FERNFH at the Science Festival: The CoClimA Team Brings Sustainability to Life
The research team from the FERNFH project CoClimA (Climate Alliance) successfully participated in the “Heurika” science festival in Tulln, where they brought citizen science to life for young researchers and adults alike. At this accessible research event, which attracted over 1,500 visitors, children and teenagers in particular were able to become co-researchers themselves at the CoClima booth.
Under the direction of research project leaderPriv. Doz.inMag.aDr.inEva Hofmann, the CoClimA team presented its citizen science project, which focuses on sustainable behaviors and climate-friendly communities. Visitors had the unique opportunity to experience the entire research process firsthand, from the development of research questions to data analysis.
“Exploring different types of sustainable behavior with the children and teens as co-researchers was an extraordinary experience,” says Eva Hofmann, reflecting on her interactions with the youngest Heurika participants. “Together, we developed research questions, formulated survey items, collected data from festival visitors, analyzed it, and finally presented our findings at our booth.”
Interactive Research Station Brings Science to Life
In the morning, the young participants—and in the afternoon, the adult visitors—learned about citizen science and were given specific research tasks on sustainability topics. Possible research questions included, for example, sustainable food shopping habits, awareness of food waste, and the role of sustainability in mobility decisions. Event participants learned how the social sciences work and gained insight into what a career in research entails. In addition to project leader Eva Hofmann, team members Pia Pototschnig and Clarissa Balluch were also actively involved on site. Sonja Wirgler supported the team in the creative planning of the event.
With more than 25 interactive research stations, the “Heurika” science festival provided an ideal platform for conveying science in an accessible and playful way. FERNFH is proud to have contributed to this successful event through the CoClimA project and to have inspired young people to take an interest in research and sustainability.
About the CoClimA Project
The CoClimA research project—a climate alliance initiative of FERNFH—focuses on sustainable behaviors and climate-friendly communities through citizen science approaches. For more information about the project, visit: LINK
The "Heurika" science festival takes place regularly and provides a platform for interactive science education. For more information, visit: https://heurika.at/
