Introduction to COBWEB Plas Machynlleth, 20 th May, 2014 Chris Higgins, Project Coordinator, EDINA, University of Edinburgh

Citizen Observatory Web 4 year research project Crowdsourced environmental data to aid decision making Introduce quality measures and reduce uncertainty Combine crowdsourced data with existing sources of data

Project Partners

COBWEB Biosphere Reserves Germany: Wadden See and Hallig Islands Greece: Mount Olympus & Gorge of Samaria Left open possibility of expansion to further BRs later in project UK (Wales): Biosffer Dyfi –Development work concentrated here

What are we going to build? A number of demonstrator mobile phone applications –Stakeholder discussion to provide detail 3 pilot case study areas: 1.Validating earth observation products 2.Biological monitoring 3.Flooding

Case Studies 1.Community Woodlands 2.Pollinators 3.FP7 BIO_SOS 4.Validation of EO Products (Gwylio) 5.Education 6.Ecotourism 7.Smart Citizen 8.Flooding

Where we are at the moment Month 19 of 48 Milestone 3 (First Welsh Demonstrator) Nov 2014, coming over horizon By 2015: ready for field testing with citizens Some tentative steps already taken: –Dyfi Woodlands –Outward Bound Aberdyfi –Ysgol Bro Dyfi/RSPB –Talybont Floodees –Abersystwyth University MSc group

Some objectives Increase in local awareness of the project More individuals/organisations willing to work with us in various ways –or at least thinking about it Provide information to enable attendees to begin formulating a response to a Call for Proposal Better understanding of how the citizen engagement aspects of the project might progress

Launch for proposals More of a pre-launch, town meeting Brief key organisations/individuals Feedback to help us run the Call for Proposals more effectively Actual CfP will be go up on the COBWEB website on 16 th June A number of small contracts (of the order £500 – £10000)

Two main components to engagement 1.Co-design: test prototype apps and provide feedback as we develop them Underway already, to an extent 2.Get people (volunteers) out and about with COBWEB software in Citizens in field from Jan 2015 onwards Not mutually exclusive. Proposals could include both

Co-Design Objectives Engage in dialogue with members of the COBWEB consortium to assist in the design of applications Engage in dialogue with members of the COBWEB consortium to assist in identifying further user requirements

“Citizen in the field” Objectives Adapt the generic COBWEB capability to address specific needs within your area of expertise Arrange and manage groups of volunteers in field testing COBWEB application(s) in the Dyfi Biosphere area

Process Mon 16 th June: CfP issued Mon 21 st July: deadline for proposals –May contact some applicants individually for refinement Mon 4 th Aug: decision, contact applicants Mid Sept: kickoff meeting with all successful applicants –Looking for cooperation opportunities –Discuss technical support –Schedule

Open questions Further rounds? Terms and conditions will be published with the CfP Will require some kind of report