Citizen Science and Earth Intelligence: Connecting Communities, Digital Twins and Destination Earth
How can citizens contribute to the next generation of Earth Intelligence? How can local knowledge, community engagement, and citizen-generated observations complement satellite data, environmental models, and Digital Twins?
These are some of the questions that will be explored in the upcoming CLEAR-EO webinar “Citizen Science and Earth Intelligence: Connecting Communities, Digital Twins and Destination Earth.”
As Europe advances ambitious initiatives such as Destination Earth (DestinE), Digital Twins, and AI-powered Earth observation services, the importance of involving citizens and communities is becoming increasingly clear. Citizen science not only provides valuable environmental observations but also helps ensure that Earth Intelligence services are relevant, trusted, and responsive to societal needs.
The webinar will bring together experts from the citizen science, Earth observation, and community engagement communities to discuss how citizens can actively contribute to environmental monitoring and decision-making. The discussion will also explore how citizen observations can complement Earth observation systems and support practical applications in urban flooding, climate-resilient agriculture, and urban air quality—three focus areas of the Horizon Europe CLEAR-EO project.
Thursday 25th June 15:00 – 16:30 CEST
From Citizen Observations to Earth Intelligence
Environmental challenges are increasingly complex and interconnected. While satellite observations, in-situ monitoring networks, and environmental models provide unprecedented volumes of data, local observations and community knowledge remain essential for understanding impacts on the ground.
Citizen science initiatives across Europe demonstrate how communities can contribute valuable observations related to air quality, water quality, biodiversity, climate impacts, and environmental change. These observations can enrich Earth observation systems and create opportunities for more inclusive approaches to environmental intelligence.
The webinar will explore how these contributions can be integrated into emerging Digital Twins and Destination Earth services, helping bridge the gap between global-scale observations and local action.
Featured Speakers
Joan Masó (CREAF)
Joan Masó is a leading expert on geospatial interoperability, Earth observation infrastructures, and citizen science integration. His presentation will focus on how citizen-generated observations can be incorporated into Earth observation systems, Digital Twins, and Destination Earth, highlighting the technical opportunities and challenges of integrating diverse data sources into future Earth Intelligence services.
Franka Kunz (ESA Destination Earth)
As part of the ESA Destination Earth team, Franka Kunz works at the interface between technology, users, and stakeholder communities. Her role involves supporting engagement and collaboration across the growing DestinE ecosystem, helping connect Earth observation experts, service providers, policy makers, researchers, and end users.
Franka will share insights into how stakeholder engagement can support the development of more inclusive and user-centred Earth Intelligence services. Her presentation will explore opportunities for connecting citizen science, local knowledge, and community participation with Destination Earth and future Digital Twin capabilities, helping ensure that Earth Intelligence is not only technically advanced but also accessible, relevant, and beneficial for society.
Maiken Bjørkan (Nordland Research Institute)
Community engagement is about more than collecting data. It is about building trust, fostering participation, and creating meaningful collaboration between scientists, decision-makers, and communities.
Drawing on her extensive experience in stakeholder engagement, co-creation, and participatory approaches, Maiken Bjørkan will discuss how local knowledge and community involvement can strengthen environmental governance and improve the relevance and societal impact of Earth Intelligence services.
Bente Lilja Bye (BLB)
Bente Lilja Bye, Innovation Manager of CLEAR-EO, will introduce the project and moderate the discussion. She will also present how citizen science and community engagement can support CLEAR-EO’s applications in urban flooding, climate-resilient agriculture, and urban air quality, and how these approaches align with broader European initiatives such as Destination Earth and GEO’s vision of Earth Intelligence for All.
Why Attend?
This webinar is relevant for:
- Citizen science practitioners
- Earth observation researchers
- Digital Twin developers
- Environmental agencies
- Policy makers
- Local authorities
- NGOs and community organizations
- Students and researchers
- Anyone interested in the future of Earth Intelligence
Participants will gain insights into both the technical and societal dimensions of citizen science and learn how community-generated observations can contribute to more actionable, inclusive, and trusted environmental intelligence.