlined new pathways for cooperation within the field of citizen science.

During the conference, the TTN-Madrid working group presented an innovative technological solution based on ESP32¹ microcontrollers, which allows gamma radiation values to be sent in real time to the Openred platform. The viability of the system was demonstrated through a live simulation connecting the devices to the Openred platform via TTN’s (The Things Network) LoRaWAN IoT network².

The technological solution of the conference

One of the central axes of the session was the analysis of the prototype’s technical architecture. With the aim of guaranteeing stability in data acquisition, communication between the radiation detector and the controller was resolved through a physical USB connection. This design decision provides high robustness to the system and minimizes electromagnetic interference associated with Bluetooth wireless connectivity.

For efficient management of data flow, the ecosystem integrates a second M5Stack³ microcontroller, in charge of data storage and uploading. Communication between both components is carried out efficiently via SPI serial⁴ connection. This configuration shapes up to be a highly useful solution for the deployment of fixed or stationary networks, also offering great flexibility for the future addition of new sensors.

Field tests and active participation

The session continued with a practical measurement workshop in which attendees could learn firsthand how validated Openred devices measure radiation and actively participated in a phase of real measurements around Matadero-Medialab.

Through the Openred mobile application, the working team transmitted their impressions about the implemented system and opened a technical debate between participants and Openred staff. Among the improvement proposals oriented to the operation of the Openred API, the idea of registering measurements as individual points instead of a continuous track stood out, an adjustment that will increase spatial precision in radiation mapping.

Beyond radiation: Monitoring light pollution

The meeting also served to expand the platform’s horizons. The viability of integrating light pollution indicators into the Openred platform was demonstrated through the use of validated lux meters. This addition widens the spectrum of physical and environmental variables that citizens can monitor in an open, rigorous, and accessible way.

The balance of the session has been highly positive. In addition to making visible the technological development that TTN-Madrid has linked to the Openred project, this meeting establishes the roadmap for future collaborations between both scientific communities, reinforcing the role of open-source technology as a fundamental pillar of collective knowledge.

Glossary of technical terms

• ¹ ESP32: A low-cost and low-consumption chip or microcontroller that includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections. It is one of the most widely used pieces of “open hardware” to create technological prototypes and connect sensors to the internet.
• ² LoRaWAN (and TTN): A wireless network technology specifically designed for the Internet of Things (IoT). It allows devices to send data over long distances with very little battery consumption and without the need to use commercial mobile networks or Wi-Fi. The Things Network (TTN) is the global and open community that supports this network.
• ³ M5Stack: A modular device containing a microcontroller protected by a casing, which usually includes a screen and buttons. It facilitates the quick and safe development of electronic projects without leaving components exposed.
• ⁴ SPI Serial: A communication protocol that functions as an internal short-range “data highway”. It allows two electronic components or microcontrollers that are very close to send information to each other directly, cleanly, and very quickly.
• ⁵ API: Acronym for Application Programming Interface. It is the IT bridge that allows the Openred application to “talk” directly to the website’s database to automatically upload measurements.

About the entities TTN-Madrid and Openred

About TTN-Madrid: Local community linked to The Things Network dedicated to the development and deployment of open, free, and decentralized Internet of Things (IoT) networks using LoRaWAN technology.

About Openred: Citizen science project whose main objective is the creation of an open and collaborative map of environmental radioactivity levels in Spain. Openred seeks to democratize access to science, allowing citizens to generate data of high scientific value under a rigorous methodology, while promoting citizen culture in radiological protection.

Openred is an initiative driven by the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) and the Ibercivis Foundation, in collaboration with experts from the Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), the University of Zaragoza, the University of Cantabria, and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.

La entrada The TTN-Madrid community and the Openred project boost environmental monitoring in their technical conference se publicó primero en Fundación Ibercivis.