The Cook Islands National Environment Service (NES) has completed the Informing the State of Environment (SoE) Reporting through Citizen Science for Environmental Resilience project, carried out from August to November 2025 with support from SPREP through the ACPMEA 3 Programme.
The project took initial steps to support citizen science in the Cook Islands by providing communities with simple tools to observe, record, and share environmental information. A key outcome was the development and testing of the Citizen Science Portal, providing a central platform to contribute environmental data that supports national SoE reporting. Although the portal is still a work in progress, this project marked an important step in helping coordinate citizen science across the Cook Islands.Â
Activities included hands-on training with community partners such as GROW Aitutaki, along with broader portal testing and awareness-raising with government, NGO, and community stakeholders. These initiatives helped build practical skills, increase awareness, and gather valuable feedback to improve citizen science tools and approaches.
The project also supported efforts to strengthen NES environmental data systems and the mid-term review of the Cook Islands National Environment Policy 2022-2032. Through this process, gaps and priorities were identified, providing valuable insights to guide future reviews and enhance stakeholder engagement
This initiative has laid the groundwork for ongoing citizen science participation and strengthened stakeholder relationships, creating a foundation for more inclusive environmental reporting in the Cook Islands. A few activities will continue beyond the project period to maintain momentum, including a focus on stakeholder engagement and further development of the Citizen Science Portal.
