Make the invisible visible: reveal the magnetic field and air pollution to foster engagement in a community-based participatory research project
Abstract
Citizen science is increasingly recognized as essential for engaging the public in participatory sustainability research and for addressing the complex challenges of the Anthropocene. However, fostering meaningful dialogue between science and society remains difficult, often hindered by limited opportunities for interaction and varying levels of scientific understanding. Identifying outreach formats that foster citizen engagement and initiate productive exchanges between scientists and the public is therefore a key challenge. Here, we present a hands-on science outreach workshop designed to promote participation in science and foster dialogue between citizen and researchers. The workshop demonstrates the use of tree bark as a biomonitor of urban air quality through magnetic methods. It was conducted in schools and science fairs between 2018 and 2023, reaching 850 participants across nine scientific outreach events and 195 children in three elementary schools. The workshop, originally developed to engage with residents and introduce our approach and underlying concepts prior to participation in the NanoEnvi participatory research project, prompted more than 150 people to participate in the NanoEnvi community-based participatory research project, which offered to host passive biosensors to monitor air quality in their homes or at school in the Toulouse city (France). The workshop included three hands-on demonstrations and experiences. It invited participants to (i) discover the magnetic phenomena, (ii) extract airborne magnetic particles from soils, and (iii) measure air pollution trapped on bark like a scientist. The workshop was also accompanied by lectures and an exhibition. We observed that the workshop fostered two-way dialogue between researchers and a wide range of participants, creating opportunities for shared experimentation and knowledge co-production. We also found that the positive emotions raised by hands-on exploration of magnetic phenomena during the workshop led to engagement in a participatory project on potential air pollution in urban surroundings. These results led us to identify four key lessons: protocol evolution, science-society dialogue, inter-science communication, and eco-anxiety mitigation, highlighting the potential of hands-on geoscience outreach activities to strengthen science–society interactions.
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BibTeX
@article{macouin2026make,
title = {{Make the invisible visible: reveal the magnetic field and air pollution to foster engagement in a community-based participatory research project}},
author = {Mélina Macouin and Sonia Rousse and Sandrine Suchon and Loïc Drigo and Laure Laffont and Laurence Delville and Eva Vedel and Paul Antonio and Jean-François Léon and Arua da Silva Leite and Eva Schreck and Fabrice Gangneron},
journal = {Geoscience Communication},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.5194/gc-9-261-2026},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05656437v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Make the invisible visible: reveal the magnetic field and air pollution to foster engagement in a community-based participatory research project
AU - Mélina Macouin
AU - Sonia Rousse
AU - Sandrine Suchon
AU - Loïc Drigo
AU - Laure Laffont
AU - Laurence Delville
AU - Eva Vedel
AU - Paul Antonio
AU - Jean-François Léon
AU - Arua da Silva Leite
AU - Eva Schreck
AU - Fabrice Gangneron
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Geoscience Communication
DO - 10.5194/gc-9-261-2026
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05656437v1
AB - Citizen science is increasingly recognized as essential for engaging the public in participatory sustainability research and for addressing the complex challenges of the Anthropocene. However, fostering meaningful dialogue between science and society remains difficult, often hindered by limited opportunities for interaction and varying levels of scientific understanding. Identifying outreach formats that foster citizen engagement and initiate productive exchanges between scientists and the public is therefore a key challenge. Here, we present a hands-on science outreach workshop designed to promote participation in science and foster dialogue between citizen and researchers. The workshop demonstrates the use of tree bark as a biomonitor of urban air quality through magnetic methods. It was conducted in schools and science fairs between 2018 and 2023, reaching 850 participants across nine scientific outreach events and 195 children in three elementary schools. The workshop, originally developed to engage with residents and introduce our approach and underlying concepts prior to participation in the NanoEnvi participatory research project, prompted more than 150 people to participate in the NanoEnvi community-based participatory research project, which offered to host passive biosensors to monitor air quality in their homes or at school in the Toulouse city (France). The workshop included three hands-on demonstrations and experiences. It invited participants to (i) discover the magnetic phenomena, (ii) extract airborne magnetic particles from soils, and (iii) measure air pollution trapped on bark like a scientist. The workshop was also accompanied by lectures and an exhibition. We observed that the workshop fostered two-way dialogue between researchers and a wide range of participants, creating opportunities for shared experimentation and knowledge co-production. We also found that the positive emotions raised by hands-on exploration of magnetic phenomena during the workshop led to engagement in a participatory project on potential air pollution in urban surroundings. These results led us to identify four key lessons: protocol evolution, science-society dialogue, inter-science communication, and eco-anxiety mitigation, highlighting the potential of hands-on geoscience outreach activities to strengthen science–society interactions.
SN - 2569-7110
SN - 2569-7110
ER -