Rescuing Botany: using citizen-science and mobile apps in the classroom and beyond

Abstract

Biodiversity is declining due to the impact of human activities. However, public awareness of the biodiversity crisis is low, particularly for plants, creating a barrier to engage with conservation programs. In this perspective, we show how citizen science and mobile apps can be used as educational tools to raise awareness about plant biodiversity among students and the general public. We examine the outcomes of three Bachelor of Science activities as well as two informal education initiatives. We discuss the potential of these approaches as educational and outreach tools. Our results show that citizen science and mobile apps are excellent tools for engaging society in biodiversity conservation and environmental issues.