There is a large body of research into the experiences of participants in citizen science events, but what about those who organize them? It is largely assumed that the main drive is to gather data. However, organizers may have motivations beyond this.

We examined the experiences of those who organized participation of UK cities in the City Nature Challenge in 2024. We used mixed-methods research, beginning with surveys and following up with semi-structured interviews and written responses from seven organizers across five city regions. We looked at both their personal and professional motivations, the strategies they used to engage participants and the potential outcomes of those communication and engagement techniques.

Using an interactive poster, Smriti will share findings from this research and also lessons from organizing the first City Nature Challenge in York, UK in 2024. This event was inclusive and co-created with multiple stakeholders across the non-profit, academic, corporate and political sectors. The combined stories will initiate reflection and conversation about best practice public engagement with biodiversity citizen science initiatives like City Nature Challenge, and consider how these can be applied to wider environmental citizen science opportunities.