On 4 April 2024, Mandy Hinzmann presented communication insights and best practices of the citizen science program "Plastic Pirates" at the European Citizen Science Conference in Vienna. The presentation highlighted that effective communication strategies are crucial for the success of citizen science initiatives.

The "Plastic Pirates" investigated the plastic pollution of rivers and implemented a variety of communication strategies with participating schoolchildren and teachers. So far, more than 24,000 participants have been involved since the start of the project in 2016. Without time-efficient communication and strategies to keep track of conversations, it would not have been possible to achieve the scientific and educational goals of the program, i.e., to help teachers increase the environmental awareness and scientific literacy of their schoolchildren, and to produce peer-reviewed articles based on the collected citizen science data.

The presentation gave insights on communication strategies aiming to:

• Find and motivate participants
• Support participants prior to data collection and ensure error-free sampling
• Support data upload and ensure completeness of data sets
• Share project updates and results

The Presentation was part of a session on "reflecting change in citizen science" and was primarily addressed to researchers planning or conducting citizen science initiatives. The Conference took place from 3 to 6 April 2024 and was organized by the European Citizen Science Association (ESCA).