Building national tools for citizen-led mosquito surveillance

Developing Canada’s first toolkit to support citizen science approaches to mosquito surveillance and community-based public health monitoring

Wendy Pons, School of Health & Life Sciences

About the project

This research brought together public health, environmental health, and regulatory partners from across Canada to identify best practices for citizen-led mosquito surveillance. The project focused on creating accessible tools and resources that support community participation in monitoring mosquito populations and related public health concerns.

The challenge

Citizen science initiatives have the potential to expand surveillance capacity and increase public engagement, but consistent guidance and resources have been limited. The project sought to establish a national framework that could support effective and standardized community-based mosquito monitoring.

Approach

• Conducted a systematic review of citizen science approaches to mosquito surveillance
• Collaborated with public health, environmental health, and regulatory organizations across Canada
• Held stakeholder consultations to identify needs, opportunities, and best practices
• Developed resources to support community-based surveillance initiatives
• Created tools designed for researchers, practitioners, and community groups

Results

• Developed Canada’s first citizen science mosquito surveillance toolkit
• Produced a systematic review to support evidence-based practice
• Launched the toolkit through a national meeting of subject-matter experts
• Shared findings through conference presentations and invited talks
• Established a foundation for future research and community-based surveillance initiatives

Why it matters

This project supports stronger collaboration among researchers, public health organizations, and communities. The work helps:

• Increase public participation in scientific research and surveillance activities
• Support more consistent mosquito monitoring practices across Canada
• Improve access to practical tools and resources for community-based initiatives
• Strengthen partnerships among public health and environmental health stakeholders
• Enable future citizen science projects and research opportunities

Citizen science approaches in mosquito surveillance was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).