MOTIVATION FOR THE PROJECT
Information regarding grass species distribution records is documented by herbarium sightings collated by the Atlas of Living Australia (Atlas of Living Australia 2020), but this does not include phenological data on flowering behavior at a local level in Australia, which is still not well documented. Addressing this knowledge gap is valuable because grass has been recognized as a clinically important outdoor pollen producer globally (Garcia-Mozo et al. 2017) and the most common allergenic pollen source in Australia (Davies et al. 2014). Grass pollen has been shown to be a major trigger for Allergic rhinitis (AR), a disease that impacts over 500 million people worldwide, and as many as 19.3% of Australians (Bousquet et al. 2008; AIHW 2019). Symptoms of AR such as itchy eyes and a runny nose can affect the health and quality of everyday life (Rimmer & Davies 2015) as well as impose a considerable socio-economic impact (Colás et al. 2017). AR is also a known risk factor for progression to comorbid conditions such as sinusitis, sleep apnea and asthma (Guerra et al. 2002; Davies 2014; Bousquet et al. 2019).
One method to assist AR sufferers and clinicians with public environmental health strategies to manage allergen exposure and symptom reduction, is the establishment of pollen monitoring networks to provide local current pollen information (Medek et al. 2020). Currently there are 14 out of a total of 25 pollen monitoring sites of the AusPollen Aerobiology Collaboration Network (Davies et al. 2016) across Australia that publicly report daily grass pollen concentrations during the pollen season (NEII 2020). Research teams at these sites collect daily or weekly air samples using a volumetric Hirst-type pollen and spore trap. Impacted pollen and spores are then mounted on a slide and manually counted by trained personnel by light microscopy by standardized protocols (Beggs et al. 2018). This daily pollen information is then disseminated directly to the community through online and mobile phone platforms. The process of pollen monitoring is labour intensive, costly and time-consuming, and moreover the reported concentrations reflect yesterday’s rather than today’s conditions (Thibaudon, Caillaud & Besancenot 2013; Banchi, Pallavincini & Mugggia 2019). A further problem with reporting airborne pollen concentrations for a large area such as Brisbane is that spatial variation is predicted to be high, but the representation of pollen monitored at one or a few sites over a wider geographical area remains poorly understood (Katelaris et al. 2004). Airborne grass pollen is monitored and reported daily in Brisbane by QUT ARG for only a single location in Rocklea, during the grass pollen season (November to mid-April). The group also monitors pollen levels to the west of Brisbane at a grazing farm near Mutdapilly, and there appears to be distinct timing of the grass pollen season observed between these locations. The Brisbane area has a sub-tropical climate but incorporates a range of diverse micro-climates based on urban development including bayside, riverside, urban, peri-urban and semi-rural areas. Historically in Australia or elsewhere worldwide, the sub-tropical grass pollen season (Green et al. 2004) has not been as well studied as the temperate regions. Consequently, an improved understanding of grass diversity, distribution and flowering behavior around Brisbane would be of great use in development of locally relevant pollen forecast and alert systems.
The lack of data available on grass diversity and flowering activity provided internal motivation for the QUT ARG to undertake this project. The external context of the COVID-19 situation required the CSHS to adopt online learning formats for the delivery of secondary science curriculum. Whilst there were both internal and external drivers that motivated the QUT ARG and CSHS to proceed with this project, there were also shared purposes that underpinned this collaboration (Fig. 1). Within the current circumstances, both QUT ARG and CSHS recognised an opportunity to develop and implement an online citizen science project and provide a platform to keep students engaged during the COVID-19 isolation period. Moreover, the use of technology underscores the potential to increase the engagement and motivation of learners and allows catering to different learning styles (Jones & McLean 2012).
For CSHS, this project provided the opportunity for their students to remain engaged in learning and feel a sense of connection with each other while at home during lockdown. Even though they did not share the same physical space, they still functioned as a class via use of online learning platforms. All the students were potentially able to add data to a shared online database and view each other’s entries online. The activities allowed students to re-affirm and extend knowledge of plant biology topics previously taught. The students were exposed to ‘real-world’ scientific research, authenticating learning and encouraging development of reflective and critical thinking skills.
The COVID-19 restrictions resulted in the QUT ARG members having to work from home, requiring them to re-direct their research efforts while they were unable to undertake laboratory work. Engaging in this project also required the researchers to regularly connect and collaborate via online tools. This project provided opportunity to test and refine tools for a proposed citizen science research project on grass distribution including testbeds for data collection methods and analysis. The data collected from this project could serve the group’s research goals, including the generation of better grass pollen forecasts. Undertaking and reflecting on the project allowed the research group to improve the research and engagement tools prior to larger scale application.
The aim of the collaborative ’Grass Gazers’ project was to provide learning materials and an online tool for students to undertake practical science activities safely around their homes. Moreover, this project would enable CSHS and QUT ARG to establish a new collaboration involving elements in both secondary and tertiary education sectors.