Revealing Participants of Amphibian and Reptile Mapping Citizen Science Project in Hungary

Amphibian and Reptile Mapping is one of Hungary's pioneer citizen science initiatives contributing to nature conservation and scientific research. Through the available interfaces, herpetofauna observations are shared by volunteer observers. However, there is still a shortage of knowledge regarding these participants. To achieve the dual benefits of the project for participants and scientists, in this study, we aim to establish a better understanding of volunteers' experiences when participating in Amphibian and Reptile Mapping. In 2023, an online questionnaire was conducted to explore volunteers' experiences, including demographics, data uploading, technology use, knowledge gain, and changing attitudes and behavior. From the 182 valid responses, descriptive statistics, the chi-square test (p < 0.05), Cramer's V, and the Fisher--Freeman--Halton Exact Test were used to determine variable associations. Our findings show more than two-thirds of participants have higher education experience (69%). The majority prefers the website for uploading observations (65%) and making records occasionally (68%). The most frequently observed amphibian species was Rana dalmatina (14%), followed by Bufotes viridis (12%), and the reptile species were Lacerta viridis (13%), Zamenis longissimus (11%), and Emys orbicularis (10%). Less than half of the respondents (44%) stated that they acquired knowledge through participation in the project. No association was found between the participation period and knowledge gained. Motivations for participation, such as environmental responsibility, personal interest in herpetofauna, and learning desire, were associated with knowledge gain. A significant association was observed between the upload frequency and work or educational environments related to nature conservation. More than half of the respondents (54%) showed an attitude change due to the project. The participant's motivations for recreation, environmental responsibility, and learning desire were associated with attitude--behavioral change. We recommend developing strategies that enhance participation experience by increasing the knowledge gain and attitude changes in participants.