Projects

Giant resin bee

The project focus on the first recorded, accidently introduced wild bee in Europe, the Sculptured Resin Bee (Megachile sculpturalis). The aim of the project is to evaluate if the species has to be considered as an invasive species causing ecological consequences by its establishment and to reconstruct its colonization history particularly with regard to further invasive wild bees emerging in Europe.

Project lead: Julia Lanner

Institute: Institute for integrative nature conservation research

Projectwebsite: https://www.citizen-science.at/en/projects/the-giant-resin-bee

Heavy Metal City-Zen

We invite urban community gardens, garden projects or similar collective garden initiatives to participate in this project and undertake collaborative research work with us.

The aim of this project is to scientifically assess the potential risk of heavy metal contamination of food crops grown in Viennese Urban Gardens.

Coordinator: Andrea Watzinger and Rebecca Hood-Nowotny

Institute: Institute of Soil Research

Project website: https://heavymetalcityzen.com/

Project Roadkill

In this project, you will be able to actively participate in a scientific project on the topic "Roadkill". In this project we collect data on what kind of animals come to death on streets and what are the reasons for it. Hotspots are identified with your data and an attempt is made to defuse these hotspots. Coordinator: Florian Heigl Institute: Institut für Zoologie Project website: http://roadkill.at/en

Goldschakal

The golden jackal is a very shy animal and lives very hidden, at a first glance the distinction to fox or wolf is sometimes not so easy - but on closer inspection, there are a few unique features. If you feel you have seen a golden jackal in Austria, or find a canine animal on your game camera, please notify us of your reference. Coordinator: Jennifer Hatlauf Institute: Institut für Wildbiologie und Jagdwirtschaft Project website: www.goldschakal.at

Fire-Database

In spring 2013, the Institute of Silviculture has created a web platform that enables a simple and system-independent collection and analysis of forest fires. The Web-GIS application "Fire Database" is freely accessible and allows interested parties to query forest fire events and to create statistics or graphics. Similarly, current or historical forest fires can be reported via an online entry form. Coordinator: Harald Vacik Institute: Institut für Waldbau Project website: http://fire.boku.ac.at/public/

“Homegrown - There is nothing like a homegarden”

Farmers homegardens, their diversity of the plant species used and the associated knowledge of the garden managers, are an integral part of the cultural landscape of the Lienz district of Eastern Tyrol. Together with scholars of the BG / BRG Lienz (with professors for biology, mathematics / Physics and English), we examine the diversity and the use of plants in rural home gardens. The results will be compared to data collected from surveys conducted 20 years ago in the same gardens and will help identify transformations of the gardens and their management. Garden managers motivations, attitudes and values towards gardening will also be investigated. Within the scope of a complementary Citizen Science module the local gardeners will be invited to participate in our research. They will carry out surveys in their own gardens, to explore the perception of the local population about the physical and intangible ecosystem services of homegardens. Coordinator: Christian R. Vogl Institute:  Institut für Ökologischer Landbau Project website: http://www.nas.boku.ac.at/ifoel/arbeitsgruppen/arbeitsgruppe-wissenssysteme-und-innovationen-agwi/projekte/homegrown/