Citizen science projects in the UK: volunteer to help nature
24th April 2025
It’s an exciting time for science in the environmental sector. There is a growing number of citizen science projects in the UK that you can get involved in, with thousands of people taking part!
From birdwatching to butterfly counting to water quality testing to whale watching, there’s something for everyone, all year round.
Read on to discover many of the exciting citizen science projects you can volunteer at across the UK and on your doorstep. Click on the name of the project to visit its website.
What is citizen science?
Citizen science projects invite people from all walks of life, even without a scientific background, to participate in scientific research.
By working together, scientists and the public can tackle big challenges like climate change, pollution, and health issues. It’s a way for anyone to contribute to scientific discoveries and create positive change.
Citizen scientists can take part in any stage of a research project: asking the question, developing the methods, and collecting data which all help scientists to build a picture of our natural world.
We are champions of citizen science here at Earthwatch Europe. We have been running and supporting citizen science projects in the UK and beyond since before the term was invented.
Citizen science is central to all our programmes, helping us understand how we can best work with communities to restore nature in our cities, waterways and farms.
Wildlife monitoring
Photo: Chloe Allison, Beat the Street
May-June. It involves observing and counting bees, butterflies and bugs at the 290+ Tiny Forests across the UK. Help us understand how Tiny Forests support wildlife.
Tiny Forest Tree Keeper Monitoring
Year round. Monitor wildlife species, test soil health and water storage, and track tree growth at your local Tiny Forest site throughout the year.
Year round. Tell Record Pool about reptiles and amphibians that you’ve seen to help with conservation on a local and national level.
Year round. To aid in tracking and controlling the spread of the yellow-legged hornet, the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology developed the Asian Hornet Watch app for submitting records to the non-native species alert system.
March-October. This is the national recording scheme which monitors the abundance of bumblebees across Britain.
July-August. By taking part in Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count – a UK wide survey, you can help assess the health of our environment simply by counting butterflies.
January. Every year, people take part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch by counting the birds they see in their patch.
Share hedgehog sightings and hedgehog holes on Hedgehog Street’s map.
May-September. British Dragonfly Society run the national recording scheme for dragonflies with the aim of tracking changes in the distribution and status of species across Britain.
Year round. There’s something for everyone: from patch birders, garden enthusiasts and cuckoo sponsors to expert ringers and ecologists.
May-September. The Bugs Matter citizen science survey is an important initiative measuring insect splats on vehicle number plates as a marker of insect abundance.
Year round. Could you become a Dragon Finder? You can help amphibians and reptiles in the UK by using this app to submit your sightings.
Year round. Tell Butterfly Conservation about your garden and the butterflies you see throughout the year. Together we can work out how best to help them and provide a much-needed haven all year round.
Spring-Summer. Spot a spectacular stag beetle as they emerge on warm, sunny evenings in spring and summer.
Year round. Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. iNaturalist shares your findings to help scientists find and use your data.
Year round. PTES need your help to monitor mammals and record sightings to protect their future.
Year round. Mammal Mapper is a free app where you can record signs and sightings of mammals in the UK.
National Bat Monitoring Programme
Year round. You can help to monitor the UK’s bats by taking part in Bat Conservation Trust’s surveys and observe these fascinating mammals in your local area.
National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme
Take part in the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme and look for hedgehogs in camera trap images.
National Honey Monitoring Scheme
This project analyses honey samples from beekeepers across the UK to monitor environmental quality and plant diversity.
National Moth Recording Scheme
Year round. Any moth species that you see and can identify, whether you are moth trapping on a Scottish mountain or relaxing in your garden, can be recorded.
Help to update the polecat distribution map of Britain! Vincent Wildlife Trust is monitoring the recovery of the elusive polecat during 2024 and 2025 with the help of citizen scientists.
National Water Vole Monitoring Programme
April-June. Visit your local riverbank and record tell-tales signs of these elusive animals.
Year round. Help the Woodland Trust track the effects of weather and climate change on wildlife near you.
The National Oil Beetle Recording Scheme aims to generate records of these beetles to help us to understand more about their abundance, distribution and ecology in the UK.
UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme
Year round. The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) is one of the longest running insect monitoring schemes in the world.
The UK Ladybird Survey aims to encourage the recording of all species of ladybird found within the UK.
UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme
April-September. We need to know how pollinator populations are changing, and with your help UKPoMS are gathering data on a wide range of flower-visiting insects.
Water quality and river health
Year round. FreshWater Watch is the largest citizen science water quality testing programme in the UK. FreshWater Watch trains communities to use our simple water monitoring toolkit to detect nutrient pollution.
April and September. A biannual campaign calling on everyone to go out and test the quality of their local freshwater including rivers, streams and lakes. This helps to build a national picture of water quality across the UK.
April and September. Anyone can take part in these week-long citizen science surveys that help to build an important picture of river health across the UK and Ireland.
Year round. An app for reporting the presence of blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria. The app helps speed up public health warnings about harmful algal blooms and can help teach you how to recognise the risks to you, children and animals.
Riverfly Monitoring Initiative
Anglers and local community groups are often seen as natural guardians of the river environment, because they are in an ideal position to monitor the health of the watercourses they fish in and live near.
Year round. If you don’t live near the sea, you can still make a difference to the health of our ocean by recording the litter you see in your local area. Head to your local park, street or river and record which litter items you spot there – keep a tally of how many you find.
Plant and fungi monitoring
October. It is a simple survey, measuring and identifying trees at the 290+ Tiny Forests across the UK. Help us understand how Tiny Forests grow.
Year round. Help protect our valuable tree heritage. Let the Woodland Trust know if you see any ancient or old trees and put them on their map.
Year round. The data will be collected to give PTES an overview of the condition of our hedgerows nationally.
November-February. We think British mistletoe is on the move, but we need data to find out! Help the Tree Council track Britain’s mistletoe.
National Plant Monitoring Scheme
April onwards. A nationwide project, supported by hundreds of dedicated citizen scientists, heading out annually to conduct botanical surveys at their allocated sites.
Year round. With the help of wildlife lovers and conservationists across the UK PTES have been seeking, mapping and surveying traditional orchards since 2007.
September-November. This autumn, help Plantlife find Britain’s most colourful and important fungi – waxcaps.
Marine and coastal projects
Year round. Marine Conservation Society (MCS) are collecting vital data on microplastic pollution in the UK. You can get involved by heading to the beach and telling them about the microplastics you find there.
Year round. Our coast is home to an amazing variety of seaweeds. Discovering where and how they grow can tell MCS vital information about our climate.
Year round. Become a citizen scientist and help the Shark Trust learn more about sharks, skates and rays by finding and recording eggcases.
Year round. Encourages the public to report sightings of plastic pellets (nurdles) on beaches, aiding in tracking plastic pollution sources.
Year round. OceanWatchers is ORCA’s citizen science monitoring programme, using their whale and dolphin surveying app.
Year round. Seasearch is a project for recreational divers and snorkellers who want to do their bit for the marine environment by collecting information about habitats, plants and animals that they see under the water.
Year round. Volunteers are trained to identify and record the wildlife on shores across the UK. The data collected by this project helps experts to monitor our fragile sea life and better understand the effects of pollution, climate change and invasive alien species.
The science of citizen science
Find out more about citizen science and how we support the development of citizen science projects in the UK and Europe.
