Take part in the Life-Nitrazens monitoring campaigns

Help us monitor the health of our waters in the Duero, Ebro, and Mondego river basins. Your commitment becomes science.

1. Why do we need you?

Water and our ecosystems are vulnerable to nitrate pollution, a challenge that affects both public health and the environment. At Life-Nitrazens, we believe in shared governance: where scientific rigour comes together with the knowledge and commitment of people like you to generate reliable, transparent data that improve water management.

2. How can you collaborate?

You choose the level of commitment you want to take on in our Local Support Network:

Volunteer Participant: Sign up to collect water samples in your area (wells, springs, or rivers) and help us map the local reality.
Ambassador: Lead change in your area by engaging other participants and guiding them through the process.
Node Coordinator: Turn your organisation, association, or local council into a physical meeting point where volunteers collect their materials and deliver their samples.

3. Your citizen science monitoring kit

To ensure your sample becomes valid scientific data, we will provide everything you need at your nearest node:

Sampling bottle (50 ml): Project-specific, with an airtight cap.
Identification materials: Labels and individual bags.
LIFE-NITRAZENS App: A simple tool to geolocate your sample and record sampling conditions.
Quick guide: Infographics and tutorial videos to make the process very easy for you.

4. Your sample’s journey: step by step

Taking part is simple, and we respect your time by organising “mini-campaigns” (time windows of just a few days):

Registration: Fill in our form and join your area’s WhatsApp Community.
Kit collection: Go to your reference node on the agreed day.
Sampling: Go out into the field, collect the sample, and register it in the App.
Quick delivery: Bring the sample to the node in less than 3 hours to ensure nitrate levels do not change.
Analysis and results: We will analyse your sample in the laboratory and publish the validated results on our open platform.

5. Sign up for the next campaign!

We are planning field activities on the following dates:

Campaign 1: April – August 2026
Campaign 2: October 2026 – February 2027
Campaign 3: April – August 2027

Get involved!

I want to take part in the monitoring campaigns

Sign up to collect water samples in your area and help us map the local reality.

I want to take part as an Ambassador / Node

Lead change in your area by engaging other participants and guiding them through the process, or turn your organisation into the physical meeting point where volunteers collect their materials and deliver their samples.

Pilot area map

FAQs

Do I need to know science?

No, the protocol is designed so that anyone can follow it easily with the help of our training.

Where do I collect the water from?

You decide! It can be from your home tap, the well on your property, or the river that runs through your town.

Is it free?

Yes, the project is co-funded by the European Union’s LIFE programme.