By analyzing aerial images, students will be able to help gather information on the quantity and type of plastics, information useful for research. This activity will provide them with an opportunity to familiarize themselves with geographic data management tools, such as QGIS, which are crucial for spatial analysis of information such as that produced by drones. In this they will be guided, instructed and supervised by external tutors belonging to the 4 institutes listed above.

During an initial training phase, students are given basic instructions to be able to use a free program that is widely used in scientific research, namely "QGIS." With it, students perform the actual "data collection," which will also be possible to do from their own homes, once they install the program. At the end of the course, students will be able to describe the collected data and their experience with an initial short and simple presentation, or optionally a small video, about the activity performed and the results achieved.

The project, being a didactic and educational experience, goes beyond the collection of data and the use of tools and protocols used in scientific research and aims to broaden the new generations' knowledge of this serious problem and predispose them toward more "virtuous" behavior, in their future which includes a less massive use of plastic, a better strategy for its disposal, the search for substitute materials, both compostable and biodegradable, and the move toward an economy with recycling as the predominant action, and leading to a real decrease in the pollution of our environment and our seas. To this end, an evaluation of how many and what changes in knowledge and attitude have occurred in the students involved is also planned within the project, by means of the administration of a short pre- and post-activity questionnaire, also to be carried out online.

The teaching materials provided to the students during the work period also include several films, prepared by experts in the field, that touch on these issues. An initial (distance) lecture introduces the topic, and this is followed by an expert in the use of drones for environmental monitoring showing the students how to carry out such monitoring, including through audiovisuals. This is followed by a mini-course on the use of QGIS, simplified as much as possible of course, and then an explanation of how data collection is done on the actual photos that will be provided to them.

After the training phase follows the active work phase of the students identifying and classifying marine litter from the drone photos.

The data obtained as a result of student input has been verified, and the proposed citizenscience approach has been shown to be reliable and results comparable to those obtained by researchers (Merlino et al. 2021). This will allow us to use this methodology on larger scales, and obtain data on the distribution and accumulation dynamics of marine litter on large stretches of beach.

Schools involved:

IIS Meucci of Massa (MS), IIS Zaccagna-Galilei of Carrara (MS), IIS Agnoletti of Sesto Fiorentino (FI), ISI Garfagnana of Castelnuovo (LU) and LS Marconi San Miniato (PI).

Educational training resource material

Manuali e guide

Presentazioni finali degli studenti