Representing the university’s Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR), researchers Alex, Katharina, Helen and Lindy brought science playfully to the community using ‘biodiversity story cubes’ and ‘Biodiversity JENGA®’. The interactive activities sparked discussions about the DAISY project, and the vital role everyday citizens play in ecological monitoring and ecosystem protection. The team also set up a dedicated iNaturalist project to map local plant and wildlife species within the park, prompting several attendees to sign up on the spot.
Set in Leamington Spa’s Pump Room Gardens, EcoFest has welcomed over 9,000 visitors since 2019. Its ethos ‘Good for us, good for the planet’ fits with DAISY’s mission of ‘Transformation for biodiversity and equity’.
The stand also showcased two other projects: DRAGONS, which explores which kinds of communication of biodiversity messages are most effective at leading to changes in behaviour, and OneSTOP, which uses technology like air DNA samplers alongside citizen science to monitor invasive species.
