Measuring the diversity of life in our natural environments is no easy task yet is vitally important to help guide conservation efforts. In recent years exciting advancements in DNA technology means it is now possible to discover your local wildlife, just by analysing a simple water sample! 

Better yet, with an easy-to-use kit anyone can collect a sample. Here at Environmental Smart, we are working with community groups and schools to help them discover their local biodiversity and contribute to the scientific understanding of the local environment. 

Animals (including us humans!) constantly shed tiny bits of DNA into the environment. Your local waterbody or pond is basically a genetic soup of all the things that live in around it. By taking some of that soup and filtering it we can capture the DNA and send it to a lab for analysis. 

The citizen science and survey opportunities can be designed for schools, charities and local groups to learn what is in their local environment, or perhaps more importantly, what is missing. 

The results of these surveys provide detailed evidence to be able to identify nature, protect species and even plan the necessary action needed to re-introduce lost species from your local environment.  

These projects are designed for use by individuals or community groups, schools, volunteers and charities with a max of 25 participants including teachers and helpers as appropriate.

The Citizens Survey basic level survey includes the aquatic eDNA sampling kit and is based on an analysis of "vertebrates" (anything with a backbone), using a primer that captures broad vertebrate diversity, as opposed to something more targeted. The results are less in-depth than the enhanced level survey and are therefore designed for easy interpretation by community groups and children.