New FutureLakes Podcast Episode Explores Citizen Science Across Europe's Lakes
How can local communities help monitor and protect Europe's lakes? The latest episode of the FutureLakes Podcast explores the growing role of citizen science in supporting lake conservation and restoration efforts across the continent.
"Come and Meet Your Lake: Citizen Science Across Europe's Lakes", presented and produced by Rob St John at The Freshwater Blog, examines how volunteers, researchers, and local organisations are working together to better understand and care for freshwater ecosystems.
The episode begins at Lough Gur in County Limerick, Ireland, where listeners hear both medieval legends and modern environmental challenges. Professor Catherine Dalton (Mary Immaculate College) discusses the lake's recurring summer algal blooms, while Brian Collopy of the Lough Gur Visitor Centre shares local stories and connections to the lake.
The journey continues to Lake Karla in Greece, where Dionissis Latinopoulos (Democritus University of Thrace) describes a community BioBlitz designed to help people "come and meet your lake". The episode also features contributions from across Europe, including ecologist Kit Nemeth (UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology), who demonstrates the iNaturalist app, alongside voices from citizen science initiatives in the Netherlands, Finland, and Poland.
A key theme throughout the programme is the importance of tailoring citizen science approaches to local communities and circumstances. As Latinopoulos notes, "you cannot copy and paste citizen science."
The episode also introduces the new FutureLakes Citizen Science Catalogue, a free resource bringing together approximately 170 citizen science schemes and approaches relevant to lakes across Europe. The catalogue is intended to help lake managers, community groups, and organisations identify methods that best suit their local needs and interests.
Listen to the episode
- RSS: rss.com/podcasts/future-lakes-podcast/3308788
- Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0DQhSfxaTj3jxOwpLFdoKD
- Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/come-and-meet-your-lake-citizen-science-across/id1875353794
Learn more
Read the accompanying Freshwater Blog article: freshwaterblog.net/2026/11/10/come-and-meet-your-lake-citizen-science-across-europes-lakes/
Download the FutureLakes Citizen Science Catalogue: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18187801