Citizen science is an opportunity for EPA and the public to work together towards the protection of human health and the environment. Citizen science allows participants to gain a deeper understanding of their environment, builds an informed population that can advocate for environmental protection, and allows diverse individuals to use their curiosity and talents to advance environmental science and technology in meaningful ways. However, integrating these transformational approaches into EPA work is challenging due to bureaucracy, biases about data quality, and the complexities of a regulatory agency. In addition to addressing the challenges, this talk will outline efforts towards supporting citizen science at the EPA, both for EPA scientists and for the use of citizen science data for EPA work. This includes support for internal projects with administrative and legal issues and recent advice and recommendations from the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology that advocate for the full support and integration of citizen science in Agency work.<br/>

Environmental protection belongs to the public: Citizen science at EPA

254th National Meeting (2017)

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