From 12 to 14 November 2025, Hannah Brunkhorst took part in the Participatory Science Conference (PartWiss) in Leipzig, where innovative projects and approaches were presented under the motto "Researching together – Impulses from citizen science, participatory, and transdisciplinary research". At the end of the first day of the PartWiss 2025 conference, participants gathered for a large poster session. A total of 30 posters were presented, providing interesting insights into various projects in the fields of citizen science, participatory and transdisciplinary research.

Hannah Brunkhorst was there to present the subproject "Plastic Pirates on the Danube: Young People Researching Litter Pollution on Riverbanks." The poster showed how school classes along the Danube took litter samples, documented plastic litter, and reflected on the results together as part of "Plastic Pirates – Go Europe."

The focus was based on how citizen science projects can inspire young people to engage in science and environmental protection, and what learning effects and experiences of self-efficacy result from this.

The poster session provided a lively space for exchange with diverse participants from research and education, who discussed methods, challenges, and the potential of participatory research. Hannah Brunkhorst talked to colleagues from other projects, made new contacts, and received valuable feedback on the results of the Danube project.

"It was particularly exciting to see how diverse citizen science is today," Hannah Brunkhorst summarizes her impressions.