Appendix S2. Results of assessment of 14 case studies

Name of the case study. / Level of engagement (Shirk et al. 2012) [1] / Objectives / Learning outcomes for scientists / Learning outcomes for non-scientist participants
Estimation of wolf population, Finland / Contributory project / -To monitor populations of endangered wolf species
-To plan management measures
-To collect observations provided by a network of trained large carnivore contact persons and through special counting events
-To test how well hunters identify traces of large carnivores / - Innovation: Development of new methods for population estimates, and discovering how the methods employed should be further developed
- Closer connections to others: Gaining knowledge and skills about how to motivate and manage volunteers / - New knowledge: Gaining information about the local wolf packs and their movements
- Citizen empowerment through the use of scientific-like method and language
- Improved decision-making: Learning to use scientific method and language in a political campaign
Helsinki-Uusimaa regional plan 4, Finland / Collaborative project / -To gather information on the perceptions and meanings citizens attach to nature
-To facilitate participation in land use planning
-To raise awareness of cultural ecosystem services
-To develop and test public participatory geographical information systems (PPGIS) methodology / - New knowledge: New discoveries of valuable nature sites in the study region
- Enhanced trust: Learning citizens’ perceptions, values, and motives behind the locations they marked
- Innovation: Experiencing and learning how to design and implement a PPGIS survey on cultural ecosystem services
- Place-based stewardship: Learning what the cultural ecosystems of the region actually mean to the residents / - Citizen empowerment through incorporating local knowledge into regional land use planning
- Place-based stewardship: Improved knowledge on cultural ecosystem services
- Improved decision-making: Experiences in using PPGIS as a tool for participatory land use planning
Sibbesborg local master plan, Finland / Collaborative project / -To facilitate participation in land use planning
-To raise awareness of cultural ecosystem services
-To make inhabitants’ values related to cultural ecosystem services visible to land use planners and decision makers
-To test methods of collecting experiential knowledge on how people understand different cultural ecosystem services
-To find out the added value of PPGIS data for land use planning / - Closer connections to others: Scientists established close relationships with participants, including municipal land use planners, policy-makers and local residents
- New knowledge/skills: Scientists have learned a lot about the planning process, about the different agendas that planners and residents have, about conflicts, and about problems in making natural values and ecosystem services count in land use planning
- Enhanced trust: Engaging with both practitioners and local people has taught scientists lots of skills for collaborative action / - Place-based stewardship: Practitioners have learned about ecosystem services, and how and why they count in land use planning
- Improved decision-making: Practitioners have had to face scientific viewpoints which have not always been in line with the proposed planning decisions
- Enhanced trust: Experience about the intelligibility of scientific concepts
Porot – Reindeer, Finland / Collaborative project / -To create a network of actors who produce, refine or use geographical information in reindeer herding and land use planning
-To better take into account reindeer herding in land use assessment and planning
-To prioritize geographical information and use it for avoiding and resolving land use conflicts / - Closer connections to others: Relationships were strengthened throughout the project due to intensive field interactions
- Procedural knowledge on facilitating and managing citizens’ involvement: Researchers learned how to facilitate discussions, and gained new insights by observing them / - Enhanced trust: Reindeer herders learned to appreciate the value of scientific research
- Improved decision-making: Participants learned how to use results to make their point in land use conflicts and in reindeer management
- Improved management of socio-ecological system: Ability to better understand the relationships between overgrazing pastures, other land uses which limit reindeer ranging and number of reindeer
Ladybird Survey, UK / Contributory project / -To enhance understanding of ecology of ladybirds in Britain and the impact of the invasive alien, the harlequin ladybird
-To re-connect people with nature / New knowledge: Data on ladybirds in Britain / - New knowledge: Increased knowledge of UK ladybirds and ecology of insects; increased understanding of invasion biology
- Increased public awareness on the issue of invasive alien species
- Improved management of social-ecological system: Spin-off projects on surveillance of alien species beyond the harlequin ladybird
Nature Observations Database, Estonia / Collaborative project / - To gather and make publicly available data on species' distribution in time and space
- To contribute to implementing nature conservation measures
- To support nature education in general, as well as contribution to people's knowledge on certain species or natural features / - New knowledge on species and nature and on observation methods
- Procedural knowledge on facilitating and managing citizens’ involvement: New skills on citizens' engagement and on managing and operating citizen science information systems (for scientist and participants) / - New knowledge/skills: Increased knowledge on species; new skills of observing and describing nature
- Place-based stewardship: citizen actions, raising public awareness
- Enhanced trust of citizen science activities
Vadonleső, Hungary / Contributory project / -To gain more accurate information about the spread of flora and fauna of nature protection relevance
-To measure stocks and detect risk factors
-To provide data for the National Biodiversity Monitoring System
-To raise public awareness and promote social learning about biodiversity
-To involve wide groups of society in monitoring biological diversity / - Increased knowledge on species: qualitative data on the life of a particular species draw the attention of researchers to some astonishing facts
- Procedural knowledge on citizen engagement: Researchers gained practical experience in how to reach the target audience effectively, how a citizen science program can be operated and promoted, and how science communication can be improved / - New knowledge: New information on little-known species
-New skills: Participants gained new skills of observing and describing nature - Awareness raising and increased interest in conservation issues
- Place-based stewardship: A new CSproject was generated using the experiences accumulated
Marten Network (“marternetwerk”), Belgium / Contributory project / -To collect and store corpses of mustelid species, but also other native or non-native carnivores
-To empower large numbers of volunteers, including observers, licensed couriers and storekeepers (contributing freezers)
-To produce high quality data for the long-term monitoring of species distribution and abundance
-To provide scientists with sample animals for ecological autopsies
-To generate greater understanding of the population status and dynamics
-To integrate specimens in the mammal collection of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences / - New knowledge: Scientists learn from volunteers about what is going on in the field and how citizens think about biodiversity issues
- Innovation: The MARTEN NETWORK has opened up new possibilities for scientific research that had previously seemed out of reach
- Enhanced trust: Improved knowledge and understanding about citizens’ perceptions and values / - Increased knowledge about species and their distributions
- Closer connections to others: Scientists provide volunteers with as much feedback as possible
Open Farm Sunday Pollinator Survey, UK / Collaborative project / -To engage people with farmland wildlife
-Completing systematic survey of flower visitors in crop and non-crop habitats
-To provide a scientific activity for the national annual event of Open Farm Sunday
-To encourage families and visitor groups to record data on insects visiting flowers / - New knowledge: Data generation on insects visiting flowers and understanding of the abundance of insect visitors in crop and non-crop habitats on farms
- Procedural knowledge on facilitating and managing citizens’ involvement: Researchers gained experience on how to review their findings and discuss the outcomes together with participants / - New knowledge: Increased understanding of farmland biodiversity and ecological surveys
- Raising public awareness of farmland biodiversity
Big Bumblebee Discovery, UK / Contributory project / -To engage people in recording data on pollinating insects and understanding the importance of these insects to ecosystem functioning
-To address a specific question: “How does the landscape affect the diversity and abundance of bumblebees?”
-To engage people, particularly school children, in understanding the role of pollinating insects / - New knowledge: Data on bumblebees visiting lavender in different landscape contexts / - New knowledge: Increased understanding of pollinator ecology, basic insect identification, and field survey techniques
- Raising public awareness of the role of pollinators and insect population declines
- New skills of observing and describing nature
Virtual Biodiversity, Spain / Contributory project / -To create a network among actors involved
-To raise awareness on local biodiversity / - New knowledge: Creating a Virtual Biodiversity Database for many municipalities
- Innovation: A free, online platform was developed
- Public awareness-raising: Tools for education are largely used in schools / - New knowledge: Creating Citizens’ Observatories and Species Catalogues
Catalan Butterfly Monitoring System, Spain / Collaborative project / -To identify and map species (Catalan Butterfly Monitoring Scheme)
-To gather citizens’ observations in the e-database
-To raise awareness on the value of biodiversity and green areas in general
-To promote social learning on maintaining biodiversity / - New knowledge: Increased knowledge on butterflies and biodiversity in general; data on climate and land use change which are related to extinction risk for butterflies / - New skills of observing and describing nature - Raising public awareness on bio-indicators and their role in studying climate and land use change
BioBlitz, Barcelona, Spain / Contributory project / -To monitor urban biodiversity
-To gather citizens’ observationsin the e-database
-To raise awareness about urban ecosystems / - New knowledge: Complex database on various organisms from urban habitats
- Enhanced trust: Improved knowledge and understanding about citizens’ perceptions and values / - Closer connections to others: Citizens accompanied a scientist tovisit various urban habitats by day and night
-New skills for identifying various groups of organisms and their ecology
Amphibians and Reptiles – BirdLife Hungary / Contributory project / -To create a network among the actors involved
-To anticipate endangered species and declines in stocks
-To provide data for the National Biodiversity Monitoring System
-To raise social awareness and promote social learning about biodiversity
-To involve wide groups of society in monitoring biological diversity / - New knowledge: The enhancement of publishable ecological knowledge and understanding
- Procedural knowledge on facilitating and managing citizens’ involvement: Gaining knowledge and skills about how to manage and motivate volunteers / - Awareness-raising and increasing interest in conservation issues
- Enhanced trust through collaboration between members of a volunteer community
- New skills: Scientific skills of participants are enhanced through participation in accompanying events

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