Equitable access to air quality knowledge and relevant engagement of non-experts in monitoring efforts is vital to ensure the longevity of monitoring and equitability of air quality protection. Lichens CitiSci, a community science project engaging non-experts in lichen biomonitoring work, supports resource-limited air monitoring efforts while making real world connections with people in local communities.

Understanding pollutants in the air, why they matter, and why they need to be monitored can be challenging concepts. The reality is that people in underserved communities are more likely to be disconnected from the natural world protected on public lands and disproportionately exposed to higher levels of air pollution. Thus, while it can be difficult to make an argument with society that biodiversity and environmental health matters, it is less difficult to argue that air quality matters because everyone breathes air and is impacted by air pollution.

Youth are the future of community science efforts. To empower youth in underserved communities to learn first hand, in their community, about air quality and how to monitor it can create opportunities for change. This work is necessary now more than ever, especially with increased wildfires, urbanization, habitat loss, and declining biodiversity. Lichens CitiSci, in-collaboration with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Sunny Wolf Charter School (OR), the USFS Air Resource Management Program, and funding from the National Environmental Education Foundation Greening STEM program, aims to cultivate and empower youth activism on air quality issues through direct engagement in a custom-designed and piloted air quality monitoring year-long curriculum. We review some of the common steps in developing and funding community engagement projects.