Leticia Miguel-Chinchilla, Earthwatch Insitute. Connecting With The Crowd Conference, London, 16 June 2017. Freshwater Links: A citizen observatory for freshwater quality Co-authors: Luis Felipe Velasquez & Ian Thornhill. Over the last decade, environmental projects which contain public engagement and citizen science components have proliferated globally, and often across the same geographical extent. However the resulting data are rarely aggregated to promote spatial knowledge, awareness and greater understanding of social and environmental dynamics. At Earthwatch we are developing Freshwater Links, a novel openly accessible platform which will target meaningful integration and enhancement of geospatial resources between freshwater-related citizen science data derived from multiple initiatives and regulatory agencies. We show how Server and Portal for ArcGIS are the vehicles through which we are aiming to build smart communities by allowing future users to discover information, join in with different initiatives and encourage ideas that will help to improve the quality of their local aquatic environment. We present a novel resource that is designed to showcase current and past projects across the Thames basin pilot area, applications and services for public use. Through this development, we aim to empower the community by increasing understanding of geospatial knowledge, supporting open data, and acting as a focal point where governmental and public datasets can be visualized together for collective insight into the health of aquatic ecosystems.

1. Creating Knowledge. Inspiring Action.
https://freshwaterlinks.org/
Freshwater Links:
A citizen observatory for freshwater quality
Luis Felipe Velasquez – GIS Researcher
Ian Thornhill – Research Manager
Leticia Miguel Chinchilla – freshwater researcher

2. Creating Knowledge. Inspiring Action.
https://freshwaterlinks.org/

3. Creating Knowledge. Inspiring Action.
https://freshwaterlinks.org/
Freshwater Links is an online platform that integrates multiple environme
ntal projects with a citizen science component from across the River Tha
mes Catchment.
Data are aggregated in a GIS platform to promote spatial knowledge, awa
reness and greater understanding of social and environmental dynamics.
All the information is free access and can be directly downloaded.

4. Creating Knowledge. Inspiring Action.
https://freshwaterlinks.org/

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https://freshwaterlinks.org/

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https://freshwaterlinks.org/
Maps: visualization of data

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https://freshwaterlinks.org/
Video tutorials for interacting with the maps
Maps: visualization of data

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https://freshwaterlinks.org/
Video tutorials for interacting with the maps
Learning materials about fresh water
Maps: visualization of data

9. Creating Knowledge. Inspiring Action.
https://freshwaterlinks.org/
Video tutorials for interacting with the maps
Learning materials about fresh water
Information about our collaborators an
d their projects
Maps: visualization of data

10. Creating Knowledge. Inspiring Action.
https://freshwaterlinks.org/

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https://freshwaterlinks.org/

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https://freshwaterlinks.org/

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https://freshwaterlinks.org/

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https://freshwaterlinks.org/
Freshwater links map

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https://freshwaterlinks.org/
Freshwater links map

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https://freshwaterlinks.org/
Freshwater links map

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https://freshwaterlinks.org/
Freshwater links map

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https://freshwaterlinks.org/

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https://freshwaterlinks.org/

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https://freshwaterlinks.org/
EarthWatch Institute has received funding from Thames Water u
nder The Community Investment initiative for the development
of Freshwater Links

21. Creating Knowledge. Inspiring Action.
https://freshwaterlinks.org/
https://freshwaterlinks.org/
freshwaterlinks@earthwatch.org.uk