CITIZEN SCIENCE
​

Citizen science is not new - the first formal record we have is from the Japanese imperial courts in Kyoto. They have been recording cherry blossom festivals since the 9th century AD. Many scientists have used these records to track climate change. There is also a long history of citizen science in the natural world and space. We have learned a lot from amateur astronomers, ecologists and geologists. You can do citizen science in many ways: share information, ask questions, do experiments or analyse data. It all depends on the project.
​

The Caomhnú Project

The Caomhnú project is a type of citizen science. Citizen science is a way for everyone to get involved with real scientific research. The word 'real' is important here, as citizen science creates new knowledge. In a world where we rely more and more on different types of information, knowledge is very valuable. Official organisations like the European Union, the United Nations and UNESCO recognise this. They think citizen science plays an important role in understanding our changing world. It gives everyone a way to contribute and take part in the decision making processes.​ 

Caomhnú is Irish for the conservation of history, culture and nature. Ireland has a long and rich history of storytelling.
​ ​

Share your Story!

Take part in the Caomhnú project through the link above and share your stories of climate change and climate action. Caomhnú is Irish for the conservation of history, culture and nature. Ireland has a long and rich history of storytelling. Yet rural voices are often underrepresented in conversations about climate. We want to centre rural communities as they already see the impact of climate change around the world.

Caomhnú was created after learning from rural community members in the ROAM project. They shared important stories of experiences and adaptations in response to the climate. They also really valued the chance to learn from each other.
​

​Building on this, we want to track big and small changes in the climate in rural communities. We want to learn about your experiences of local climate action. Your stories will provide important insights into your experiences of the climate. We will share these with policy makers and other stakeholders. Your stories will also enable us to create a map to share climate impacts and actions. 

Tell us stories about your experiences of climate change, climate action. We also want to know how you would like your community to adapt to the climate. We want to hear from people living in Irish rural communities. We welcome stories in English or as Gaeilge. You can take part by sharing stories with our team at our shows or online via our website. You can tell your own story or we can get a storyteller to retell it for you. No training is necessary. 

By taking part, you will have priority access to our interactive map. This will share the stories, as well as actions and resources that you can explore. Your stories will also help create a resource that will help others take action in their own lives. We will share our results online through the ‘We Built This City on Rock and Coal’ website. You will be able to access the map and we will also share any publications or reports that we write for this project. We will also make a video, including some of the stories, and will share this online too. All participants will be acknowledged in any outputs or publications from the project.
​