Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) was a UK-wide citizen science initiative which ran from 2007 – 2019, enabling people to get hands-on with nature while contributing to important scientific research. It was funded by the Big Lottery Fund and led by Imperial College London, in collaboration with Natural History Museum, Open University and Field Studies Council, supported by a network of Community Scientists.

OPAL designed a collection of field and desk-based activities suitable for all ages, abilities and backgrounds. It launched a series of national ecological surveys with activities intended to increase understanding of the natural environment, through data collection covering wildlife and habitat conditions.

I worked at OPAL from 2015 – 2016 as their Web and Digital Manager. OPAL’s successes included:

• More than 1 million participants
• More than 3,500 schools taking part
• Over 2,800 organisations worked with OPAL
• 270,000 survey packs distributed to the public
• Over 54,000 surveys submitted
• 23,000+ sites surveyed
• 21 scientific papers published

Web and Digital Highlights, Autumn 2015