Participatory Science
Participatory science engages communities in the research process, empowering people to contribute to data collection, analysis and decision-making, aiding collaboration with scientists and residents.
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What is Participatory Science?
Participatory science is when ordinary people collaborate with scientists and contribute to scientific research by participating in projects that aim to increase our knowledge about the world. Citizen scientists provide data about their everyday experiences so we can begin to understand the connections between our health, the environment and the choices we make at an individual and community level. Read about some of our local projects involving citizen scientists.
Nanz & Kraft Florists Partnership
Nanz & Kraft Florists has partnered with the Center for Healthy Air, Water and Soil to offer the Healthy Plants Collection. The Healthy Plants Collection will bring greenness to your indoor environment and can help improve mental well-being and air quality in your indoor environments.
Most people spend most of their time indoors in homes, offices and hospitals where pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde, xylene and ammonia are common. Furniture, building materials, office equipment and everyday activities like driving, cleaning and cooking give off these pollutants which can cause distraction, headache, dizziness and eye, nose and throat irritation. Plants in the Healthy Plant Collection can trap airborne toxins on their leaf surface, so you won’t breathe them in.
Healthy Plants Collection
Nanz & Kraft Florists donates $10 from each purchase within the collection to help fund scientific research to improve health in Louisville.
Browse the Healthy Plants Collection
Kentuckiana Meeting for Advancing Participatory Sciences
The Kentuckiana Meeting for Advancing Participatory Sciences integrated Health, Environment and Community Resilience convened leaders and practitioners from diverse sectors to explore the synergies between climate change, health, outdoor recreation and community resilience. Hosted by the Center for Healthy Air, Water and Soil, with support from the Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences, the event provided a platform for showcasing excellence, fostering collaboration and envisioning new partnerships in participatory sciences. Speakers, including Chris Lorentz from Thomas More University Biology Field Station and Luz Huntington-Moskos from the University of Louisville, discussed topics ranging from environmental justice concerns to community engagement in addressing environmental health challenges. The day culminated in facilitated discussions promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, sustainable community development and creating a sense of community among participatory science practitioners in the region. Through these discussions, participants worked toward developing actionable strategies to address common challenges and foster a new vision of health.
Become a Member of the Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences (AAPS)
Help build and sustain projects engaged in community science, citizen science, community-based monitoring, volunteer research and more.
Odor Reporting with Smell MyCity
Smell MyCity is a way for Louisville residents to report odors to Louisville Metro’s Air Pollution Control District. Thousands of smell reports from 2018-2023 have been analyzed to investigate associations between reports and health outcomes and to share findings. This work was presented at the seventh- annual Environmental Justice Conference hosted by the NAACP Louisville Chapter and the West Jefferson County Community Task Force in September 2023.
Do You Smell Something Out of the Ordinary?
The Smell MyCity app enables residents to report odors and collect data that can help track down potential sources of pollution in their neighborhood.
Report unusual odors using the Smell MyCity app
Junior Achievement's Health Ambassadors
The Center for Healthy Air, Water and Soil and Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana have partnered to create a Community Health Researcher job within JA's Sam Swope BizTown. Just like the Envirome Institute's team of researchers at the University of Louisville, this Community Health Researcher observed residents of BizTown, conducted research through a survey about health and presented their research findings. When JCPS students attended Junior Achievement's BizTown, they learned about the connections between the environment and health from their Community Health Researcher. They could also choose to learn about the Circle of Harmony and Health and how it can be used as a framework to help people understand and reflect on their health.
Assessing the Health of the Ohio River
In partnership with the Humana Foundation and Kentucky Waterways Alliance, CHAWS hosted a unique citizen science event aimed at assessing the health of the Ohio River. On Humana’s Day of Service, 120 participants gathered at the Falls of the Ohio recreational area for this event. Using line and tackle, participants helped collect fish samples to be analyzed for pollutants, including perfluorinated compounds (PFAS), that pose risks to both aquatic ecosystems and human health. The event provided an opportunity for community members to actively engage in environmental research while learning about the importance of water quality. The collected data provided valuable insights into pollution levels and informed public health and conservation efforts.
Ohio River Sweeps
Join volunteers from six states in removing litter along the Ohio River and its tributaries during the Ohio River Sweep Season from March to October.
Don't see what you're looking for?
If you have other ideas about how you would like to participate in the research we are conducting at the Envirome Institute, let us know.