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14 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 6 FEBRUARY 2019 CULĊTURE NATURE DECEMBER 1900 marked the first ever "Christmas Bird Count" in the USA. Its aim was to get people counting bird species rather than killing them and it's now an annual tradition. Every year on a specific day between 14 December and 5 January, thou- sands of ordinary citizens gather together in more than 2,000 loca- tions across the Western hemi- sphere to count birds. The data these volunteers collect is given to conservation biologists who use it to assess bird populations' health and observe long-term trends. This is probably the earliest recorded example of 'citizen sci- ence'. The term 'citizen science' is used in many ways. In its broad sense, citizen science is about sci- entists collaborating with mem- bers of the public in scientific projects. This gives people who are not traditionally involved in doing science and gathering data, the opportunity to become active contributors to real science. Successful scientific studies rely on evidence collected in re- search. This is no less so for bio- diversity conservation projects. We need to understand where the species we want to protect lives, how and when it repro- duces, what it eats and where it migrates to before we can find a way to protect it. Citizen science provides an opportunity to gath- er large amounts of information that would otherwise be impos- sible to collect because of time constraints and limited resourc- es. Citizen science thus gives us the ability to expand research taxonomically, geographically and temporally. Although citizen science cur- rently has a supportive role in conservation and ecology, an increasing number of research- ers are recognising its benefits and are working with citizen scientists. This is just as true in Malta as it is elsewhere in the world. More and more people in Malta are becoming citizen scientists,and the benefits are huge both for them as individu- als and for science on the islands. In Malta, Green House volun- teers monitor and record data on orchids and bees while out on nature walks. They also monitor and record bat sightings by going on night walks in towns and vil- lages or simply from the comfort of their own backyard by using specially provided bat detectors. Data from these citizen science projects are actively contributing to local biodiversity databases and distribution maps. But the contribution of citizen science goes beyond just gath- ering or unravelling data. En- thusiastic volunteers also bring their own computer equipment and technological skills to assist with number crunching and data analysis. They fill in knowledge gaps by providing scientists with extra hands, eyes, computers, cameras, smartphones and vehi- cles. However, like any scientific tool, there are limits to what citi- zen science can accomplish. Cit- izen science can get complicated when there are large groups of people involved and it requires a considerable amount of manage- ment from organisation to skills training. Not surprisingly, criti- cism of this kind of collabora- tive scientific research normally revolves around the accuracy or quality of data collected by people who are not experts in a scientific field. Inclusivity is also a particular challenge when it comes to citizen science pro- jects. It can be difficult to involve people who don't have their own transport or access to smart- phones, computers and internet. Yet despite its challenges and limitations, citizen science plays an important role in global con- servation initiatives. It can in- spire people to take an interest in science and enthuse young people about careers in science. It is also a practical, hands on way of engaging the public in sci- ence which directly affects their physical environment, bridging the gap between society and the scientific community. By giving the wider society the opportu- nity to be part of the scientific process, citizen science serves as an educational tool for peo- ple to become more scientifi- cally literate. This creates more knowledgeable and construc- tive dialogue between experts and non-experts. which is what makes citizen science, above all, a vital step towards democratis- ing science. Anyone can start contributing to the conservation of the local flora and fauna by joining any of the research projects being con- ducted by Green House. More information can be found on green.uom@gmail.com. Citizen Science – Science with, for and by the people TODAY BirdLife Malta and Nature Trust-FEE Malta yesterday teamed up to commemorate World Wetlands Day (WWD), an international awareness day which occurs annually on this date and marks the date of the adoption of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands on 2 February, 1971. Established to raise awareness about the value of wetlands for humanity and the planet, WWD was celebrated for the first time in 1997 and has grown re- markably since then. The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ram- sar on the shores of the Caspian Sea and the theme for 2019 is "Wetlands and Climate Change". Every natural habitat which is in regu- lar contact with significant volumes of water may be considered as a wetland. Wetlands around the world provide important services to humans and the environment whilst also providing a home to thousands of species of plants, insects, birds, mammals, and fish. Glob- ally, wetlands have provided home to very rare species and also are particular- ly important for birds, especially during migration. These habitats provide much needed food, water and shelter during the arduous spring and autumn bird mi- gration. Locally, these are home to the endemic Maltese Killifish (Aphanius fascatius, Bużaqq in Maltese) which has a very restricted range. Apart from these reserves, this fish used to be found also at the Marsa port, although today it has been eradicated due to infrastructural works which were carried out on site. In Malta, wetland habitats are scarce however both Nature Trust-FEE Malta and BirdLife Malta manage a number of these habitats including Il-Ballut ta' Marsaxlokk and Il-Magħluq ta' Mar- saskala which are managed by Nature Trust-FEE Malta; and Salina, Simar and Għadira Nature Reserves managed by BirdLife Malta, thus ensuring the ongo- ing protection and conservation of these important sites. Apart from their environmental im- portance these wetlands are particularly important as they absorb rainwater, re- duce flooding and provide other impor- tant services for free, otherwise known as ecosystem services". Wetlands such as those managed by BirdLife Malta are open to the public to enjoy. Simar and Għadira Nature Re- serves are open throughout the winter months during weekends whilst Salina is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Entry to all the sites is free and there is no need to book to visit. Il-Magħluq ta' Marsaskala is also open 24 hours a day and the public is encour- aged to visit at any point to enjoy this unique open space. Il-Ballut ta' Marsax- lokk is open to the general public and the public is advised to stick to the exist- ing footpaths. Both sites have been handed over to Nature Trust-FEE Malta since October and thus conservation works are just starting. Nature Trust-FEE Malta en- courages anyone who wants to help out with these sites to reach out via the con- tact details on the website. BirdLife Malta and Nature Trust-FEE Malta celebrate World Wetlands Day