Dear students,
Thank you for contributing to the BioPlatgesMet citizen science project through EADA. Your observations and participation are an important part of the collective effort to understand and monitor biodiversity on the beaches of the Barcelona metropolitan area.
We would like to invite you to take part in this forum where you can share your insights and experiences from participating in the project. The aim of this space is to reflect together on the process and learn from each other.
In this forum you can share, for example:
- What motivated you to participate in BioPlatgesMet
- What you observed or learned during your contributions
- Any challenges or interesting moments you experienced while collecting observations
- Ideas on how citizen science projects like this could be improved or expanded
Your reflections will help us understand how the project is experienced by participants and how this type of collaboration between EADA students and citizen science initiatives can continue to grow.
We warmly encourage you to participate and share your perspective.
Thank you again for your contribution.
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These days I went to the beach and used MINKA for the first time. I took some photos of plants on the sand dune. The app is easy to use, but I’m not sure if I took good pictures. Hope someone can help me identify them!
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I took some photos of plants and insects on the sand dunes. I’m not sure if I identified them correctly, but I uploaded them anyway. I hope someone in the community can help me confirm the species.
I also noticed some invasive plants. I remember from the workshop that we should pay attention to them. It’s really interesting to know that my observation can help with beach management and even the SDGs.
Anyway, I’m glad to be part of this. It feels good to contribute something small to science and the environment.
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It was rainy but I still went to the beach. Not many people there. I found some wet plants on the dune. Took photos for MINKA. Hope the photos are clear enough. My phone screen had water drops, hard to see 
I didn’t know before that we cannot step on the dune plants. Now I tell my friends when we go together. They think I’m like a nature expert now haha 
My friend from other class saw my photos and wanted to try. Now we go to beach together to find species. More fun with friends!
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Great to read about your experience @chloegao! Yes, that 's the idea, contributing to science and have fun!
When I look at other people’s observations, I learn a lot. Someone posted a beetle yesterday, someone posted a seagull. I never noticed these things before. Now I look more carefully.
Before I thought citizen science is only for scientists. Now I understand: normal people like me can also help. Every photo is useful.
Today I saw a small dead bird on the sand. Near the water, not in the dune. I didn’t know if I should upload. But maybe it’s also important for science? I took a photo but feel a little sad 
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One thing that really surprised me during my participation was how many different plant species I was able to observe on the beaches. I did not expect such biodiversity in what I thought was a relatively simple environment.
At the same time, it was also very noticeable how much pollution there is. Seeing waste and human impact so clearly present in these natural areas made the experience more striking and made me reflect on the importance of protecting these ecosystems.
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Yes, I agree with you @corentinelefevreEADA, I was also surprised by how much pollution was present on the beaches, as I didn’t expect such visible human impact in a natural environment. However it does make sense since we are so close to a big city.
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Yes, I agree. I also noticed that the further you move away from tourist beaches, the more vegetation there is and the less pollution you find.
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One idea to improve or expand this type of citizen science project would be to combine observation with direct action. For example, in addition to collecting data, participants could also help protect biodiversity by picking up waste on the beaches. This would make the experience even more impactful.
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that is a very interesting take @corentinelefevreEADA, I think that could be a strong idea since it turns our observations into active contributions, making the project more meaningful. It would not only help protect the ecosystem directly but also increase awareness and engagement.
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Yeah, I totally agree with both you and @corentinelefevreEADA. The amount of pollution was really surprising, especially in a place that feels so natural at first glance. And you’re right, being close to a big city definitely explains part of it. It also made me realize how important it is for us to be more mindful of our impact, even in environments that seem untouched.
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I also think it is a bit unfair that our evaluation is partly based on how many times we went to the beach. Going to the beach can involve costs, especially if we need to travel further away from Barceloneta to collect more meaningful observations.
Since reaching less crowded and more natural areas often requires taking transport, this can become expensive. For students who may not have the financial means, this could be a disadvantage.
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I agree with this point, but I also think it can be an opportunity to discover the surrounding areas and explore other coastal spots. That said, it’s true that being partly evaluated on how many times we went to the beach can be unfair. Going to the beach can involve costs, especially if we need to travel further away from Barceloneta to carry out more meaningful observations.
Since reaching less crowded and more natural areas often requires taking public transport, this can quickly become expensive. For students who may not have the financial means, this could be a disadvantage. That said, there are transport subscription options that can help reduce these costs.
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I found it was actually quite hard to find new species. At first I thought it would be easy, but after going a few times I kept seeing the same plants and insects.
Sometimes I felt like maybe I wasn’t looking properly or going to the right spots. But I guess it just takes time and practice to notice more things.
I agree with you. At first, it feels like it’s going to be easy, but in reality you often come across the same species. With time, you learn to observe better and notice more details.
But I’ve also noticed that if you move away from Barcelona, you can still discover lots of new species, especially in more natural or less crowded places.
Yes, I’d recommend Sitges — there are really lots of new species to discover there!
[quote=“corentinelefevreEADA, post:19, topic:68, full:true”]
Yes, I’d recommend Sitges — there are really lots of new species to discover there!
[/quoteOh nice, thanks for the recommendation! I’ll definitely try to go to Sitges then.
By the way, just out of curiosity, what kind of species did you see in Sitges?