RESEARCH

Citizen Science and Urban Home Gardeners’ Attitudes Toward Gardening

This study discusses that participating in a home gardening citizen science project improved people’s attitudes and beliefs about gardening and led to new gardening behaviors a year later. However, the program had a limited impact on participants’ confidence in their gardening skills, highlighting the need for more support and resources in future programs.
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Summary

This research looked at how participating in a citizen science project about home gardening affected people’s attitudes and behaviors towards gardening. Citizen science involves regular people helping scientists collect data. The University of Florida researchers ran a program where participants grew tomato plants at home and recorded data about their growth. They surveyed the participants before and after the program to see if their beliefs and feelings about gardening had changed.

The study found that people had more positive attitudes and beliefs about home gardening after participating. They also felt that their friends and family were more supportive of their gardening efforts. It concluded that citizen science projects can encourage people to garden. Although participants felt more positive about gardening, their confidence in their gardening skills didn’t improve much. The researchers suggested that future programs should focus on providing more support and resources to help people succeed in their gardens. A year later, participants reported they were using new gardening practices, feeling better overall, and buying more plants.

Link

Campbell, C.G., Perez Lugones, D., & Gomez, C. (2024). Citizen science and urban home gardeners’ attitudes toward gardening. HortTechnology, 34(2),127-136.

 

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