What we have called Community Science is part of the research technique known as Citizen Science which promotes the voluntary participation of non-specialized citizens in scientific research with the support of professional researchers. It is a research technique that we have implemented mainly at Community level, hence the derivation of the name of the research line.
The goal is to promote the voluntary citizen participation in science, for which reason community groups are generally integrated, and then are trained in different topics to encourage their adequate participation in the development of research projects.
We work with groups of children, young people and adults, both women and men. Usually this groups of citizen are not specialized in the research topic, so they acquire experience as they are getting involved in the implementation of the different stages of the projects.
Among the people who have integrated the Community Science groups we have had participants with diverse trades and professions, such as traders, fishermen, farmers, beekeepers, farmers, fire fighters, tourist guides, construction workers, housewives, drivers, students of different school levels, painters, musicians, public servants of sectors other than the environment, environmental engineers, teachers, among others.
This groups of citizens, get involved since the beginning of a research project in their community, which is the approach of the research question, to the conclusion of the research, that comes with the socialization of the knowledge generated.
This knowledge has served as a basis for strengthening the management of protected natural areas (ANP), as well as priority conservation areas outside ANP; they have also provided firsthand support for the implementation of environmental and ecotourism education projects and for strengthening biological conservation initiatives.
