Embracing community science to study broadscale landscape change

Successes, failures, challenges, issues of sustainability, and advice

Bibliographic Data

ID22428072
AuthorsErin L Bunting (0000-0001-9103-6065, Michigan State University, corresponding author), Ethan J Theuerkauf (0000-0002-9035-7454, Michigan State University), Elizabeth A Mack (0000-0002-1829-8787, Michigan State University)
Year2026
Volume21
Issue1
Pages95-109
Publication date2026-12-31
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Land Use Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1747-423X • E-ISSN: 1747-4248
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1747423x.2026.2627704
OpenAlexW7128475044
LanguageEN
References cited44

With the rise of new technological tools/platforms, community science programs have expanded dramatically in both quantity and spatiotemporal reach. This growth is fueled by increasing demand for complex data, the cost of transitional fieldwork, and greater emphasis on public engagement. While community science holds immense potential to enhance public understanding and contribute to meaningful scientific research, it also presents unique challenges related to program design, implementation, and impact. This paper explores the successes, failures, and long-term considerations of such initiatives, drawing on relevant literature and direct experience from the Interdisciplinary Citizen-based Coastal Remote Sensing for Adaptive Management (IC-CREAM), a program developed to address landscape and environmental challenges. This paper highlights lessons in community engagement, communication strategies, and program sustainability. We argue that while community science programs offer transformative opportunities, they require thoughtful planning, adequate and ever adaptive resources, realistic expectations, and backup strategies to succeed and endure.

Adaptive Management · Backup · Citizen science · Community engagement · Public participation · Science communication · Transformative learning · Coastal and Marine Management · Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies · Species Distribution and Climate Change

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