Changes in participant behaviour and attitudes are associated with knowledge and skills gained by using a turtle conservation citizen science app

Citizen science has become a popular way to collect biodiversity data and
engage the wider public in scientific research. It has the potential to
improve the knowledge and skills of participants, and positively change
their behaviour and attitude towards the environment. Citizen science
outcomes are particularly valuable for wildlife conservation, as they
could help alleviate human impacts on the environment. We used an online
questionnaire to investigate the consequences of participating in an
Australian turtle mapping app, TurtleSAT, on skills and knowledge gain,
and test for any association between these gains with behavioural or
attitudinal changes reported by the participants. 148 citizen scientists
completed our questionnaire, mostly from the states of New South Wales and
Victoria. Participants listed TurtleSAT as the third most common source of
knowledge about turtle ecology and conservation, after a talk about
turtles and personal observations/research. Citizen scientists who
participated more often were more knowledgeable about turtles than
infrequent users. Self-reported gains in knowledge and skills were
positively linked to attitudinal and behavioural changes, such as being
more aware of turtles on roads. However, behaviour and attitude changes
were not related to participation rate. Respondents also reported that
after learning about the current decline in turtle populations, they
adopted several turtle-friendly practices, such as habitat restoration or
moving turtles out of harm’s way, underlining the importance of increasing
people’s awareness on species declines. The reported changes in attitudes
and behaviours are likely to positively impact the conservation of
Australian freshwater turtles. Engagement with citizen science projects
like TurtleSAT may result in participants being more interested in the
natural world, by learning more about it and being more exposed to it, and
therefore contribute more actively to its protection.