The Thrill of Discovery: Significant Nature Experiences Among Biodiversity Citizen Scientists

The important role of direct experience in nature has sparked an interest in studying people's significant experiences in nature, yet few studies have addressed the nature experiences of biodiversity citizen scientists. For organizations involved in organizing biodiversity citizen science projects, or interested in improving recruitment and retention in existing projects, insight into which experiences in nature are especially memorable and impactful for participants can be used for effective communication or project design. To address this lacuna, this paper reports a thematic analysis of 1,450 significant nature experiences reported by Dutch biodiversity citizen scientists. Respondents narrate a wide variety of experiences, ranging from the general to the particular and from the extraordinary to the everyday appreciation of nature. Discovery, that is, encountering plants and animals the respondent has not seen before, appears to be a critical factor in shaping significant experiences of biodiversity citizen scientists. This thrill of discovery is experienced both in remote locations and close to home. This, along with the relative prominence of rare or unique species and a sense of surprise in reported experiences, indicates that many respondents are deeply impressed when nature managed to catch them off guard. In addition, we discuss the importance of learning both as a motivator for and result of nature engagement among biodiversity citizen scientists. Based on our findings, we formulate several points of attention for organizations aiming to recruit and retain committed citizen scientists for monitoring biodiversity, and discuss fruitful steps for further research.