Citizen Science Day
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4 May 2026
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM - IT4Innovations, Studentská 6231/1b, Ostrava-Poruba
This event is held in the Czech language.
Join us with your class for Citizen Science Day, an event designed for secondary school students, taking place on Monday, 4 May at IT4Innovations at VSB–Technical University of Ostrava. Discover citizen science projects and find out how you can become part of real scientific discoveries.
We have prepared interactive workshops where you can learn more about the "Ticks in the City" project, try your hand at analysing owl pellets, identifying small mammals, and find out more about invasive species as well as ways to get involved in their monitoring using modern apps.
You can choose one project, or join them all, and register your class for a specific time slot. Capacity per project is 25 students. The schedule of available registration slots can be found here:
Project 1: Ticks in the city
The "Ticks in the City" project monitors the presence of ticks in urban environments and tests them for several selected bacterial pathogens. Experts regularly collect ticks in all regional cities across the Czech Republic and in selected cities including Ostrava every month. The results help to better understand where the risk of infection is highest and how it changes over time. The public can also take part in the project through a simple online mapping application, where they can report any ticks they find. In this way, the project contributes not only to scientific knowledge but also to raising awareness about health protection.
Tutor: Pavel Kukuliač
Pavel Kukuliač
Ing. Pavel Kukuliač, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Geoinformatics, Faculty of Mining and Geology, VSB – Technical University of Ostrava. His work focuses on geographic information systems (GIS), spatial analysis, cloud-based GIS, the use of AI in GIS, the development of web mapping applications, and the automation of spatial tasks using Python.
Project 2: Tracking the white-toothed shrew
The white-toothed shrew is a small, inconspicuous insectivore that literally “ran under our hands” during mouse research in the Cheb region in 2022. It turned out to be a new species for the Czech Republic and one that behaves invasively in other parts of Europe, potentially displacing native species.
Originally, this shrew comes from North Africa and reached Europe via Gibraltar. Whether its current spread is linked to climate change is not yet certain, but it is very likely. Interestingly, it is a synanthropic species – it likes to live close to humans and can sometimes appear in houses and barns during winter. For this reason, we involved the public in the research. Thanks to their contributions, we have so far collected over 250 photographs of insectivores, providing valuable data not only on the white-toothed shrew but also on other shrew species.
The programme includes a popular science lecture on biodiversity and on how we involve the public in scientific research. Students will then explore the skulls of small mammals and try their hand at analysing owl pellets under a binocular microscope. They will also engage in “detective work” with photographs submitted by the public and complete worksheets focused on invasive species and biodiversity conservation.
Tutor: Alena Fornůsková
Alena Fornůsková
Mgr. Alena Fornůsková, Ph.D., is a researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. In addition to her scientific work, she is involved in science communication, which she applied in research on the spread of the lesser white-toothed shrew in the Czech Republic.
Project 3: Aliens among us
How do non-native animals and plants reach our environment? Why can they be dangerous, and how do they affect nature and people? The Invasive Species programme introduces students to the issue of the spread of non-native animal and plant species and highlights the importance of this current topic.
We will explain what an invasive species actually is, where it comes from, its place of origin, and the threat it poses to native fauna and flora.
We will also show how anyone can contribute using the iNaturalist app to help monitor and record occurrences of invasive species. Every photo counts.
Tutor: Tomáš Ocásek
Tomáš Ocásek
Tomáš Ocásek is a museum educator at the Ostrava Museum.
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