DEEPENING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN URBAN POND RESEARCH USING A TIERED APPROACH TO SCIENCE ENGAGEMENT

Ponds and small waterbodies in urban environments are often overlooked and understudied but provide plentiful opportunities for active community participation in aquatic research. Neighborhood ponds are outdoor laboratories for studying the nexus of hydrology, nutrient and contaminant cycling, biological responses such as harmful algal blooms, and the consequences of intensifying climate change on aquatic ecosystems. We launched the Community Water Monitoring Network (CWMN) in 2022, a volunteer-based monitoring program focused on a subset of the more than 300 stormwater ponds in Madison, Wisconsin. We designed a tiered framework to facilitate community engagement in research and stewardship of urban ponds through 1) broader place-based education events and 2) committed volunteer monitoring efforts. This strategy has enabled us to educate more than 170 community members at their local ponds and gain 15 multigenerational volunteers who have completed more than 130 monitoring events. Key CWMN ingredients include meeting people where they are, leveraging local government partnerships, and fostering in-depth participation. Volunteers incorporate their own community knowledge, broaden their stewardship scopes, and help university researchers address ecological questions. This collective approach enhances understanding and informs management of these valuable ecosystems long term, while deepening connections to everyday users of these resources.

Primary Presenter: Helen Schlimm, University of Wisconsin Madison (schlimm@wisc.edu)

Authors:

Helen Schlimm, University of Wisconsin Madison, Center for Limnology  (schlimm@wisc.edu)

Jessica Briggs, University of Wisconsin Madison, Center for Limnology  (jtbriggs@wisc.edu)

Grace Wilkinson, University of Wisconsin Madison, Center for Limnology  (gwilkinson@wisc.edu)