Living labs and citizen science

Living labs make it possible for citizens to participate in research for sustainable development of their environment. This way citizens, together with scientists and stakeholders, create local conditions for food production, healthy environment, and biodiversity.

Restoring biodiversity together

We are involved in several Living Labs:

• in the Alblasserwaard 
• at Schiermonnikoog 
• in the bulb area
• and in the Vrouw Vennepolder 

In the latter, citizens started the cooperation Land Van Ons, which purchased farmland under ecological and economic pressure in a peat meadow area in the province of Zuid-Holland.

Farmers, local and regional governments, the waterboard and knowledge institutions together aim to restore biodiversity and landscape quality, strengthen the bond between citizens and the country, and create better prospects for food production by implementing nature-inclusive agriculture.

Discovering the new field of citizen science

Citizen science is a new scientific field. It includes participation in Living labs as well as monitoring and actively participating in sustainable development.

Topics include:

• the monitoring of air pollution 
• the distribution of plastic litter 
• and monitoring of species such as birds and butterflies.