Citizen science and conservation: Recommendations for a rapidly moving field

Research taking place at the intersection of conservation and citizen science holds great potential for advancing both fields as well as for addressing grand challenges in the field of conservation. This Special Issue highlights the work of twenty research groups actively working at this intersection and examining participant motivation, learning and action; evaluating and improving research design and data quality; and investigating conservation science applications. The results of these studies directly contribute to advancing our understanding of the role that citizen science can play in conservation. As research continues in these fields, directing our efforts toward communicating insights, creating interdisciplinary teams that use citizen science to tackle wicked problems, and improving coordination among investments in citizen science are actions likely to have the greatest impact. We invite conservation and citizen science practitioners to contribute to the dialogues initiated by articles in this Special Issue.