Project partners: Forskningsstation Bolmen, PKI Utveckling AB, Sydvatten AB
Grant: 1,125,000 SEK
Project period: 2025-10-01 to 2026-09-30
Contact person: Victoria Vollert, Sydvatten AB
Linked to tasks: Promotes wise water usage, strengthens education and future competence supply in the water and sewage industry (VA), democratizes research through innovative methods.
Purpose and goals
BioBlitz Bolmen aims to test and develop innovative, scalable methods to increase acceptance, change behaviors, and strengthen the understanding of sustainable water resources and water use. Through citizen science, open-source technology, and 3D-printed microscopes (OpenFlexure Microscope, OFM), schools and the public will have the opportunity to participate in the microbiological environmental monitoring of Lake Bolmen. The goal is to produce an educational field kit that can be lent out and used in various educational settings to increase knowledge about water resources and spark interest in future careers within the VA sector.
Expected effects and results
The project creates a concrete link between everyday water use and ecosystems through practical education and citizen science. Students and the public will collect and analyze microorganisms from Lake Bolmen themselves, contributing valuable data to open research databases. The result will be a complete BioBlitz kit with microscopes, methods, and educational material that can be easily replicated and used by other schools, organizations, and stakeholders. The project contributes to the Water Wise Societies mission by promoting wise water use, increasing knowledge about aquatic ecosystems, strengthening education and competence supply, creating new collaboration models between schools, research, and society, and making research accessible to more people through open technology and data sharing.
Planned structure and implementation
The project will be implemented in six work packages over one year. First, OpenFlexure microscopes will be built and educational material will be developed, after which a pilot phase with 2–3 schools will be carried out to test and develop the methods. Subsequently, BioBlitz Bolmen will be implemented with more schools, data collection, and documentation. Participants will upload their observations to open databases and create visual stories that will be shared via social media and exhibitions. Finally, public events will be held, such as open house events at Forskningsstation Bolmen and science centers, and dissemination and packaging for continued use.
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Goals and tasks
- Wise use of water
