Curiosity, disappointment, and excitement: the emotional rollercoaster of doing citizen science

Imagine receiving an envelope containing a soil tablet, materials to make a pot and a simple instruction: place it outside, water it regularly, and wait to see what grows in it. 

That is what over 770 people from across the Netherlands did when they signed up to take part in the citizen science project Aanwaaiers. Starting in unison on 5 April, they placed their pots on balconies, in gardens, and on pavements, then watched to see what was blown in by the wind. They were all helping Utrecht University researcher Monique de Jager and her team investigate how easily plants can still spread their seeds through the air in cities.

What participants probably didn’t sign up for was the emotional carousel that followed – akin to what researchers themselves experience before any scientific experiment. 

They’re still just tiny little cotyledons, but it’s a start!

'What will grow in my pot?'

The first messages reached the research team almost immediately: “Our pot is sitting outside in Hoograven, on a balcony on Oud-Wulvenlaan,” one participant wrote. “I’ve placed them in a sunny spot on the pavement outside our house, where they’re nicely exposed to the breeze and the seeds have plenty of chance to be blown in. I’m really looking forward to seeing what surprises are in store,” wrote another.

The experiment had barely begun, yet everyone was filled with curiosity and anticipation. Because what would grow in a pot filled with nothing but soil?

Then came the first signs of success. “The first seedlings were already visible at the start of the week!,”  the caretaker of pot number 1485 said enthusiastically. “They’re still just tiny little cotyledons, but it’s a start!,” reported another participant from Maastricht.

Participants behaved like scientists collecting field data.

For six weeks, participants routinely observed their pots, documented sunlight conditions, watering schedules, and any signs of germination. “Without being asked to, many participants instinctively behaved like scientists collecting field data,” says De Jager proudly. 

When the time was up, researchers invited participants to the Botanical Gardens to hand in their pots and find out which plant seeds had ‘blown in’. Among them were dandelions, chickweed, willowherbs, hairy bittercress, and several grass species.

'Nothing in my pot'

But not every pot produced visible seedlings. “Some participants came to me in disappointment because nothing had appeared,” de Jager says. “And I would tell them: there was nothing in my pot either.” 

She would then explain something fundamental about scientific experiments: negative results are results too. “Empty pots are just as valuable to us,” says De Jager. “ And some seedlings may still grow up later while the pots remain in the greenhouse for research.”

The public's participation is helping researchers investigate how seed dispersal works in the real world.

The hundreds of pots collected are now helping De Jager and her team investigate how seed dispersal varies between neighbourhoods. By comparing the number and diversity of seedlings with the amount of surrounding greenery, the researchers hope to better understand how urban landscapes influence the movement of plant species, and what that means for local biodiversity. 

Before enlisting the help of fellow citizens, the research team had to rely on mathematical models. But now they can understand better how seed dispersal works in the real world. “Are there significant differences, for example, in the number of seedlings that set down in pots closed to natural areas compared to those in the heart of the city?,” posits De Jager. “With all the information, we can eventually identify where in the region nature is still thriving and where extra help is needed,” she explains.

For De Jager, the public's participation made it possible to collect data from far more locations than the team could have sampled alone. But the project also created the opportunity to see how people appreciate the excitement of scientific discovery when they, too, are given the chance to participate in it.

“This matters because trust in science is often built through transparency and participation,” says De Jager. “Citizen science projects like Aanwaaiers helps bring science down from its perceived ivory tower and show people that they can also be instrumental in the way we do science.”