Café com Ciência with Rita Campos, João Loureiro and Cristina Nava| Online
What if we could all actively contribute to science? This seminar presents three citizen science projects that demonstrate how research, learning, and action can go hand in hand in building a more sustainable future. From monitoring food waste in schools (MofWaste) to observing pollinators and their interactions with plants (PolinizAÇÃO), to integrating participatory research into the school curriculum (ATHENE), the potential of students, teachers, and communities as active agents in the production of scientific knowledge is evident.
More than just generating data, these projects promote scientific literacy, stimulate critical thinking, and strengthen civic engagement. By bringing science and society closer together, citizen science establishes itself as a tool for understanding and addressing environmental and social challenges in a collaborative and transformative way.
This presentation introduces the project “ATHENE—Citizen Science as a Methodology for Developing Skills in Children and Youth,” a methodological tool that promotes collaboration among students, teachers, and researchers to rethink curriculum content through participatory research, positioning students as active contributors and leaders in scientific inquiry. ATHENE aims to strengthen students’ autonomy, motivation, and critical thinking skills by valuing their individual knowledge and experiences, encouraging reflection, and promoting their role as peer mentors. Based on the initial results of ATHENE’s implementation in 18 classes across five school clusters, we will discuss the challenges and opportunities of using this citizen science strategy in educational contexts.
Who visits the flowers we see every day? Bees, flies, butterflies, or many other insects we rarely notice? This presentation will show how citizen science can help answer these questions through simple observations made by anyone. By observing a flower for just ten minutes and recording the insects that visit it, it is possible to reveal a surprising diversity of pollinators and generate useful information for science. Using examples from Portugal involving citizens, schools, and research projects, we will explore how these small observations allow us to better understand the interactions between plants and pollinators and, at the same time, bring people closer to the biodiversity that exists around them.
The MoFWaste – Museum of Food Waste project, promoted by Rio Neiva – Association for the Defense of the Environment, addresses the problem of food waste in school cafeterias and its environmental, social, and economic impacts. The initiative is based on citizen science, empowering students as active agents in monitoring waste in their schools, while also involving teachers and cafeteria staff. In 2024, the project took place in five schools in Esposende and one in Viana do Castelo, involving more than 500 students (ages 10–15), 26 teachers, and 24 staff members. During 40 days of continuous monitoring, 6.24 tons of food waste were identified. Based on this data, the students co-created solutions to reduce it. In 2024, the project received the EU Citizen Science Award – Diversity & Collaboration 2025.
Researcher in Science Communication and Science Education at CES-University of Coimbra, member of the Observatory of Education and Training Policies (OP.Edu), and co-coordinator of the CES Working Groups on Citizen Science and Education (CC.Edu) and Learning and Education in Citizen Science at ECSA. She is interested in the study and development of science communication tools, active learning, citizen science, interdisciplinary approaches, and methodologies that promote public inclusion and participation.
João Loureiro is a biologist with a Ph.D. from the University of Aveiro and an Associate Professor in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Coimbra. Together with Sílvia Castro, he coordinates the FLOWer Lab at the Centre for Functional Ecology, where he studies plant ecology and evolution and the role of pollinators in natural and agricultural ecosystems. He has developed several citizen science initiatives dedicated to biodiversity and pollinator monitoring, seeking to bridge the gap between science, society, and conservation.
Cristina Nava holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology, a postgraduate degree in Education, Sustainability, and the Environment from the University of Évora, and a master’s degree in Ocean Studies from the University of the Azores. She is the project manager for MoFWaste and a member of the environmental education team at Rio Neiva – Association for Environmental Protection, where she develops projects in the areas of sustainability, biodiversity, landscape, and territory, using multidisciplinary approaches that combine art, the environment, and science.
Participation in the “Café com Ciência” seminar sessions entitles you to a certificate of participation, upon request to cmia@cm-matosinhos.pt
Free online webinar. To access please follow this LINK.
This session will be recorded. Participants must complete an informed consent form, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Law No. 58/2019, to authorize the recording of their image and/or voice if they turn on their camera and/or microphone. The recording of this session may be published on institutional channels for wider dissemination to the general public. Participants may also participate in this session without turning on their camera and microphone if they do not want their image and/or voice to be captured.
If you are a CIIMAR member, you can access recordings of previous seminars via the LINK. Starting in March 2026, recordings of the “Café com Ciência” seminars will be available on CIIMAR’s YouTube channel.
