Editor’s Note

Ecological community science (citizen science) programs can contribute to scientific research, environmental education, artistic and social activities, alien species elimination, and conservation. Resolving the shortage of human resources, funds, and facilities for ecological community science is essential for the future development of ecological community science programs. The shortage of human resources and facilities is closely related to the shortage of funds. The reasons behind fund shortages in Japan include the cutting of management expense grants for national universities, the declining number of students due to the declining birthrate, and the high maintenance costs of museums for their buildings and specimens. Several ecological community science programs described in the previous chapters resolved this shortage by incorporating the programs into environmental education in schools or by relying on intermediary support organizations. Ecologists need to firmly convey the value of ecological community science and increase the number of supporters for ecologists. For the future development of ecological community science programs in Japan, it is also essential to increase the consideration of the diversity of participants in the programs. The diversity of participants in an ecological community science program sometimes creates gaps between the ecologists who plan the program and the participants in the program. Ecologists need to consider participants’ diversity and avoid the negative effects of the gaps. Collaborating with researchers in the fields of education, psychology, sociology, and informatics will produce fruitful results in ecological community science programs.