This report reflects on the past, present, and potential future of community and citizen science (CCS) in the Elwha River watershed, with particular focus on the years before and after a major restoration event: the removal of two dams that had impacted the river system for a century. We ask: how does CCS feature in the Elwha story and how could it feature? We use the term CCS to reference the broad range of ways in which members of the public might participate in authentic science and monitoring processes, including students and both paid and unpaid interns: participants are individuals contributing to scientific projects without prior formal training in the topic. We present insights about Elwha CCS from an academic literature review and discussions with scientists and many others that have been working in the Elwha. We found that the history of CCS on the Elwha is important but understated, with few scientific papers acknowledging support by volunteers of various kinds. Recent and ongoing CCS projects on the Elwha tend to be focused on biological phenomena, and most are associated with educational opportunities (across many types of institutions) and paid internships. We also noted that most Elwha CCS projects required volunteers with particular pre-existing skill sets (e.g., botanical knowledge) or time to impart specialized training (e.g. boat use), leading many projects towards engagement with a smaller number of volunteers. Many new projects would broaden public involvement in terms of the opportunities available, and increase the variety of focal topics for research and monitoring. This increased breadth is promising: there are indications that the local community’s interests also range widely, from fish recovery after dam removal to dam removal impacts on humans. Elwha CCS projects have encountered some challenges and barriers, including the administrative burden of coordinating volunteers and managing liability concerns. But Elwha ScienceScape scientists are committed to the value that CCS brings both to the research itself as well as to those who participate in these projects. CCS can be a way to increase equity in science and engage people who would not otherwise participate in research, and in many cases the research simply wouldn’t be possible without their help. Support with project administration, volunteer management, and data management could help in expanding CCS efforts and broadening their inclusivity. More systematic tracking of CCS projects to assess how they contribute to research and to community and participant benefit could be helpful in establishing and maintaining a long-term CCS strategy in the Elwha.
Involving the public in watershed research and monitoring through a community and citizen science approach offers project funders and partners the opportunity to gather important data about target environmental parameters and build and sustain community engagement in watershed restoration. The UC Davis Center for Community and Citizen Science has developed this manual to guide groups in their planning and implementation of community and citizen science activities for dam removal and for river restoration more generally. This document is based on the experience of the authors and a wealth of academic publications and other literature, including resources from many other community and citizen science programs that have tackled challenges related to volunteer monitoring in watersheds. The manual includes guidance on: deciding whether community and citizen science is appropriate for your project, given your goals and context; how to build a team with the capacity to support the project, and identifying roles within that team; how to design a monitoring project while balancing scientific rigor, feasibility, and participation; details that arise with on-the-ground implementation; and how to sustain projects in the long term and ensure that their results are useful for the original goals of the project.
Environmental monitoring is an important component of dam removal and watershed restoration. One way to meet the need for environmental monitoring is to involve local communities and organizations through citizen science. Citizen science can help to gather important data about changes in a watershed, while also building and sustaining community engagement in watershed restoration. We have developed a comprehensive Manual to support planning and implementation of citizen science activities in the context of dam removal and watershed restoration. This Quick Guide summarizes the key recommendations found in the main document (found at https://doi.org/10.58076/C6159T). You can use this guide as a starting point, and then delve in further to explore the Manual’s detailed considerations for the different stages of, and types of, citizen science, and to connect with additional resources that can help you plan a project.
