Arthropods make up 75% of all living organisms on earth. At the same time, only 10% of all nature conservation measures are aimed at arthropods - a disparity that poses a significant threat to global biodiversity. At the same time, increasing urbanization in the world is alienating people from nature in general and insects in particular. In our study, we explore the benefits of citizen science to (a) reduce stigma towards insects and (b) facilitate mental health benefits through purposeful interactions with natural environments to foster a positive relationship with our planet's ecosystem.
Our study was conducted in three ecotourism lodges in high biodiversity environments in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. We investigate the effects of ecotourism and participation in citizen science projects on attitudes towards insects, psychological well-being and willingness to engage in conservation. The aim of this project is to better understand the perception of insects and their impact on the willingness to protect our biologically diverse environment.
At our stand, visitors can view images of anthropod abundance in the Peruvian Amazon and test their own closeness to nature and attitudes towards insect species.