The European Citizen Science community meets in Finland

The 6th Conference of the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) will take place from 3 to 6 March 2026 in Oulu, Finland. This year, Oulu is also the European Capital of Culture. Under the theme “Citizen Science bridging Centre and Periphery” the conference explores how citizen science can connect different regions, perspectives, and knowledge spaces. Registration is open until 15 February.

The diverse conference programme will present and discuss relevant topics from research and practice through presentations, roundtables, and workshops. The OeAD Centre for Citizen Science will be involved in the following formats:

• 4 March 2026 – Workshop on “Teaching citizen science: Building capacity through teacher education and training” organised by the Citizen Science Working Group in/with Schools
• 4 March 2026 – Workshop of the EU project “RIECS-Concept” on “Co-designing the future pan-European Citizen Science research infrastructure”
• 5 March 2026 – Roundtable on “Bridging centre and periphery: Insights from citizen science initiatives such as ‘Sparkling Science’ on engaging schools in remote and peripheral regions” moderated by Susanne Hecker (Museum für Naturkunde)
• 6 March 2026 – Short presentation on professional development opportunities for teachers in the session “Developing the European Citizen Science academy – lessons learnt”

To conclude the conference, the Citizen Science Festival will take place in the afternoon and evening of 6 March 2026 in a shopping centre in Oulu. Participation is free of charge, and all interested visitors will have the opportunity to learn about citizen science projects firsthand.