“What's that weed on the street?” Motivation and attitude of contributors and followers in a citizen science project studying pavement plants

Abstract

Plants are essential for life on Earth, yet their importance is often underappreciated. Urban flora are often dismissed as weeds, for example. One solution could be plant-focused citizen science projects that can boost awareness and support conservation efforts. In this study, we conducted a survey among 241 participants of an urban flora citizen science project to examine their motivations and attitude. We compared experienced contributors, inexperienced contributors, and followers who only engaged online, and identified key motivations and attitudes across patterns of involvement. Most participants were driven by an interest in urban nature, a desire to support research, and a commitment to help nature. Contributors were more motivated to assist research than followers, while followers held similar or even more positive views of pavement plants. Our findings reveal that participants who do not contribute data are just as motivated by their care for urban nature and have an equal or more positive attitude towards wild urban flora compared to contributors. We suggest that, although less scientifically motivated, these individuals could amplify the project's reach through other types of activities, such as advocacy and education. We emphasize the importance of broad outreach, attracting diverse participants, and recognizing the value of non-contributing participants in citizen science projects aimed at supporting conservation.