Assessing changing biodiversity : public engagement in the monitoring of invasive alien species in Europe.
Date: 2022-11-16
Institutions: Joint Research Centre
Subjects: EU Member State, biodiversity, citizen science, data collection, environmental monitoring, information analysis, invasive species, mobile application, research report, scientific cooperation

ISSN 1831-9424

Assessing changing Biodiversity 

Public engagement in the 
monitoring of invasive alien 
species in Europe 

Gervasini E, López Cañizares C, Cardoso AC, 
Mitton I, Spinelli F, Tsiamis K, Schade 

2022 

EUR 31232 EN

This publication is a Technical report by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission’s science and knowledge service. It 
aims to provide evidence-based scientific support to the European policymaking process. The contents of this publication do not 
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authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. 

Contact information  
Name: Eugenio Gervasini 
Address: Via Enrico Fermi, 2749 - 21027 Ispra (VA) -Italy 
Email: eugenio.gervasini@ec.europa.eu  
Tel.: 0039 0332 78 38 04 

EU Science Hub 
https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu 

JRC128068 

EUR 31232 EN 

PDF 

ISBN 978-92-76-57200-8 

ISSN 1831-9424 

doi:10.2760/184991 

KJ-NA-31-232-EN-N 

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2022 

© European Union, 2022 

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How  to  cite  this  report:  Gervasini  E,  López  Cañizares  C,  Cardoso  AC,  Mitton  I,  Spinelli  F,  Tsiamis  K,  Schade  S,  Assessing  changing 
Biodiversity - Public engagement in the monitoring of invasive alien species in Europe, Publications Office of the European Union, 
Luxembourg, 2022, doi:10.2760/184991, JRC128068 

 
Contents 

3.2.1 

3.1.1 

Abstract ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................1 
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................3 
1 
2  Proof of Concept 2020-2021 on IAS App ...................................................................................................................................................................4 
3  EASIN activities on Citizen Science....................................................................................................................................................................................5 
3.1  EASIN website .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................6 
EASIN news .............................................................................................................................................................................................................8 
3.2  EASIN on social media ....................................................................................................................................................................................................9 
EASIN social media accounts updates in 2020-21 ........................................................................................................... 12 
3.3  The “Invasive Alien Species in Europe” Smart app .............................................................................................................................. 12 
3.4  Education: the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) “Have you seen an alien?” ..................................................... 17 
3.5  Augmented reality game ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 
3.6  Board game on IAS ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 
4  Promotion of the IAS app ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 
4.1  Participation to science events ............................................................................................................................................................................. 21 
4.2  Set-up of a network of trainers ........................................................................................................................................................................... 21 
5  Conclusions ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22 
References .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23 
List of abbreviations and definitions ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 24 
List of boxes ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25 
List of figures ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 26 
List of tables ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27 

i 

Abstract  

Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss globally. Citizen Science (CS) plays 
a positive role in influencing the way in which society values and perceives biodiversity and can contribute to 
its protection by collecting valuable data. The involvement of the public in IAS recording through CS initiatives 
using innovative smartphone applications (apps) already complements several official surveillance systems in 
EU  Member  States.  However,  the  quality  of  data  may  hinder  the  use  of  CS  data  for  early  warning, 
management and control of IAS. The Joint Research Centre has developed a smartphone app called “Invasive 
Alien  Species  in  Europe”  (JRC  IAS  app),  allowing  users  to  report  the  presence  of  IAS  of  Union  concern  (EU 
Regulation  1143/2014)  in  Europe.  The  JRC  Proof  of  Concept  (PoC)  project  “CS  data  supporting  IAS  policy  in 
Europe”  aims  at  consolidating  the  framework  for  CS  IAS  data  in  Europe.  Towards  this  objective,  it  explores 
automated solutions for validation of IAS records from the JRC IAS app and looks at ways to increase people’s 
awareness and long term engagement.  

This  report  describes  the  initiatives  developed  by  the  European  Alien  Species  Information  Network  (EASIN) 
under Working package 2 of the PoC aimed at increasing people’s awareness and education on IAS, fostering 
engagement  and  active  involvement  in  IAS  monitoring  through  the  use  of  the  JRC  app.  In  this  endeavour, 
education was identified as key to the creation of a community of trainers. Likewise, scientific communication 
including via social media, was considered complementary to the achievement of the engagement objectives. 

The activities performed also aimed to improve the experience of the JRC app users, by providing feedback 
which helped increase the quality of data submitted, facilitating data validators in performing record checks.  

1 

Acknowledgements 

The Authors warmly thank: 

- all volunteers who contributed to the translation of the “Invasive Alien Species in Europe” app into additional
European languages ;

- the  JRC  School  Programme,  the  EU  Academy  team,  and  the  teachers  for  the  collaboration  in  the
development of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) “Have you seen an alien ?”;

- the  national  projects  and  entities  contributing  to  the  development  of  local  catalogues  of  species  in  the
“Invasive  Alien  Species  in  Europe”    app  (Sava  TIES  Interreg,  Government  of  Malta,  DANUBE  project,  LIFE
INVASAQUA).

Authors 

Eugenio  Gervasini,  Celia  López  Cañizares,  Ana  Cristina  Cardoso,  Irena  Mitton,  Fabiano  Spinelli,  Konstantinos 
Tsiamis, Sven Schade. 

2 

1 

Introduction 

Alien  Species  (AS)  have  increased  their  spread  worldwide,  becoming  in  some  cases  invasive  (IAS), 
threatening  native  species  and  biodiversity,  and  affecting  human  health,  the  economy,  and  the 
environment, compromising its capacity to provide essential ecosystem services.  

IAS  constitute  one  of  the  main  drivers  of  biodiversity  loss  at  global  level.  The  protection  of  the 
environment and biodiversity is amongst the priorities of the EU Commission. To achieve the objectives 
of  the  EU  Biodiversity  strategy  2030  it  is  important  to  increase  education  and  social  awareness,  to 
achieve  a  widespread  recognition  of  biodiversity  value.  A  dedicated  communication  strategy  is 
fundamental to reach out the largest possible audience. 

Citizen  Science,  defined  as  the  public  participation  in  scientific  research,  can  play  a  role  in  influencing 
society's  perceived  value  of  biodiversity,  contributing  to  the  collection  of  valuable  data  on  IAS 
occurrences and distribution, supporting the effective implementation of the EU Regulation 1143/2014 
on  IAS  (IAS  Regulation)  and  adoption  of  management  measures.  Citizen  Science  (CS)  can  play  a 
significant  role  in  public  engagement  in  the  monitoring  and  management  of  IAS.  Improved  education, 
increase of awareness on environmental issues are fundamental for alien species policies to be effective 
(Caffrey et al. 2014). 

CS  outcomes  are  also  advancements  in  scientific  research  as  they  improve  the  scientific  community's 
knowledge and capacity, and invite the public to a first-hand based understanding of science. 

The  involvement  of  the  public  in  IAS  recording  through  innovative  CS  initiatives  via  smartphone  apps 
already complements existing official surveillance systems in EU Member States. However, high quality 
data  for  early  warning,  management  and  control  of  IAS,  could  be  acquired  by  increasing  citizens’ 
engagement and long-term commitment.  

The European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN) facilitates the exploration of information and 
spatial  data  on  Alien  Species,  and  is  the  official  information  system  suporting  EU  MS  in  the 
implementation of the IAS Regulation. EASIN aims to assist policy makers and scientists in their efforts 
to  tackle  biological  invasions,  and  it  is  committed  to  public  engagement  through  dedicated  actions 
towards the public and the teaching community. 

The JRC smartphone application called “Invasive Alien Species in Europe” facilitates the involvement of 
the  public  in  IAS  recording,  and  shares  IAS  records  with  EASIN  geodatabase  (Schade  et  al.  2019).  
Concurrently the participation of volunteers, boosted by the EASIN science communication, has improved 
the development of the JRC app. 

EASIN implements a dedicated science communication strategy which includes : news on the website, a 
dedicated page on citizen science, social media accounts, participation to science popularization events 
and development of educational products for the teaching community to raise awareness and increase 
people’s  engagement  in  IAS  monitoring  and  management.  The  Massive  Open  Online  Course  (MOOC) 
“Have you seen an alien? - Public’s engagement in the monitoring of invasive alien species in Europe”, 
which  benefited  from  direct  involvement  and  input  from  teachers,  responds  to  the  need  of  increasing 
people’s education on biodiversity and IAS. 

The  activities  described  above  carefully  considered  people’s  perception  about  nature,  including  their 
motivation, expectations and objectives, and aimed at increasing people’s empowerment in biodiversity 
protection. These activities stimulate the establishment of a long-term European community of interest 
on IAS, helping biodiversity and ecosystems conservation. 

3 

 
 
 
2  Proof of Concept 2020-2021 on IAS App 

The JRC Proof of Concept (PoC) “Invasive Alien Species in Europe app: engaging citizens in alien species 
surveillance” (2018-2019) focused inter alia on developing a community of users of the IAS app, with 
particular  consideration  to  the  engagement  of  EU  Member  States  national  competent  authorities  in 
charge of the implementation of the IAS Regulation.  

The new PoC project 2020-2021 “Citizen Science data supporting Invasive Alien Species policy in Europe” 
included  among  its  objectives  to  enhance  the  engagement  of  citizens.  The  aims  of  the  project  include 
fostering  volunteers’  recruitment  and  stimulate  long-term  engagement  of  citizens  in  IAS  monitoring. 
Availing of the scientific background of EASIN, Citizen Science data will support research and EU policy 
on IAS. The following actions were implemented: 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

set-up of a network of trainers (e.g. school teachers, bioblitz organizers) 

provision of digital training on biodiversity and IAS (MOOC, Massive Open Online Courses)  

translation of the JRC IAS app content into additional EU languages 

first  steps  towards  the  development  of  a  web  application  for  reporting  IAS,  mirroring  the 
features of the IAS app 

digitalization of an educational board game 

first  steps  towards  the  development  of  online  games  to  provide  immersive  educational 
experiences (Augmented Reality) 

context-dependent  promotion  of  the  IAS  app  (e.g.  participation  to  science  popularization 
events, engagement of specific stakeholders groups also through social media).  

Here  we  report  the  results  obtained  in  implementing  each  of  the  actions  of  the  PoC  2020-2021, 
deliverable 1 (D1), and lessons learned. Furthermore, we formulate some recommendations to improve 
people’s engagement in biodiversity monitoring across Europe through the use of the IAS app. 

4 

 
 
 
 
3  EASIN activities on Citizen Science 

Civic engagement in scientific processes plays an increasingly important role, widely acknowledged, not 
limited  to  large  scale  data  provision  and  research  advancing.  Citizen  Science  encompasses  the  active 
participation by citizens in various phases of the research process in natural and social sciences, creating 
mutual learning opportunities between scientists and participants (citizen scientists). Citizen Science can 
generate significant added value for the society, by enhancing people’s scientific literacy and increasing 
the public's understanding of science. 

JRC  has  placed  Citizen  Science  high  on  its  agenda  and  set  initiatives  aimed  at  citizens’  engagement. 
Citizen  Science  festivals  were  attended  by  EASIN  members.  EASIN  participates  also  to  the  JRC 
community  of  practice  on  citizens’  engagement  https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/connected/groups/jrc-
community-of-practice-on-citizen-engagement  and  to  the  JRC  community  of  practice  for  the 
development of smartphone applications https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/connected/groups/mobile-apps-at-
the-jrc-experience-sharing. 

Citizen  Science  projects  have  a  strong  social  component,  which  needs  to  be  duly  considered  from  the 
project conception, since it will have an influence on its design and the development of decisions (Sturm 
et  al.,  2018).  The  involvement  of  citizens  through  Citizen  Science  for  monitoring  and  surveying  alien 
species has been applied in many instances and encourages participation and ownership (Delaney et al., 
2008). 

EASIN  Citizen  Science  activities  consider  advances  in  research  on  this  topic,  best  practices  and  makes 
reference to the 10 principles of Citizen Science laid down by the European Citizen Science Association 
(ECSA) https://ecsa.citizen-science.net/2016/05/17/10-principles-of-citizen-science/. 

The following initiatives were implemented: 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

a  specific  EASIN  webpage  on  Citizen  Science,  created  in  2017,  was  upgraded  and  further 
developed  including a repository of Citizen Science projects on biodiversity and IAS in Europe 

tailored periodic news to the general public on EASIN website 

communication via EASIN social media accounts (Twitter and Facebook) 

IAS of Union concern factsheets  

Training: EU Academy MOOC “Have you seen an alien?” 

promotion  of  EASIN  Citizen  Science 
popularization events (2019-2021). 

initiatives 

in  Conferences,  webinars  and  science 

5 

 
 
 
 
3.1  EASIN website 

The EASIN webpage on Citizen Science aims at informing the general public on biodiversity issues, on IAS 
features and the threat they pose to the European biodiversity, stimulating the engagement of citizens in 
their monitoring and management. 

The  webpage  hosts  a  Citizen  Science  projects  repository  collecting  CS  initiatives  (projects,  CS  national 
organizations)  in  Europe  allowing  interested  people  to  see  existing  initiatives  close  to  their  areas  of 
residence. 

The information collected from CS projects was used to create a database with the following attributes: 

Table 1. Citizen Science projects attributes 

Attribute id

Attribute

Attribute type
(# categories)

Attribute values

Description

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

Title

Project link

Description

Level

(text)

(text)

(text)

Category (9)

Country

List

Type

Category (4)

Environment

Category (5)

Target

Category (5)

Start date

End date

dd/mm/yyyy

dd/mm/yyyy

Life Project link

(text)

IOS

Android

(text)

(text)

Name of the project/activity

Link to the project's website

Short description of the project 

The spatial scale at which the project is 
implemented.The categorization has been 
recently updated based on the needs of 
update of the current database

The countries involved in the project 

Type of organisation represented by the 
lead partner

The target environment. One or more are 
eligible

The target type of organism tackled by the 
project activities. One or more are eligible

hyperlink

Europe
European Union
Mediterranean Region
Mediterranean Sea
Black Sea
Caspian Sea
Baltic Sea
Natura 2000 Network
Other
Name of country(ies)

CS Project
CS Organization
National Organization
Other projects
Freshwater
Marine
Terrestrial
Urban area
Other (adding new environment)
Animals 
Plants
Microorganisims
Fungi
Other (adding new environment)

hyperlink

hyperlink

hyperlink

If the activity is a LIFE Project, link to LIFE 
website
If the project includes a smartphone app for 
AS/IAS monitoring, IOS link
If the project includes a smartphone app for 
AS/IAS monitoring, Android link

The repository includes 111 Citizen Science projects related to biodiversity and IAS in European countries as 
of  December  2021.  102  projects  out  111  are  unique  initiatives  in  a  country  and/or  shared  amongst 
neighbouring  countries  e.g.  (Iberian  Peninsula),  while  9  projects  are  shared  among  several  EU  regions  and 
countries outside the EU.  

CS  project  managers  were  invited  through  social  media  or  direct  contact  to  review  and  supplement  the 
relevant information contained in the EASIN CS repository. 

In addition, a mapping exercise was performed to harmonize the information in the EASIN CS repository with 
that contained in the JRC repository of environmental CS projects, based on Sustainable Development Goals 
(SDGs)  and  Policy  relevance,  and  the  data  gathered  in  the  COST  Action  17122  Alien  CSI  projects  database. 
This activity aimed at synchronizing information on CS projects on biodiversity and alien species at European 
level,  facilitating  access  and  comparison  of  existing  initiatives,  fostering  collaboration  among  experts,  and 
avoiding duplicates. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
Figure 1. Number of CS initiatives in European countries. 

.

7 

 
 
 
 
 
Figure 2. (A) Citizen Science projects and organizations recorded in the EASIN repository. (B) Number of Citizen Science 
projects related to alien species by country (from Giovos et al. 2021) 

3.1.1  EASIN news 

Outreach,  learning  activities,  education  and  reward  for  participation  are  important  components  of  a 
Citizen  Science  project  (Sturm  et  al.,  2018).  Regular  communication  on  CS  projects  achievements 
strengthens volunteers’ motivation (West and Pateman, 2016) and stimulates long term engagement. 

English  is  the  main  language  in  the  EASIN  website,  which  raised  the  problem  of  linguistic  barriers, 
considering  that  24  languages  are  spoken  in  the  27  EU  MS,  as  well  as  the  problem  of  having  a 
communication  that  truly  considered  and  addressed  the  local  context,  values,  and  people’s  perception 
and feelings about nature.  

8 

 
 
 
Table 2. Published EASIN news 

Published  News 
2021) 

On #CitizenScience 

On the #IASApp 

(2012-

264 

60 

14 

To overcome this problem and ease the access to information on IAS in all EU national languages, EASIN 
promoted and developed a webpage, in collaboration with DG ENV and EU MS competent authorities in 
charge 
1143/2014 
of 
https://easin.jrc.ec.europa.eu/easin/MSCAuthorities.  The  contribution  of  Member  States  was  very  active 
and the webpage welcomed by the EASIN wide community of users. 

implementation 

Regulation 

the 

the 

EU 

of 

3.2  EASIN on social media 

The  social  aspect  of  biological  recording  is  a  key  motivation  for  many  volunteers,  and  has  resulted  in 
vibrant recording communities worldwide (August et al. 2015). Social media can provide the setting for 
an  online  community  of  practice  that  can  support  groups  of  volunteers  and  requires  little  daily  input 
from  administrators  (Liberatore  et  al.,  2018)  Social  media  (SM)  are  widely  used  to  communicate  and 
exchange  information.  While  websites  can  be  considered  more  as  “notice  boards”,  SM  offer  users  the 
possibility  to  form  communities  in  which  individual  or  groups  can  easily  and  swiftly  communicate 
(August  et  al,  2015).  Social  media  are  effective  channels  to  convey  key  messages  on  biodiversity, 
stimulating engagement and participation aiming at a behavioural change. 

As  from  2018,  based  on  an  established  and  systematically  updated  communication  strategy,  EASIN 
communication focused on scientific advances on alien species, sharing also details on how EASIN works, 
connecting the project development with website updates and posting contents on social media (e.g. on 
the  species  Catalogue,  the  CS  projects  repository,  app  upgrades,  participation  of  the  EASIN  Team  to 
science popularization events).  

The communication strategy determined a positive impact, witnessed by users’ feedback who contacted 
us with comments and proposals for improvement. 

In addition, in 2020 the EASIN SM Team boosted the online interactions with the public during the Covid-
19 pandemic confinement period (see table 3 and picture 2). This was achieved through the promotion 
of  “to-do  at  home”  activities  (biodiversity  observations  in  home  gardens  and  neighbourhood),  and 
engaging people in the translation of the app content in more EU national languages. The participation of 
the EASIN Team in webinars, online workshops, or training initiatives was also promoted and provided an 
opportunity  to  inform  the  public  on  IAS  issues  and  to  invite  people  to  explore  the  renovated  EASIN 
website, and use web services for retrieving, map and download data on IAS. In 2021 the communication 
strategy focused on the promotion of new developments (translation of the app in new languages and 
species local catalogues, online training course (MOOC), new website sections). 

Table 3. Followers of EASIN social media accounts 

Twitter - @EU_Aliens 

Facebook - @EUAliens 

Nº  Followers  (December 
2021) 

2,075 

2,380 

“Volunteers wanted”: SM campaign for the engagement of the public in the improvement and translation 
of  the  content  of  the IAS app.  The  result  of  this  campaign  was  the  translation  and  update  of  the app 
content by volunteers in 5 additional languages in 2020 and 8 in 2021.  

9 

 
 
 
 
 
Figure 3. Twitter original post with highest impact in 2021 (based on rate impressions / engagements) 

The EASIN original post on Twitter with the highest impact in 2021 was the one on the support to the 
#UnitedforBiodiversity  campaign  launched  by  DG  ENV  and  integrated  by  a  network  of  partners  and 
entities,  followed  by  the  promotion  of  the  JRC  EASIN  MOOC  (Massive  Open  Online  Course)  “Have  you 
seen an alien?” hosted on the EU Academy platform. This shows the interest and appreciation of EASIN 
audience  towards  concerted  and  recognizable  actions  to  protect  biodiversity  and  manage  IAS,  also 
through  awareness  raising  and  education,  which  in  turn  stimulates  engagement  and  participation.  The 
feedback received from social media was used to review and fine tune the communication strategy. 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 4. Most successful EASIN posts on Twitter 

On  Facebook,  two  EASIN  posts  advertising  EASIN  publications  on  IAS  recorded  the  highest  impact  in 
terms of impressions and visits to EASIN website in 2021, followed by posts related to the IAS app and 
the “Have you seen an alien?” MOOC: 

Figure 5. Posts on EASIN publications with highest impact on Facebook 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
3.2.1  EASIN social media accounts updates in 2020-21 

Several updates were implemented in the EASIN SM accounts, in agreement with JRC SM and visual 
identity  Team,  and  in  collaboration  with  DG  ENV  SM  teams.  This  followed  the  participation  of  the 
EASIN  SM  managers  to  “JRC  ISPRA  Science  and  knowledge  communication  on  social  media  – 
advanced”  (30  January  2020)  and  to  the  “JRC  ISPRA  Citizen  Engagement  in  a  nutshell”  (19-20 
February  2020).  These  two  initiatives  provided  inputs  and  perspectives  to  improve  EASIN  SM 
accounts through: 

-  Updates of user's name account: @EUAliens (Facebook) and @EU_Aliens (Twitter) 
- 

Implementation  of  new  visuals  in  line  with  the  development  of  the  EU  Academy  MOOC  on 
team: 
Invasive 
https://academy.europa.eu/local/euacademy/pages/course/overview.php?id=126  

Species, 

liaising 

Alien 

with 

JRC 

the 

SM 

-  Update  of  the  EASIN  Twitter  profile  visual  (developed  in  2020,  implemented  in  2021).  This  is 
based on the use of a water mark on pictures as a distinctive symbol approved by the JRC SM 
Team: 

Figure 6. (A) image, watermark and (B) banners adopted on EASIN social media and implemented in 2021. 

3.3  The “Invasive Alien Species in Europe” Smart app 

Technology  has  greatly  helped  in  documenting  biodiversity  in  recent  years,  thanks  to  development  of 
many applications for mobile phones. Apps have an important role in educating and engaging the public 
and to raise awareness on biodiversity and environmental issues. 

The development by a JRC Team of the “Invasive Alien Species in Europe” app,, allows users the reporting 
of  species  of  Union  concern  under  EU  Regulation  1143/2014  (Tsiamis  et  al.,  2017).  Its  development 
carefully considers the needs  to improve usability and users’ experience, to foster its use across Europe.  
Principles for developing mobile apps and platforms for Citizen Science were discussed in two European 
workshops (Sturm et al. 2018). 

Further developments following an open and participatory approach that allowed people to share their 
experiences regarding IAS are considered for upgrading the app (Schade et al., 2019).  

Analysis  of  needs,  comparison  with  similar  initiatives,  and  new  features  and  technologies  are 
continuously  considered  for  embedding  in  the  IAS  app.  Issues  related  to  the  quality  of  data  and 
validation of reports were considered by another report developed in the context of this PoC (Adriaens et 
al., 2021). 

Volunteers  help  generate  data  through  the  app  records    on  the  presence  of  regulated  species. 
These  records  are  important  as  they  supplement  the  data  acquired  through  official  surveillance 
performed  by  the  Competent  Authorities  of  the  EU  Member  States,  thus  contributing  to  the 
implementation of the EU Regulation 1143/2014.  

The  IAS  in  Europe  app  was  translated  in  13  languages,  in  addition  to  English:  Bulgarian,  Bosnian, 
Deutsch, Greek, Spanish, French, Hungarian, Italian, Maltese, Portuguese, Romanian, Serbian, and Turkish. 
This choice responded to the problem mentioned in section 3.1.1. about English being the only language 
for the EASIN website hosting news and social media posts dedicated to Citizen Science and the IAS in 

12 

 
 
 
Europe  app.  This  development  was  done  thanks  to  a  network  of  volunteers  created  within  the  EASIN 
social media followers (call for contribution launched on EASIN social media on 27.03.2020, new call for 
further updates foreseen in 2022).  

Extending  the  number  of  available  languages  to  14  reflects  the  effort  towards  increasing  people 
awareness, improves their understanding of IAS issues and makes their contribution easier, addressing 
issues  such  as  personal  motivation,  satisfaction  and  engagement,  as  well  as  the  possibility  to  signify 
specific local conditions in the local language. 

Ownership was addressed through the customization of the app and the creation of national or regional 
catalogues  of  IAS  and  the  branding,  with  the  acknowledgement  of  the  partnership  and  active  role  of  
organizations  working  at  national  and  regional  level  (LIFE  Invasaqua  (Oliva-Paterna  et  al.  2022),  Sava 
Ties, Danube River basin (Trichkova et al. 2021), Malta ERA). 

While  motivations  of  participants    may  vary,  it  is  generally  acknowledged  that  the  use  of  prompt 
feedbacks as well as of data visualization can keep users motivated and engaged with the technology 
(August  et  al,  2015).  On  this  line,  the  app  features  were  modified  to  give  and  automatic  feedback  to 
users  when  submitting  a  report,  graphic  visualization  by  means  of  observations  maps,  and  allowing 
EASIN data validators to send direct messages to users. 

The  same  principle  inspired  the  idea  of  allowing  expert  validators  outside  the  JRC  to  access  the 
validation console. With it, citizens' reports in defined geographical areas can be validated and verified.. 
This increase the sense of ownership and trust in the project.  

Further developments are envisaged as follows: 

linking  experts  to  species’  taxa  in  the  data  validation  console,  similarly  to  what  happens  in  the  EASIN 
Editorial Board working procedures.; 

- 

development  of  an  EASIN  web  application  to  allow  reporting  of  IAS  of  Union  concern,  as  an 
alternative to the use of the JRC app. This will allow users to report sightings and pictures taken 
with cameras and not just from cameras embedded in mobile devices. The first steps towards 
designing the web app were undertaken. 

Table 4. Statistics on users’ observations (December 2021) 

Validation status 
Discarded 
Pre‐validated 
Submitted 
Unclear 
Validated 
Total  

Nº observations 

431 
6 
85 
118 
743 
1,383 

Table 4. IAS observations by local catalogues 

IAS app catalogues 

Total (all catalogues) 

General catalogue (IAS of Union concern) 

DANUBE basin catalogue 

SAVA_Ties  catalogue 

Iberian catalogue (LIFE INVASAQUA project) 

Nº  of  observations  by  catalogue  (not 
discarded and unclear observations) 

including 

834 

665 

61 

19 

90 

13 

 
 
 
Table 5. Species count (nº of validated observations) 

Species 

Ailanthus altissima 

Trachemys scripta 

Impatiens glandulifera 

Pseudorasbora parva 

Alopochen aegyptiacus 

Sinanodonta woodiana 

Corbicula fluminea 

Arundo donax 

Orconectes limosus 

Procambarus clarkii 

Zygophyllum fabago 

Myocastor coypus 

Vespa velutina nigrithorax 

Heracleum mantegazzianum 

Nicotiana glauca 

Acacia saligna 

Alburnus albidus 

Myiopsitta monachus 

Sciurus carolinensis 

Asclepias syriaca 

Elodea nuttallii 

Gambusia holbrooki 

Lepomis gibbosus 

Salix babylonica 

Ambrosia artemisiifolia 

Eichhornia crassipes 

Eucalyptus globulus 

Myriophyllum aquaticum 

Opuntia ficus-indica 

Carassius auratus 

Dreissena polymorpha 

Lagarosiphon major 

Ludwigia grandiflora 

Phytolacca americana 

Bidens frondosa 

Cairina moschata 

Callinectes sapidus 

Carassius gibelio 

Cyprinus carpio 

Dreissena rostriformis bugensis 

Echinocystis lobata 

Eriocheir sinensis 

Species  count  (validated 
observations) 

426 

30 

25 

21 

20 

19 

18 

17 

17 

15 

15 

14 

14 

13 

13 

12 

11 

8 

8 

6 

6 

6 

5 

5 

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

14 

 
Fraxinus pennsylvanica 

Myriophyllum heterophyllum 

Pacifastacus leniusculus 

Pectinatella magnifica 

Pennisetum setaceum 

Perca fluviatilis 

Aesculus hippocastanum 

Agave americana 

Ameiurus melas 

Amorpha fruticosa 

Crangonyx pseudogracilis 

Ctenopharyngodon idella 

Cylindropuntia imbricata 

Estrilda astrild 

Eucalyptus camaldulensis  

Gunnera tinctoria 

Gymnocoronis spilanthoides 

Hydrocotyle ranunculoides 

Hypophthalmichthys molitrix  

Ipomoea purpurea 

Ludwigia peploides 

Muntiacus reevesi 

Nyctereutes procyonoides 

Orconectes virilis 

Perccottus glenii 

Procyon lotor 

Pueraria montana var. lobata = Pueraria lobata 

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus 

Solidago gigantea 

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum 

Vitis riparia 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 7. Number of validated observations per species of all species catalogues. Ailanthus altissima represents more 
than 50% of the total amount of observations. 

Species count (nº validated observations)

Ailanthus altissima

Impatiens glandulifera

Alopochen aegyptiacus

Corbicula fluminea

Orconectes limosus

Zygophyllum fabago

Trachemys scripta

Pseudorasbora parva

Sinanodonta woodiana

Arundo donax

Procambarus clarkii

Myocastor coypus

Vespa velutina nigrithorax

Heracleum mantegazzianum

Nicotiana glauca

Acacia saligna

Citizen  Science  validated  data  can  be  mapped  using  EASIN  web  tools  or  visualized  through  a  specific 
map viewer. 

Figure 8. Integration of the validated IAS app observations into the EASIN geodatabase. Darker colours indicate a higher 
number of citizens’ observations in a country.  

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 9. EASIN Citizen Science reports viewer allows users the navigation of CS validated reports app 

3.4  Education:  the  Massive  Open  Online  Course  (MOOC)  “Have  you  seen  an 

alien?” 

In the current PoC project, education was identified as key to the creation of a community of trainers for 
a wider use and promotion of the app. This will lead ultimately to an increased engagement of citizens in 
the monitoring of IAS and will allow the acquisition of high data quality, benefiting the research and the 
management of IAS. 

The  online  course,  was  conceived  and  developed  under  the  frame  of  the  JRC  School  Programme  
https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/eu-science-outreach-programme/school-visit-programme, and is hosted on the 
EU  Academy  platform.  The  course  targetss  primarily  teachers  of  secondary  schools  who  seek  expert 
support  on  biodiversity  and  want  to  give  their  students  the  opportunity  to  experiment  Citizen  Science 
activities.  

The course  is  free,  open  and  accessible  to  teachers, trainers,  students  and  all  people  interested  in IAS 
issues. 

The course objectives are : 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

raise public awareness about biodiversity, and the need of its  protection through monitoring 
and management of alien and invasive alien species (IAS) occurring in Europe 

increase knowledge on IAS and their relationship with nature conservation, and human well-
being 

inform on the need for updated and timely availability of data on IAS, and on the role of the 
EASIN platform as crossing point for information on IAS in Europe 

promote people’s long term engagement in the monitoring and management of IAS through 
dedicated tools and projects, contributing to the EU policy on biodiversity and supporting the 
implementation of the EU Regulation 1143/2014 on IAS 

create a community of trainers on the “IAS in Europe” app 

create a European-wide community of interest on AS and IAS. 

Meetings  were  held  with  a  group  of  Italian  teachers  and  European  school  teachers  to  gather  their 
feedback and suggestions on the course content, addressing the set learning objectives. 

The course is composed of 5 modules : 

- 

introduction to biodiversity  

17 

 
 
 
 
- 

- 

- 

- 

Alien and Invasive Alien Species  

Invasive Alien Species at national and European levels 

data collection: Citizen Science and the EASIN platform  

the  JRC “Invasive Alien Species in Europe” app 

Each module is composed of short videos in English, with subtitles in 7 EU languages (DE, EN, ES, FR, IT, 
NL, PT), customizable classes and outdoor activities, and tests for teachers and students. It is planned to 
add further languages aiming at widening participation throughout Europe. 

The users can take tests along the course to evaluate their level of learning and obtain a certificate once 
the course and tests are completed. 

Feedback sections are available in the course such as : « Share your work » and « How did you experience 
Module  X ?».  In  addition,  a  forum  was  activated  where  teachers  and  users  can  post  questions, 
suggestions and availability or requests for collaboration. 

The course was launched in February 2021 and is available at : https://academy.europa.eu/courses/have-
you-seen-an-alien 

Direct  communication  between  MOOC  authors  and  students  enrolled is  essential  to  provide  feedback, 
follow up on students´ questions and share additional recommendations and materials.  

By December 2021, 307 people enrolled in the MOOC. 

Teachers, even outside Europe, welcomed and appreciated the course, expressing their opinion: 

«  I still have not used for my students but I will do soon. And indeed the course information will be of 
much help for me as a teacher and for my students to learn » 

«  I liked it very much. The videoes were very clear and informative » 

«  Module 5 was very helpful to understand the app of Invasive Alien Species in Europe. The app is very 
intuitive and easy to work with. I plan to publicize the application around my family and friends » 

"Great learning experience."   

JRC and EASIN social media channels were the main tools of promotion of the MOOC, one of the most 
successful topics. 

Figure 10. EASIN top tweet December 2021 : promotion of the new MOOC languages, EU Commissioner @GabrielMariya 
launch of the official promotion campaign (May-June 2021). 

18 

 
 
Figure 11. JRC Twitter account stats (August 2021). JRC EASIN MOOC among the top tweets. 

3.5  Augmented reality game 

A  new  activity  is  ongoing  aimed  at  developing    a  virtual  environment  where  the  user  can  visit  a 
freshwater  environment  and  find  native  and  invasive  alien  species,  explore  and  learn  about  their 
features  and  biology,  understand  the  impact  that  invasive  species  may  have  on  native  species  and 
ecosystem services.  

The  overall  aim  is  to  stimulate  curiosity,  educate,  and  foster  engagement  in  the  monitoring  and 
management of invasive alien species and protection of biodiversity and a behavioural change. 

When finalized, the game will be hosted  on the EASIN website. Estimated time of delivery: end of 2022. 

Figure 12. Outline of the augmented reality experience on IAS in a freshwater environment 

3.6  Board game on IAS 

A  downloadable  and  printable  board  game « Have  you  seen  an  alien ? »  first  presented  as  a  pilot 
experience in 2019 at the World Water Day in Mantua (Italy) was further developed for playing online. 
The  board  game  aims  at  raising  awareness  on  IAS  appearance,    area  of  origin  and  pathways  of 
introduction in Europe. The game also helps distinguish native species, which need to be protected from 
IAS, and stimulates action to protect biodiversity.  

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The board game was digitalized, introducing two levels of difficulty, and is hosted on the EASIN website 
at: https://easin.jrc.ec.europa.eu/easin/CitizenScience/Haveyouseenanalien. 

Figure 13 pilot version of the IAS game (printed cards) at the European Researchers Night 2019 in Milan (left), and at the 
World water Day 2019 in Mantua (right) 

20 

 
 
 
 
4  Promotion of the IAS app 

The promotion of the app was done in several events, by physical attendance, but mostly online due to 
the COVID pandemic. The promotion of the app was performed within conferences or training events on 
biodiversity and invasive alien species, and in the context of EU led initiatives. 

4.1  Participation to science events 

Participation  to  conferences,  webinars  and  science  popularization  events  are  summarized  in  the  box 
below. 

Box 1. List of scientific events and science popularization events attended by EASIN in 2020-2021 

—  22.04.2020  participation  with  a  speech  to  the  GLOBE  webinar  on  the  50th  Earth  Day,  

https://www.globeitalia.it/index.php/2015-11-12-17-18-33/rassegna-stampa/news/472-tre-
presentazioni-per-la-didattica-scientifica-webinar-l-uomo-la-terra-e-il-covid-19    (followed  by  300 
people via Zoom and 200 via Youtube). 

—  Online presentation to secondary school students Suzzara (MN) 27.11.2020, GLOBE Italia 

—  Daylighthing Rivers Final Conference 01.12.2020 https://www.daylightingrivers.com/final-conference-

2/  

—  EFSA Virtual School 04.03.2021: presentation to secondary school students 

—  World water Day 2021 – Fiumi di primavera https://www.globeitalia.it/index.php/gma2021  

—  European Week of Regions and Cities 2020 

—  ECSA Conference 2020 https://www.ecsa-conference.eu/Conference_programme.pdf  

—  Citizen Engagement Festival 2019 and 2020 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/event/conference/3rd-annual-

citizen-engagement-and-deliberative-democracy-festival 

—  European Researchers Night 2021, EASIN presentation 24.09.2021 to secondary school students in 

Lombardy 

—  Knowledge for Change: a decade of Citizen Science (2020-2030) in support of the SDGs 

      14.-15. October 2020 https://www.cs-sdg-conference.berlin/en/  

—  Panel discussion in the Education for Climate Coalition 25.11.2021 

—  European School Varese management visit to JRC in Ispra 09.12.2021 

—  LIFE  INVASAQUA  contest  for  anglers  24.05-24.06.2022  in  the  context  of  the  “Week  of  Invasive 

Species Spain & Portugal”. 

—  Coming events: European Week of Regions and Cities 2022 

4.2  Set-up of a network of trainers 

The  EASIN  integrated  approach  towards  citizens’  engagement,  coordinating  CS  initiatives,  science 
communication  and  social  media  aims,  amongst  other,  to  create  volunteers  ambassadors  on 
biodiversity and IAS issues, promoting the use of the IAS app for reporting observations of species of 
Union concern.  

The support provided by the EASIN Team to more qualified users enriched their experience , in using 
the app. This allows them to further promote the use of the IAS app, acting as “trainers” of volunteers.  

It is foreseen that videos hosted in the MOOC on how to use the IAS app and how CS generated data 
are processed and integrated in the EASIN geodatabase will be used to further promote the use of the 
app and increase trust in science. 

21 

 
 
 
5  Conclusions 

The  experience  gained  in  the  implementation  of  the  PoC  2020-21  on  public  engagement  in  the 
monitoring of invasive alien species in Europe allows us to make some conclusions : 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

expectations,  feelings,  cultural  context  must  always  be considered  and  addressed  when  developing 
Citizen Science activities, verifying and adapting activities following participants’ feedback 

language barriers can be overcome by making available the app, IAS factsheets, training, and tools in 
the EASIN website in all EU languages 

a properly planned communication strategy, also making use of social media, stimulates motivation, 
long term engagement and helps building a European-wide community of interest on IAS 

technical  and  scientific  support  and  feedback  to  volunteers  involved  in  biodiversity  monitoring  are 
key to motivate participation and sustain people’s long term engagement  

local  species  catalogues  and  the  translation  of  the  app  content  in  all  EU  languages  enhances 
participation in biodiversity monitoring programmes 

education addressing secondary students and teachers via online courses is a dynamic and powerful 
tool to increase scientific knowledge, stimulate action and behavioural change 

the development of networks of trainers on  the IAS app increases its use, and opens to the exchange 
of experiences and development of collaborations. 

 To further  improve people’s involvement and long-term engagement we would advise the following: 

- 

- 

- 

improve  and  upgrade  available  technologies  for  biological  recording  (e.g.  incorporating  artificial 
intelligence), to broaden their use and improve users’ experience and the acquisition of high quality 
data   

outcomes,  data  and  researches  generated  using  CS  inputs  must  be  clearly  and  duly  acknowledged 
and properly communicated, including appealing visualizations, to increase trust and ownership 

results  of  IAS  management, which benefited from  citizens’ contribution and involvement should  be 
correctly referenced, presented and widely communicated, including through social media. 

EASIN  will  continue  working  towards  addressing  the  highlighted  needs,  extending  the  network  of 
collaborations  within  the  JRC-wide  community  of  practice  on  citizens’  engagement  and  within  the  JRC 
School Programme initiative, seeking collaboration also amongst external partners.  

Follow up will be given to recommendations drawn by Adriaens et. Al (2021) to increase people’s long 
term engagement in IAS recording. 

22 

 
 
 
 
References  

Adriaens  T,  Tricarico  E,  Reyserhove  L,  Cardoso  AC,  Gervasini  E,  Lopez  Canizares  C,  Mitton  I,  Schade  S, 
Spinelli  FA,  Tsiamis  K  Data-validation  solutions  for  citizen  science  data  on  invasive  alien  species, 
Tailoring validation tools for the JRC app "Invasive Alien Species in Europe", EUR 30857 EN, Publications 
Office  of  the  European,  Luxembourg,  2021,  ISBN  978-92-76-42055-2,  doi:10.2760/  694386, 
JRC126140 

August T., Martin M., Lightfoot P., Kilbey D., Timos Papadopoulos T., Paul Jepson, Emerging technologies 
for biological recording, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 115, Issue 3, July 2015, Pages 
731–749, https://doi.org/10.1111/bij.12534 

Cardoso AC, Tsiamis K, Gervasini E, Schade S, Taucer F, Adriaens T, Copas K, Flevaris S, Galiay P, Jennings 
E, Josefsson M, López B, Magan J, Marchante E, Montani E, Roy H, von Schomberg R, See L, Quintas M 
(2017) Citizen Science and Open Data: a model for Invasive Alien Species in Europe. Research Ideas and 
Outcomes 3: e14811. https://doi.org/10.3897/rio.3.e14811 

Caffrey,  JM,  Baars,  JR,  Barbour,  JH,  Boets,  P,  Boon,  P,  Davenport,  K,  Dick,  JTA,  Early,  J,  Edsman,  L, 
Gallagher, C, Gross, J, Heinimaa, P, Horrill, C, Hudin, S and MacIssac, HJ., ‘Tackling invasive alien species in 
Europe:  The  top  20  issues’,  Management  of  Biological  Invasions,  5,  Vol.  2014,  pp.    1–20, 
https://doi.org/10.3391/mbi.2014.5.1.01    

Delaney, D.G., Sperling, C.D., Adams, C.S. et al. Marine invasive species: validation of citizen science and 
implications 
(2008). 
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-007-9114-0  

Invasions  10,  117–128 

national  monitoring 

networks.  Biol 

for 

EU  Commission  Staff  working  document  on  best  practices  in  Citizen  Science  for  Environmental 
Monitoring 
(2020). 
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/legal/reporting/pdf/best_practices_citizen_science_environmental_monit
oring.pdf 

Liberatore, A., Bowkett, E., MacLeod, C.J., Spurr, E. and Longnecker, N., 2018. Social Media as a Platform 
for  a  Citizen  Science  Community  of  Practice.  Citizen  Science:  Theory  and  Practice,  3(1),  p.3.  DOI: 
http://doi.org/10.5334/cstp.108  

Oliva-Paterna,  F.J.  ;  Olivo  del  Amo,  R.;  Torralva,  M.;  Anastácio,  P.M.;  Banha,  F.M.S.;  Barca,  S.;  Casals,  F.; 
Cobo, F.; Guillén, A.; López-Cañizares, C.; Machordom, A.; Miranda, R.; Numa, C.; Oficialdegui, F.J.; Oscoz, J.; 
Perdices,  A.;  Ribeiro,  F.;  Sánchez-González,  J.R.;  Vieira-Lanero,  R.;  Zamora-Marín,  J.M.  Awareness  and 
Prevention  of  Aquatic  Invasive  Alien  Species  in  the  Iberian  Peninsula  by  LIFE  INVASAQUA:  Midterm 
Outcomes. Biol. Life Sci. Forum 2022, 13, 47. https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2022013047 

Schade S, Kotsev K, Cardoso AC, Tsiamis K, Gervasini E, Spinelli F, Mitton I, Sgnaolin R (2019) ALIENS IN 
Europe. an open approach to involve more people in invasive species detection. Computers, Environment 
and Urban Systems 78: 101384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2019.101384 

Sturm U, Schade S, Ceccaroni L, Gold M, Kyba C, Claramunt B, Haklay M, Kasperowski D, Albert A, Piera J, 
Brier J, Kullenberg C, Luna S (2018) Defining principles for mobile apps and platforms development in 
citizen science. Research Ideas and Outcomes 4: e23394. https://doi.org/10.3897/rio.4.e23394  

Trichkova,  T.;  Paunović,  M.;  Cogălniceanu,  D.;  Schade,  S.;  Todorov,  M.;  Tomov,  R.;  Stănescu,  F.;  Botev,  I.; 
López-Cañizares, C.; Gervasini, E.; Hubenov, Z.; Ignatov, K.; Kenderov, M.; Marinković, N.; Mitton, I.; Preda, 
C.;  Spinelli,  F.A.;  Tsiamis,  K.;  Cardoso,  A.C.  Pilot  Application  of  ‘Invasive  Alien  Species  in  Europe’ 
Smartphone App in the Danube Region. Water 2021, 13, 2952. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13212952  

Tsiamis  K,  Gervasini  E,  D’Amico  F,  Deriu  I,  Roglia  E,  Schade  S,  Craglia  M,  Cardoso  AC  (2017)  Citizen 
Science  Application,  Invasive  Alien  Species  in  Europe.  Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union, 
Luxembourg. https://doi.org/10.2760/043856 

West,  S.  and  Pateman,  R.,  2016.  Recruiting  and  Retaining  Participants  in  Citizen  Science:  What  Can  Be 
Learned  from  the  Volunteering  Literature?.  Citizen  Science:  Theory  and  Practice,  1(2),  p.15.  DOI: 
http://doi.org/10.5334/cstp.8 

23 

 
 
List of abbreviations and definitions  

AS  

CS  

 Alien Species 

 Citizen Science 

DG ENV   European Commission Directorate General for Environment 

EASIN 

 European Alien Species Information Network 

IAS  

 Invasive Alien Species 

JRC  

Joint Research Centre of the European Commission 

MOOC   Massive Open Online Course 

PoC 

SM  

JRC Proof of Concept project 

Social media  

24 

 
 
List of boxes 

Box 1. List of scientific events and science popularization events attended by EASIN in 2020-2021 .................. 21 

25 

List of figures 

Figure 1. Number of CS initiatives in European countries. ................................................................................................................. 7 

Figure 2. (A) Citizen Science projects and organizations recorded in the EASIN repository. (B) Number of 
Citizen Science projects related to alien species by country (from Giovos et al. 2021) ...................................................... 8 

Figure 3. Twitter original post with highest impact in 2021 (based on rate impressions / engagements) ......... 10 

Figure 4. Most successful EASIN posts on Twitter ............................................................................................................................... 11 

Figure 5. Posts on EASIN publications with highest impact on Facebook............................................................................... 11 

Figure 6. (A) image, watermark and (B) banners adopted on EASIN social media and implemented in 2021. 12 

Figure 7. Number of validated observations per species of all species catalogues. Ailanthus altissima 
represents more than 50% of the total amount of observations. ................................................................................................ 16 

Figure 8. Integration of the validated IAS app observations into the EASIN geodatabase. Darker colours 
indicate a higher number of citizens’ observations in a country. .................................................................................................. 16 

Figure 9. EASIN Citizen Science reports viewer allows users the navigation of CS validated reports app .......... 17 

Figure 10. EASIN top tweet December 2021 : promotion of the new MOOC languages, EU Commissioner 
@GabrielMariya launch of the official promotion campaign (May-June 2021).................................................................... 18 

Figure 11. JRC Twitter account stats (August 2021). JRC EASIN MOOC among the top tweets. .............................. 19 

Figure 12. Outline of the augmented reality experience on IAS in a freshwater environment .................................. 19 

Figure 13 pilot version of the IAS game (printed cards) at the European Researchers Night 2019 in Milan 
(left), and at the World water Day 2019 in Mantua (right) .............................................................................................................. 20 

26 

 
 
List of tables  

Table 1. Citizen Science projects attributes ................................................................................................................................................ 6 

Table 2. Published EASIN news .......................................................................................................................................................................... 9 

Table 3. Followers of EASIN social media accounts ............................................................................................................................... 9 

Table 5. IAS observations by local catalogues ....................................................................................................................................... 13 

Table 6. Species count (nº of validated observations) ....................................................................................................................... 14 

27 

 
 
GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE EU 

In person 

All over the European Union there are hundreds of Europe Direct centres. You can find the address of the centre nearest you online 
(european-union.europa.eu/contact-eu/meet-us_en). 

On the phone or in writing 

Europe Direct is a service that answers your questions about the European Union. You can contact this service: 

— by freephone: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (certain operators may charge for these calls), 

— at the following standard number: +32 22999696, 

— via the following form: european-union.europa.eu/contact-eu/write-us_en. 

FINDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE EU 

Online 

Information  about  the  European  Union  in  all  the  official  languages  of  the  EU  is  available  on  the  Europa  website  (european-
union.europa.eu). 

EU publications 

You  can  view  or  order  EU  publications  at  op.europa.eu/en/publications.  Multiple  copies  of  free  publications  can  be  obtained  by 
contacting Europe Direct or your local documentation centre (european-union.europa.eu/contact-eu/meet-us_en). 

EU law and related documents 

For access to legal information from the EU, including all EU law since 1951 in all the official language versions, go to EUR-Lex 
(eur-lex.europa.eu). 

Open data from the EU 

The  portal  data.europa.eu  provides  access  to  open  datasets  from  the  EU  institutions,  bodies  and  agencies.  These  can  be 
downloaded and reused for free, for both commercial and non-commercial purposes. The portal also provides access to a wealth 
of datasets from European countries.