Podcasting about science is thriving.  In the Earth sciences alone, there are at least 15 podcasts.  How do such podcasts fit within the ecosystem of informal science education alongside museums, field trips and other resources?  Can podcasts convey the core results of present-day research without sacrificing their essence and subtlety?  Are researchers willing to make time to contribute to podcasts?  Who is listening to these podcasts and what are they seeking from them?  Does AI-enabled translation and transcription help reach listeners from hitherto less well-served geographies?  The presentation will address such questions and use examples from Geology Bites and other podcasts. 

How to cite: Strimpel, O.: Using podcasts to disseminate the essence and excitement of scientific research, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-13862, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-13862, 2025.

Scientific research is often inaccessible to non-academic audiences, even when it is publicly funded or conducted in their local area. Bridging this gap is essential to promote public understanding and inspire future geoscientists.

This study presents a small-scale science communication project developed as part of a Master's thesis and implemented in a rural Austrian community within the Hohe Tauern National Park. The initiative involved two local school classes and the general public through interactive activities and workshops. An open lecture on regional geology, given by young scientists from the University of Innsbruck, introduced the project to the wider community. The following day, school classes took part in field workshops led by scientists and National Park rangers on topics such as regional geology, tectonics, ore mining, geoarchaeology, alpine farming and local fauna. Hands-on, outdoor activities proved to be an effective and easy-to-implement tool for geoscience engagement and received positive feedback during this project.

Feedback indicated an increased interest and understanding of geoscience topics among participants. This study highlights how small-scale, low-cost projects can effectively engage local communities and stimulate interest in geoscience. Such efforts are critical to making science communication accessible and replicable for future researchers.

How to cite: Gatt, T., Sieberer, A.-K., Westreicher, F., Mattersberger, M., and Zeiner, S.: Communicating geoscience to the public: insights from an early career scientist, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-20316, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-20316, 2025.

Developing innovative public engagement measures are central to addressing many of the key geoscience related challenges within the EU. One of the most pressing European challenges includes achieving a sustainable and secure supply of critical raw materials (CRMs). These materials include vital metals used in renewable energy technologies, for which the EU is often totally reliant on imports at both the extraction and processing level. Hence, EU climate neutrality by 2050, as per the European Green Deal, hinges on CRM supply. However, this is not often discussed in the public realm.

Informal education spaces such as festivals provide unique environments for science communication, where incidental adult audiences can stumble upon new scientific concepts and problems in engaging ways. However, to be successful, science exhibits at such events need to capture attention and stimulate the audience in a short period of time. The critical raw material challenge is underrepresented in the festival environment likely due to historically negative public attitudes towards mining. Hence, a necessary science communication endeavour is to develop a novel engagement activity that engages adult audiences at festivals with this issue and stimulates conversation. We present a hands-on, challenge-based public engagement activity/tool for use in the fast-paced science and arts festival environment, where contact time is limited and interaction is key. Designed to simulate the supermarket experience, ‘GreenDealz’ brings participants through tactile ‘shopping’ tasks, with evaluation points included throughout. The main aim of GreenDealz was to engage participants with the concept of critical raw materials and their demand for renewable energy technologies in a relatable and task-based way.

We outline the iterative process of developing GreenDealz for the festival environment, including ideation, design, and an evolution of evaluation from classic self-reported techniques to more novel and festival friendly ‘embedded assessment’ measures. Importantly, we highlight how this activity has been tested and validated via a mixed methods approach: our quantitative data, collected across several festivals in Ireland, yields significant findings about audience learnings and engagement, while our qualitative data, gleaned through less time-restricted participant interactions sheds a deeper light on the effectiveness of this tool in achieving learning outcomes and sparking interest in critical raw materials within non-specialist audiences.

How to cite: Blennerhassett, L., Schuitema, G., and McAuliffe, F.: GreenDealz: a hands-on shopping activity for public engagement with critical raw materials, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-2292, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2292, 2025.

SCAPE° is a new science center under development in Offenbach, Germany, dedicated to making weather, climate, and their profound connections to human life both tangible and engaging. Situated in the heart of the city, SCAPE° aims to bridge the gap between science and society through interactive exhibits, immersive workshops, and dynamic community events.

This presentation will provide an overview of SCAPE°’s organizational structure, the planning and design process, and the challenges encountered in creating this innovative space. Key exhibits will be showcased, including hands-on installations such as turbulence simulators and immersive visualizations of global weather phenomena, demonstrating the center’s commitment to interactive and educational engagement. Examples of workshops and events will illustrate how SCAPE° fosters dialogue and involvement in a scientific, but also artistic way. 

By sharing the experiences and lessons learned in developing SCAPE°, this presentation seeks to inspire innovative approaches to science communication and public engagement in weather and climate sciences, while raising awareness and excitement for SCAPE° itself as a vital new space for exploration and education.

How to cite: Frank, B.: SCAPE° Offenbach: A New Science Center Bringing Weather and Climate to Life in the Heart of the City, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-2820, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2820, 2025.

The University Partnership for Atmospheric Sciences (UPAS) is a collaborative initiative among ten German universities offering Bachelor's and Master's programs in meteorology. Supported by an executive office at the University of Bonn, UPAS aims to enhance meteorological education and research in Germany by focusing on four key areas:

• Attracting qualified students
• Providing excellent education
• Fostering synergies for successful science
• Engaging in societal and community outreach

A significant component of UPAS is its dedication to advancing science communication and public engagement within meteorology. This commitment is exemplified through initiatives such as MeteoXchange, an international network fostering professional growth among early-career scientists via annual virtual conferences and specialized workshops designed to enhance presentation and communication skills. Additional efforts include interactive science slamming workshops, hands-on climate change experiment demonstrations for classrooms across Germany, the development of a dedicated podcast, and the creation of high-quality Open Educational Resources (OER). These activities not only elevate internal training but also bridge the gap between scientific research and societal understanding, amplifying the impact of meteorology on diverse audiences.

This presentation will highlight UPAS's achievements, providing an overview of our approaches to enhance education, research and outreach in meteorology. We will also discuss challenges encountered and share lessons learned, including strategies for overcoming hurdles and successfully leveraging synergies among our partner institutions. We are more than keen to invite collaboration and idea exchange with other geoscientific networks sharing similar objectives, in particular on the international level.

How to cite: Thiele-Eich, I., Arimond, E., and Uebachs, A.: University Partnership for Armospheric Sciences (UPAS): a joint effort in communicating meteorology , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-20089, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-20089, 2025.

Similar to X-rays used in medicine to scan human bodies, to understand the characteristics of the oceanic crust that covers >70% of our planet, marine geophysicists conduct controlled source seismic experiments at sea on research vessels. We produce tiny earthquakes using compressed air, which travel through the subsurface built of different rock types; the differences in the rocks introduce changes in the propagated waves, which are registered by an array of receptors and then processed to produce seismic images. However, this field of research is not commonly known by school students or the general public. To bridge this gap, we designed a seismic atelier to expose the less-known but marvelous world of marine geophysics and show it as a possible career path. The atelier includes a presentation of our work at sea supported by pictures and videos, presentation of the Ocean Bottom Seismometer (OBS) developed and designed internally at IPGP, and model that simulates seismic data acquisition. For this model, we obtained the EGU Public Engagement Award in 2023. The elements that constitute the model:

• 400 l water tank, floating LEGO ship
• three 3-D printed OBSs connected to an electromagnetic mechanism that simulate deployment and recovery of the instruments
• ballons that are perforated under the water to mimic the seismic source
• hydrophone connected to a laptop for signal recording

The experiment is accompanied by a 5-question quiz tailored to correspond to the age of the participants; all the topics concerning the questions were covered in the presentations. The quiz is conducted before and after the atelier, which helps us to evaluate the impact of outreach activity. All the questions were designed as a multiple-choice. For example, for the age 11-15 years, one question is: What is the temperature of the deep ocean?, with the offered responses: a) 0-3º, b) 23-25ºC, and c) 0 -10 ºC.

We have already run the atelier on two occasions, and the results are promising. The first time was during the Fête de la Science (Open House event in France) at IPGP in early October 2024, during which we presented our atelier to four groups, 10-12 participants (9-12 years old) in each group. The second session was organized with 30 high-school students (~15 years old). The quizzes' analyses clearly show that the number of correct answers increases by up to 50% after the conducted atelier, demonstrating the positive impact of the activity on student knowledge. The results also show that some questions were tackling less-known topics. For instance, the question we gave as an example above was consistently answered incorrectly by ~80% of students before the atelier; in contrast, after the atelier, the situation was reversed, and >90% of the participants gave the correct answer. Overall, the impressions of the students after participating in the atelier, especially the youngest ones, are highly positive, and we hope they will develop a certain level of passion for marine sciences. The next stage for our project would be to film it and make it available online in different languages to reach students internationally.

How to cite: Marjanovic, M., Besançon, S., Hautemayou, D., Mahato, S., and Luc, T.: How do we make an X-ray scan of Earth’s oceanic crust?, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6769, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6769, 2025.

This study investigates how the mining industry employs science communication tactics, specifically framing, warmth, honesty, and relatability when engaging with the public. Guided by three primary research questions, this project seeks to identify: (1) which frames and tactics Canadian mining organizations employ when communicating about mining, (2) how these tactics influence engagement among audiences with pro-, anti-, and neutral attitudes toward mining, and (3) whether the use of tactics varies based on the type of organization.

A mixed-methods approach integrates content analysis, survey responses, and thematic analysis. Advertisements, corporate websites, and corporate responsibility documents from various mining organizations are systematically coded to identify framing strategies and communication techniques. To evaluate changes in public perceptions, knowledge, and behaviours, participants complete pre-engagement surveys to establish baseline attitudes toward mining. They then engage with assigned materials in two stages: first independently and later through guided discussion and interviews conducted via Zoom. Post-engagement surveys capture immediate reactions and subsequent changes in perception, knowledge, and potential actions. Transcribed interviews from guided discussions are analyzed thematically to uncover deeper insights into how audiences engage with mining-related messaging.

This research is significant for its focus on the intersection of industry messaging and public engagement, addressing a critical gap in understanding how science communication influences public trust and opinion in resource-driven sectors. Insights from this study will inform best practices for transparent, relatable, and effective communication in the mining industry, with broader implications for improving public engagement strategies in other science-based fields.

How to cite: Onstad, C. and van der Flier-Keller, E.: Preliminary Insights into Science Communication Strategies in Canadian Mining Messaging: A Mixed-Methods Perspective, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-2911, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2911, 2025.

This study investigates the co-production and science communication efforts surrounding the use of storm-resolving Earth system models (SR-ESMs) to support the renewable energy transition. The models were developed under the Horizon Europe EU-funded project Next Generation of Earth System Models (NextGEMS) in the course of 3,5 years. 

By engaging in participatory workshops with stakeholders from the energy sector—including policymakers, energy providers, and civil society—we co-created scenario storylines that integrate the km-scale climate model outputs with socio-political narratives. These workshops served as a platform for dialogue, enabling the communication of complex scientific findings in a manner accessible to non-specialist audiences, and also exploring the way in which SR-ESMs can move forward to support key societal challenges such as the energy transition.

The co-production process and communication strategy were informed by exploring stakeholder perspectives and preferences, which helped design the scenarios that could be later on represented by the SR-ESMs. Specifically, the use of discourse-analytical methods helped identify key narratives that resonate with different audience segments, ensuring the models' outputs are framed in ways that address socio-environmental concerns, such as the public acceptance of renewable energy technologies.

Our communication efforts revealed several lessons: the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, the value of iterative engagement with stakeholders, and the need for flexible strategies that adapt to evolving audience needs. These insights contribute to best practices in science communication, emphasizing the role of co-production in making scientific information actionable and impactful for policy and societal change.

How to cite: Baulenas, E., Bojovic, D., Veerman, M., Dolores-Tesillos, E., Lacima-Nadolnik, A., Haslehner, K., Kumar, A., Delgado-Torres, C., and Soret, A.: Storm-Resolving Earth System Models to Support Renewable Energy Transitions: mixing storyline methodologies to bridge science and society, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19249, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19249, 2025.

The popularity and use of Participatory or Citizen Science (CS) in scientific research has increased over the recent years, and the literature reports that CS can promote positive change; enhance public knowledge, understanding, and awareness of environmental issues; and amplify conservation efforts.

Accessibility to polar regions is limited and expensive.  With resources from other traditional platforms (i.e. research vessels and funding) decreasing, research institutions are looking at alternatives that involve partnering with the private sector tourism as a ‘crowdsourcing’ data collection option, with the added benefit of passenger participation and education. CS monitoring is a cost-effective alternative for greater spatial and/or temporal coverage, including geographical areas that remain under-researched. 

HX’s Science & Education Program focuses on broadening guests’ understanding of the polar regions and ecosystems, as well as the impacts of climate change. Our guests become active participants in data collection through an immersive educational onboard program and on-site interaction with researchers. During 2024 we allocated over 1900 cruise nights to welcome 80+ researchers from collaborating institutions on our vessels and our guests contributed more than 30,000 data submissions to over 20 different CS projects globally.

To better understand this potential and to evaluate the longer-term effect of participation in CS and science related activities on guests, HX carried out a research project in partnership with UTAS during 2022 and 2023. Results from semi-structured interviews with over 70 guests on three HX vessels suggest that guests saw CS, and the Science & Education program more generally, as a core part of their experience, and many returned with a heightened sense of the fragility of the region.

However, and as an example, HX represents approximately 8% of the Antarctic expedition cruising tourism. The full potential for future partnerships to tap into these vast resources as an industry is yet to be realized.

How to cite: Meraldi, V., Hess, C., Stainton, H., Evans, H., Leane, E., and Hardy, A.: The untapped potential of Citizen Science to support research in the polar regions while educating captive audiences on board expedition cruise vessels., EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11418, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11418, 2025.

Climate adaptation action is increasingly both local and urgent. Reasons for including citizen and community voices in decision-making range from securing climate justice to generating more apt solutions and increasing public acceptance of interventions. More broadly, attempts to rebuild public trust in democracy and public institutions has led to a surge in citizen engagement initiatives for decision making in a whole range of subjects.

This confluence of trends has generated an ever-growing knowledge and experience base and countless publications that call for citizen engagement in climate change adaptation efforts, provide best practices for citizen engagement, and occasionally both. However, the enormous breadth of the intended audiences means that in almost all cases, these best practice guides focus on citizen engagement in general.

As part of the Adaptation AGORA project – a 3-year Mission Adaptation project that brings together researchers and practitioners from 12 institutes from across Europe – we have spent two years mapping European adaptation-related citizen engagement initiatives ( CEIs), interviewing experts across the CEI value chain and carrying out interactive workshops in attempt to identify best practices. The variety of adaptation contexts and wide range of possible (positive and negative) outcomes and impacts from CEIs pushed us beyond only looking for universal good practices to also consider those that lead to specific outcomes, like generating more just decisions, being tailored to the local settings in which they apply, promoting mutual learning, or producing improved collaboration.

We find that choices taken when designing initiatives are key to the achievement of different goals. Some general good practices can almost universally be applied, like setting a clear objective, and ensuring effective communication before, during and after the initiative. However, beyond these straightforward observations, the variety of primary and secondary objectives (awareness raising, allocating public resources, generating ideas, creating guidelines, forming long-term plans etc.) and the myriad of contextual factors (scale, scope, location, resources, familiarity with citizen engagement etc.) frustrate identifying the best practices to pursue among a surfeit of potential actions. Essentially, what is often missing from existing best-practice guides is a framework to prioritise what can be achieved with limited resources to meet the identified goals. Indeed, the relative merit of different practices in achieving different goals is well understood only by a few seasoned experts, and frequently a challenge to communicate.

Hoping to facilitate discussion and the exchange of different perspectives, we propose a serious game, Citi-Adapt, that seeks to visibilise the trade offs and push collaborative teams to collectively seek better design choices in the pursuit of different goals in unique contexts. Citi-Adapt allows us to add in different constraints, to situate CEIs in different contexts, and for different actors to walk in each other's shoes. It can be played in two ways – 1) exploring the types of resources required to achieve certain goals; and 2) identifying possible outcomes based on available resources – and we would be delighted to present it and hear your thoughts as we move to building a prototype.

How to cite: Pickard, S. and Baulenas, E.: Citi-Adapt: Communicating design decisions for citizen engagement in climate adaptation action via a serious game, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18809, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18809, 2025.

Most people in Irish society, when asked, “Do we experience earthquakes in Ireland?” would likely answer, “No we don’t”. However, this is incorrect – earthquakes do occur in Ireland and are occasionally felt. This misconception is understandable as Ireland is not located near the edge of a plate boundary and the earthquakes we experience tend to be of very low magnitude (M2.5 is the largest onshore Irish earthquake recorded so far). As a result, earthquakes are not a regular thought for the population of Ireland. We aim to raise awareness on this topic.

The QuakeShake programme has these main aims:

• Encourage Irish society to consider seismic activity and monitor seismic events both locally and globally and thereby develop an integrated community of citizen seismologists throughout Ireland.
• Provide teaching resources for educators and school students.
• Inspire interest in Physical and Earth Sciences at tertiary levels.
• Support the government’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering Art and Mathematics) initiative.
• Foster a closer relationship between researchers and citizens.
• Gather and share seismic data to support scientific research in various seismological fields.

The programme is managed by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) and co-funded by DIAS, Geological Survey Ireland (GSI), and Research Ireland. QuakeShake functions as the outreach programme for the Irish National Seismic Network (INSN), the national earthquake monitoring body in Ireland. It supports and promotes the monitoring efforts of the INSN.

QuakeShake is facilitating the operation of affordable seismometers, known as Raspberry Shakes, in schools, homes, and public institutions. These compact, professional grade seismometers require only power and internet connectivity to operate. In 2024, QuakeShake distributed seismometers via public raffle and workshops for teachers and the public. In 2025, the aim is to distribute even more Raspberry Shake devices and encourage the public and schools to acquire their own units. 

At EGU 2025 we will showcase the programmes development, aimed at educating people from all backgrounds in Ireland about both Irish and Global earthquakes. We will illustrate how QuakeShake is actively building a community of citizen seismologists across Ireland.

How to cite: Reilly, L., Möllhoff, M., Bean, C., Power, S., Collins, L., Smith, P., Grannell, J., Mohamed, H., Smithers, E., and Grange, P.: Current progress of the QuakeShake outreach programme. How are earthquakes being brought to the attention of Irish society?, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-12106, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-12106, 2025.

How to cite: Pocaterra, C., Mingardi, V., Mentini, L., Silvi, S., and Careccia, A.: Science Communication through Engagement and Outreach for the bioeconomy, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-7084, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7084, 2025.

Geoscience plays a vital role in shaping our sustainable future, yet the discipline is at a critical crossroads. Declining student enrolments, reduced course offerings, and the closure of university departments threaten its survival. Key challenges include public perceptions of geoscience and associated industries, its lack of visibility in school curricula, outdated branding and stereotypes, and issues related to diversity and inclusion. As students increasingly seek altruistic, sustainability-focused careers, geoscience must respond rapidly or risk further decline. A more strategic, impact-driven approach to geoscience communication is essential to address the discipline’s struggling brand image. This presentation takes you behind the scenes of the Earth Futures Festival, an international geoscience film and video festival. The festival bridges the arts and sciences to demonstrate how geoscience, combined with long-standing cultural knowledge of the Earth, offers solutions to pressing global challenges. We will explore the impact-focused approach underpinning the festival’s design, including forging value-aligned partnerships, providing communication skills training for geoscientists, and amplifying the visibility of typically underrepresented groups. This talk will provide a step-by-step practical guide to illustrate how impact-focused design can be effectively applied to geoscience communication and outreach.

How to cite: Handley, H.: An impact-driven approach to geoscience communication, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-13520, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-13520, 2025.

“In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.” These words by forestry engineer Baba Dioum in 1968 reflect, how the relationship between people and forests has intensified over recent decades, a development that has significantly contributed to forest conservation. Unlike trees, esthetical and vital soils are rarely exposed for people to see, understand, or appreciate, making it harder to foster a connection to them.

The EU project SOILSCAPE (Spreading Open and Inclusive Literacy and Soil Culture through Artistic Practices and Education) aims to bring soils closer to the public. Alongside modern communication methods, the project places a strong emphasis on artistic approaches to promote awareness, understanding, and love for soils in their context.

In a first step towards this goal, current narratives were analyzed through a media study that examined coverage in newspapers, television, podcasts, and social networks. Thereby, the guiding questions were: What knowledge and opinions are there? Which imaginations and associations regarding soils do we find in society - and of whom? For exploring these questions, we conducted a survey using a verbal and visual questionnaire and follow-up expert interviews. Our analysis aimed at assessing dominant soil narratives and their potential impacts, and at preparing effective strategies to strengthen connections between people and soils, including cultural and artistic approaches. Thereby, we addressed societal narratives, imaginaries, and values related to soils, particularly focusing their perception and communication. The media research, questionnaire-based survey, and expert interviews were conducted in eight European countries: Bulgaria, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Switzerland. The study yielded almost 100 datasets from the media analysis, 435 complete responses from the visual-based questionnaire, and 24 expert interviews, providing a robust foundation for understanding how soils are perceived and how soil awareness in the European public can be more effectively enhanced.

Our results from the media research show that soils are mostly not in the focus of media, but rather treated as functional elements in discussions related to agriculture, climate change, and urbanization. People tend to perceive soils indirectly, through their use and significance in these broader contexts. Perception of soils varies widely depending on region and prior knowledge. Around 40% of participants felt that soils in their region are in poor condition, while another 40% were unsure. Primary threats to soil that were named by people included agriculture, forestry, biodiversity loss, and climate change.

These outcomes of this study point to a gap between implicit and explicit awareness of soil-related challenges. While artistic and educational approaches seem most promising in bridging this gap, the results of our study highlight the urgent need for targeted communication strategies to raise the awareness of soils and make them a topic of societal concern. Only by fostering a deeper public understanding, a stronger connection to and protection of this critical resource can be achieved.

How to cite: Sauer, D., Schwindt, D., Patzel, N., Luis Lucas, F., Raous, S., Bampa, F., Mellanen, L., and Melkas, H. and the SOILSCAPE Team: Soils in Society: Digging into Narratives and Perceptions for a Deeper Understanding, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18051, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18051, 2025.

How do soil scientists perceive and experience soils? They use a wide variety of devices and tools, such as microscopes, laboratory equipment and field campaigns, and they summarize their knowledge through publications, graphs, and tables. Approaching soils with this academic perspective is likely to cause scientists to have different relationships with soils than people without soil science training. Humans have relationships with soils, and in addition to the science-based ones, these relationships can be personal, artistic, cultural, sensorial and more. Clearly, soils matter at many levels since people and communities can feel a deep connection with the soil of their homeland, as a source of identity, sustenance and a sense of place and belonging. What we proposed during the Wageningen Soil Conference 2023 was to let soil scientists discover the diversity in ways that soils can be experienced and perceived so to facilitate a positive transformation on how do we do soil science. During these event we took participants beyond the scientific perspective in an informal and relaxed space where we engaged with soils in unexpected and creative ways. Seventeen ‘stations’ were dedicated to experiencing colors, smells, tastes, textures, sounds, visuals, emotions and feelings peculiar to soils. Each station was organized by either a scientist or an artist that was present to encourage discussions, conversations and sharing of stories to inspire to experience new soil perspectives. One of the goals of this exercise was to expand (transform) the, often narrow, view of soil scientists on soils and let them discover other dimensions which can allow them to better connect with society and inspire them to share their work and knowledge about soil. This event was just the beginning of our collaboration towards experiencing soil perspectives and more events using the same or a similar format for different stakeholder groups (non-soil scientist, general public) were organized. During the conference we will share our concept, experiences and reflection with a broader group of soil scientists also reflecting about the experiences derived from the course ‘Transformative soil science’ hold in November 2024. The course was grounded in transdisciplinary perspectives from natural and social sciences and the humanities, and helped early-career scientists to understand their own perspectives on soil, and how to connect with other perspectives in an integral way of knowledge generation that contributes to meaningful transformations.

How to cite: Bongiorno, G., Stomph, D., Wiersma, W., and Student, J.: Experiencing soil perspectives – an interdisciplinary approach to transform soil science, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15176, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15176, 2025.

Ecotourism and rural tourism are pivotal activities for generating substantial income, supporting rural economies, and fostering a deeper understanding of land and soil resources in various regions, particularly in inland areas. Recognizing their significance, the United Nations has included these activities in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (specifically SDG 8.9 and SDG 12), aiming for their accomplishment by 2030. While digital tourism has experienced remarkable growth recently, its focus largely remains on well-known tourist destinations.

This study highlight the potential of a geospatial decision support system (S-DSS) built on a publicly accessible, web-based geospatial cyberinfrastructure (GCI). This system offers a practical and effective tool to enhance tourism opportunities in less-visited inland areas promoting a greater appreciation of soil and land environmental resources.

The S-DSS platform is designed to facilitate the collection, management, processing, and analysis of both static (e.g., information on soil and geology) and dynamic data (e.g., climatic data). It also features advanced data visualization and on-the-fly computational tools, catering to a diverse user base that includes farmers, tourism operators, associations, and public institutions.

The S-DSS tool known as EcoSmarTour operates across the entirety of Italy, providing extensive information, including detailed soil information, to expand territorial knowledge. It supports scenario analysis, map generation, and the assessment of potential trails or ecotourism hotspots. Also, through the use of artificial intelligence, EcoSmarTour can generate text-based narratives of selected routes, tailored to the user’s preferences. This functionality enables the creation of customized storytelling for various audiences, from children and teenagers to adults and experts.

How to cite: Mileti, F. A., Tatone, M., Terribile, F., and Blazica, B.: A Smart Platform for Enhancing Soil and Land Awareness in Italy, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-17396, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-17396, 2025.

AGROECOLOGY, the European Partnership "Accelerating Farming Systems Transition: Agroecology Living Labs and Research Infrastructures," is a significant European research and innovation initiative involving the European Commission and 26 Member States, Associated Countries, and Third Countries, with a total of 72 partner organizations. The goal of AGROECOLOGY is to assist the agricultural sector in addressing the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, food security and sovereignty, and environmental sustainability, while ensuring agriculture remains profitable, sustainable, and attractive to farmers.

Transforming the agricultural sector to meet societal and policy demands requires bold and systemic changes. AGROECOLOGY fosters for solutions that leverage natural and biological processes, blending state-of-the-art science, technology, and innovation with farmers' knowledge. By pooling resources from the European Commission and the involved member states and regions, the Partnership funds high-level research in Living Labs and Research Infrastructures, co-creating relevant knowledge and technologies aligned with the priorities of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for the Farming System Transition.

To support these efforts, a range of activities is being implemented to inform, engage, and empower stakeholders. These activities aim to enhance capacities, raise awareness, and facilitate the exchange of knowledge and data. A key element of this effort is the Conversations on Agroecology which serve as foundational steps to strengthen agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS) for agroecology. These conversations foster collaboration and connections between Living Labs, Research Infrastructures and stakeholders across Europe.

The online Conversations on Agroecology are held monthly throughout the Partnership, enabling the mobilization and networking of agroecology actors in Europe and beyond. In 2024, six online conversations were organized on various themes, such as the role of AKIS for agroecology, agroecological transition, and the power of networks for agroecology. Through these monthly conversations, AGROECOLOGY engages diverse groups of actors, ensuring involvement of institutional AKIS actors, farmers, and farming networks to ensure inclusive participation and drive progress toward sustainable food systems by 2030.

How to cite: Sandén, T., Fohrafellner, J., Pires da Silva, A., and Brites, C.: Empowering Stakeholders to Drive Farming System Transition: Conversations on Agroecology, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-9684, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-9684, 2025.

Translation of geoscience research into tangible changes, such as modified decisions, processes or policy in the wider world is an important yet notably difficult process. Co-RISK is an accessible (i.e. open access, paper-based, zero cost) ‘toolkit’ for use by stakeholder groups within workshops, which is intended to aid this translation process. It is given a robust basis by incorporating paradox theory from organisation studies, which deals with navigating the genuine tensions between industry and research organizations that stem from their differing roles. Specifically designed to ameliorate the organizational paradox, a Co-RISK workshop draws up ‘Maps’ including key stakeholders (e.g. regulator, insurer, university) and their positionality (e.g. barriers, concerns, motivations), and identifies exactly the points where science might modify actions. Ultimately a Co-RISK workshop drafts simple and tailored project-specific frameworks that span from climate to hazard, to risk, to implications of that risk (e.g. solvency). The action research approach used to design Co-RISK (with Bank of England, Aon, Verrisk), its implementation in a trial session for the insurance sector and its intellectual contribution are described and evaluated. The initial Co-RISK workshop was well received, so application is envisaged to other sectors (i.e. transport infrastructure, utilities, government).  Joint endeavours enabled by Co-RISK could fulfil the genuine need to quickly convert the latest insights from environmental research into real-world climate change adaptation strategies.

https://gc.copernicus.org/articles/7/35/2024/

How to cite: Hillier, J. K. and van Meeteren, M.: Co-RISK: A tool to co-create impactful university-industry projects for natural hazard risk mitigation, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-291, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-291, 2025.

Some environmental issues (nuclear/special wastes, CO₂ storage) are extremely long-lasting, from thousand to one million years (Flüeler 2023). Three aspects are mandatory to recognise them adequately: their complexity (e.g., safety “proof”), uncertainty (aleatory/epistemic …), inequality (today’s risk deciders vs. future risk bearers). All require a deep sense of multiperspectivity: Changing perspectives enables a conscious view of an issue from different angles.

With exceptions, conventional practice reveals “technical” and “acceptance” approaches. The problem is said to be solely political, “the public’s” poor state of knowledge spurs the plea for “outreach”, following the “deficit model”: Specialists inform laypeople to close their “information gap”. The long term is covered by safety margins and, as a last resort, by waste retrievability.

Applied research is more sophisticated. Nuclear waste safety cases have become comprehensive, considering insecurities and stakeholder involvement (NEA 2020b). Still, the very long term (10,000y plus) is left to risk analysts. “Communication Across 300 Generations” (Tannenbaum 1984) or “to bridge ten millennia” (Sebeok 1984) are issues reserved to semiotics and not really developed further (NEA 2019). Conserving artefacts and symbols over time seems unsatisfactory, even unrealistic. Site-selection procedures have, partly, recognised the need for decades-long processes (NEA 2020a).

What is “long term”? (cf. Flüeler 2023, 55ff.) It would be futile for society to deal with the year 800,000 AP, but it is to reckon what Brand and Eno called “the Long Now”, https://longnow.org: 10,000 years back and forth, yet a generations-based approach seems more practical, maybe the Canadian First Nations’ yardstick of the Seven Generations (NCSL 2017): “Traditionally, no decision was made until it was understood how it would affect the next seven generations”. Or we draw on Boulding’s suggestion: 100 years backward and foreward (grandparents to grandchildren) (Boulding 1978).

At any rate, our responsibility to future generations “requires new operationalisations, new norms of practice, new sets of values, new virtues, and – last but not least – new institutions” (Birnbacher 1988). It needs new skills for sustainable governance, transparent (digital) dashboards, open online platforms to table/respond to controversial views/assertions, transdisciplinary labs, ways to address indeterminacy (>>“uncertainty”), VR learning machines to train changing perspectives, etc.

The ethical, political and institutional complexity insinuates that there is no silver bullet to tackle the issue of governance: “The solution is easily summarized, but much less easily achieved: to establish ecological reflexivity as a core priority of social, political and economic institutions” (Dryzek/Pickering 2019). We need continual discourse to transform our societies sustainably, rather than pre-fixed concepts in order to restore supposedly paradisiac past states.

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Birnbacher, D. Verantwortung für zukünftige Generationen. Reclam, Stuttgart (transl.).

Boulding, E. The Family as a Way into the Future. Pendle Hill, Wallingford, PA.

Dryzek, J.S./Pickering, J. The Politics of the Anthropocene. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford.

Flüeler, T. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-03902-7.

NCSL. https://healingofthesevengenerations.ca/about/history.

NEA/Nuclear Energy Agency/2019. Preservation of Records, Knowledge and Memory Across Generations. OECD, Paris.

NEA/2020a. Final Disposal of Radioactive Waste. Policy Brief.

NEA/2020b. Two Decades of Safety Case Development: An IGSC Brochure.

Sebeok, T.A. Communication Measures to Bridge Ten Millennia. BMI/ONWI-532. Battelle, Columbus, OH.

Tannenbaum, P.H. Communication Across 300 Generations: Deterring Human Interference with Waste Deposit Sites. BMI/ONWI-535.

How to cite: Flüeler, T.: How to communicate “long term”? 10, 100, 10,000 years …? Practice, research, reflections, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-4847, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-4847, 2025.