For the third consecutive year, Espoo, a municipality just west of Helsinki, mobilised citizens to fight invasive species with a mobile game. Through the Crowdsorsa app, 281 players mapped, removed and documented lupine and Himalayan balsam across the city – and got paid for their work.
“One of the most encouraging outcomes was the strong participation of young people in this year’s missions,” says Crowdsorsa’s CEO Toni Paju. “In Espoo, teenagers accounted for nearly half of all users.”
To complete tasks, players recorded videos of invasive species sightings before and after removal. The videos were then uploaded through the app for quality review and approval.
Espoo’s invasive species mission was part of a broader international effort, where Crowdsorsa was used to fight invasives in more than 70 municipalities and cities across Finland, Sweden and Canada.
