Growing Through ScienceUs: How SEED and FLOURISH Are Strengthening Acqua Sorgente

Over the past year, the ScienceUs Funding – through the SEED and FLOURISH programmes – has played a key role in supporting the development of Acqua Sorgente, helping us strengthen our structure, expand our network and consolidate our impact.

What is Acqua Sorgente?

Acqua Sorgente is a citizen science project dedicated to the documentation, monitoring and enhancement of natural springs. Through the active involvement of volunteers, schools, local communities and researchers, the project collects data and images of springs across Italy.

The goal is to build a shared and accessible knowledge base that supports scientific analysis, environmental awareness and the protection of water resources as a common good – environmentally, culturally and socially.

By combining grassroots participation with scientific collaboration, Acqua Sorgente creates a bridge between research and local territories.

Project Development Through SEED and FLOURISH

With the support of ScienceUs Funding, our project has progressed from a primarily exploratory phase to a more structured and strategic initiative.

For Acqua Sorgente, the SEED phase was an opportunity to refine our vision, clarify our long-term strategy and position the project within a broader European context. It allowed us to strengthen our narrative, define our impact in relation to climate challenges, and assess how our methodology for spring monitoring could be adapted and transferred to other territories beyond Italy.

With FLOURISH, we focused on consolidation and scaling: expanding partnerships, increasing visibility, and fostering dialogue with scientific institutions and environmental organisations. We also organised our first in-person public event, bringing together contributors, experts and stakeholders to reflect on achievements and future directions.

The funding enabled us not only to grow in numbers, but to grow in quality — improving coordination, strengthening scientific credibility and reinforcing our community.

What Makes Acqua Sorgente Special?

Acqua Sorgente stands out for its focus on springs — often overlooked elements of the hydrological system, yet fundamental for ecosystems, local identity and water security.

Springs are highly sensitive to climate variability. Monitoring their presence, condition and seasonal behaviour contributes valuable information to understanding local hydrological changes linked to climate change.

Our contribution to climate change adaptation lies in:

• Promoting distributed monitoring of water springs
  
• Generating locally grounded environmental data
  
• Raising awareness about water vulnerability and resilience
  
• Encouraging community stewardship of fragile ecosystems
  

By empowering citizens to observe and document changes, we help create a culture of responsibility and preparedness at the local level.

What’s Coming in 2026?

In 2026, we aim to:

• Expand collaboration with environmental institutions and protected areas
  
• Strengthen partnerships with Alpine clubs and international organisations
  
• Improve data interoperability and scientific analysis
  
• Develop new educational tools for schools and local communities
  
• Increase cross-border dialogue on water monitoring and climate adaptation
  

Our ambition is to position Acqua Sorgente as a reference project in citizen science applied to water resources, contributing both to scientific understanding and to community-based climate resilience.

ScienceUs Funding has been an essential catalyst in this journey. We now look ahead to 2026 with a clearer vision, a stronger network and a growing community committed to protecting springs as shared environmental heritage.