Akrotiri Environmental Education and Information Centre
Cyprus Training School and Workshop
23-25 April 2025, Akrotiri, Cyprus
Concept Note regarding the training school and workshop:
The emergence and re-emergence of vector-borne diseases are a concern globally. Monitoring vectors and vector-borne diseases is of immense importance and citizen science is becoming an increasingly important component for vector monitoring. Novel technologies and tools provide opportunities to increase capacity in monitoring, expand the breadth of observations, and consequently enrich our understanding of the natural world. From the use of molecular tools, such as environmental DNA, to the deployment of mobile applications for recording, computer vision and AI, citizen science initiatives are embracing technologies to address complex ecological questions. The aim of the Akrotiri training school and workshop is to familiarize the participants with the novel technologies, tools and approaches that can be applied during citizen science programmes for tick recording. Moreover, we will review the current citizen science projects for monitoring ticks and tick-borne diseases and discuss how these could be enhanced and expanded by adopting novel tools and approaches.
Aim of the workshop and training school:
By the end of the workshop, the participants should become familiar with the use of mobile applications and platforms such as the PRAGMATICK App and iNaturalist, as well as approaches such as the soapbox and BioBlitzes for engaging members of the public in biological recording.
Expected outcomes:
- An online database with global citizen science initiatives related to tick recording
- A Multi-author review paper that will be based on the information included in the
database on the role of new technologies and citizen science initiatives related to
recording ticks and tick-borne disease - PRAGMATICK mobile App for ticks recording translated into at least 5 languages
DETAILED PROGRAM
Training School & Workshop Cyprus 23, 24 &25 April 2025
Novel technologies, tools and approaches towards tick and tick borne disease surveillance and monitoring
Arrival at the Harmony Bay hotel on the 22nd of April
- Day 1
Please note:For the training school and workshop participants should bring their laptops tick flagging or dragging equipment and download the iNaturalist App on their mobile phones
0830: Bus will be waiting on the road outside Harmony Bay Hotel, Chrysostomos is the driver
0900: Arrival and Registration at the Akrotiri Environmental Education Centre, Morning session open to local experts
Introductory Session
0915-0930: Welcome by JSHU
0930-0950: PRAGMATICK COST Action: the network’s past, present and future, Gábor Földvári
0950-1010 Recording ticks in Cyprus Tasos Saratsis, ELGO Dimitra
Session 1: Novel technologies and tools
1010-1020: InsectAI COST Action, Kelly Martinou, InsectAI Communication Manager
1020-1040: Towards Smarter Biodiversity Monitoring: Integrating Remote Sensing, IoT, and Deep Learning, Chirag Padubidri, CyENS, Cyprus
1040-1100: Climate-sensitive models of vector dynamics for early warning and decision support, Kamil Erguler, Cyprus Institute, Cyprus
1100-1120: Understanding the effect of historic climate change on the transmission of tick-borne pathogens by Ixodes ricinus, Dominic Brass, UKCEH, UK
1130-1200 Coffee break& Group photo in the garden
1200-1215 Akrotiri Environmental Education Centre, Educational programmes, Sophie Kamenou, Ministry of Education & Akrotiri Environmental Education Centre, Cyprus 1215-1220 Introduction to the soapbox session, Kelly Martinou & Ioanna Angelidou 1220-1300 Group Activity- Soapbox session- in the garden of the environment centrefor Early Career researchers and experts who want to communicate their work
1300-1400 Lunch break
Session 2: Citizen science initiatives and approaches 1400-1420: Engaging people in recording biodiversity, Kelly Martinou, JSHU & Enalia Physis
1420-1440: Overview of Citizen science activities from the training school in Novi Sad meeting, Sara Savic, Scientific Veterinary Institute, Serbia
1440-1500: Sharing experiences on how to engage citizens in knowing about ticks, especially children, Cláudia Norte, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Portugal
1500-1520: Mosquito Alert (pre-recorded presentation), Frederic Bartumeus CEAB-CSIC, Spain)
1520-1550: Pragmatick App: a technological DAMA tool for tick and tick-borne pathogen prevention, Gábor Földvári, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary
1550-1700: Discussion and Task allocation for PRAGMATICK App Translation, Gábor Földvári & Éva Szabó
Day 1 finishes at 1700 return to the hotel
Dinner at 20:30 at Karatello tavern for those who wish to join
- Day 2
Participants should bring their own laptops, dragging and flagging equipment and have the iNaturalist App downloaded on their phones). Check out the Akrotiri PRAGMATICK project and join: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/akrotiri-pragmatick-bioblitz
Session 3 Development of PRAGMATICK Database
0900-0915: Presentation of the PRAGMATICK Database template Kelly Martinou 0915-1045: Interactive Group Session: Selection of fields to be included in the database (all). Splitting into groups and allocating tasks, Kelly Martinou & Anastasia Diakou
1045-1100 Coffee break
1100-1300: Akrotiri PRAGMATICK BioBlitz
1300-1400 Lunch
Session 3 continues, Development of PRAGMATICK Database
1400-1730 Groups work on populating the Database and Mobile App translations
Day 2 finishes at 1700 Free evening or dinner at a Cypriot village, for those who signed up
- Day 3
(Participants should bring their own laptops) 0900: Registration 0915-1030: Continue working on the database 1030-1100: Presentation of the results of the BioBlitz
1030-1100 Coffee break
1100-1315 Continue working on the App
1315 -1415 Lunch break
1415-1515: Outline of the manuscript
1515-1530: Coffee break
1530-1700: Future plans, Kelly Martinou and Gábor Földvári
1700 Meeting closure and Return to the hotel
Departure or Free Evening for those who stay Friday night