Dr Sasha Woods, Earthwatch with lan Lovell, Environment Agency(Image: Earthwatch)They all tested the water quality of the River Itchen, which is one of the UK's globally rare chalk streams. Earthwatch Europe supports citizen science, enabling communities to gather real-time water quality data that complements official monitoring efforts. "This event was a testament to the value of open, transparent data and the need for authorities to integrate citizen science into their monitoring frameworks. Alan Lovell, chair of the Environment Agency, added: "Citizen scientists carry out invaluable work that helps us better understand our environment. "These citizen science activities are clear examples of how these efforts can go hand in hand with wider Environment Agency work and contribute to our broad and diverse knowledge of our natural resources."