Professional monitoring - A basis for citizen science projects with sustainable impact?

Abstract

Hundreds of swallow nests were discovered with help of citizen scientists in Lower Austria in 2019. With further support of trainees from the AOC Seebarn, a possible basis for long-term monitoring of swallow nests in Lower Austria was created, providing first insights into public acceptance of house martins and barn swallows. The current results are to be seen as a snapshot of the year 2019. Continuation and expansion of the swallow nest monitoring based on citizen science aims to evaluate the sustainable impact of citizen science for a long-term conservation project.