Blue-green vein

The Stiemerbeek and the Stiemerbeek Valley are well-known in Genk and the surrounding area. When they talk about their beloved Stiemerbeek, which often just flows through their backyard, residents of Genk personalize the watercourse and talk about 'she': 'She flows fiercely' or 'She stunk again yesterday'. The fact that the water quality and biodiversity of the Stiemerbeek have been declining for years is a thorn in the side of the residents. The sewage system and the increasing urban expansion in Genk are causing pollution and algae formation in this blue-green vein.

So it's high time to measure and analyze. The citizen science project Stiemerlab retrained Genk citizens, local residents and local organizations into active citizen scientists. They use sensors to collect data about the water quality in the Stiemerbeek and map the biological water quality of the stream by taking water samples at various locations in the Stiemer Valley.

The citizen scientists have now been working with the scientists for a year. What remarkable results have you observed?

Selina Schepers: 'In addition to the obvious observation that the water quality is critical on many points, we have made two special observations in the field of sensor measurements. At the beginning of the year we noticed a peak in the conductivity of the water. Road salt had ended up in the stream through the drainage, we were even able to determine at which point that had happened. We also saw the water level rise spectacularly in mid-July, in 1 hour the water in the Stiemerbeek rose by 2 meters and the highest water level we measured was 2.5 meters. As far as the samples are concerned, we saw, among other things, viruses, bacteria, fish, amphibians and algae, especially at the Thorpark and the Slagmolen location. We currently have data sets with real-time data about the temperature, height and electrical conductivity of the water at 15 different locations in the Stiemerbeek. We are gradually gaining insight into the organisms present in the water through DNA sequencing at 9 locations and we have a dataset with close-up images of micro-organisms in the monthly samples. By the way, our results are visualized in a very clear and beautiful way on an open online platform on our website.
You can scroll through locations yourself and find out which species can be found in the Stiemerbeek. On September 25 and 26 we will show our first interim results at the event 'Genk Stiemert', organized by the City of Genk.'

The Stiemer community

An important cause of the decrease in water quality and biodiversity in the Stiemerbeek and the valley are the overflows of the sewage system. Will those overflows be addressed?

Selina Schepers: 'Indeed, the overflows are problematic. Sewage water ends up directly in the Stiemerbeek, often after only 20 minutes of fine drizzle. From the autumn, Aquafin will tackle a number of overflow points. It is a first, important step towards a pure Stiemerbeek. The funding of our Stiemerlab project by the Flemish government will end in May 2022, but our scientific partners VITO and UHasselt have already indicated that it would be interesting to compare the sensor data and samples. Then we can see to what extent the data differ when the overflow points have been addressed.'

What is striking about Stiemerlab is the great involvement of citizens and the project's attention to the participation of and interaction with the participants. There's a real and close-knit Stiemer community. Was that a conscious approach?

Selina Schepers: ‘Yes, I dare to say that's a conscious approach. On the one hand, LUCA School of Arts is the initiator and coordinator of the project. This means that we explicitly pay a lot of attention to the participatory part of the project: we bring citizens together, we strengthen the sense of community and we make scientific data accessible in a visually attractive and clear way. We do this online on our platform, but also offline along the stream, so that every pedestrian is part of the story. In that sense, we have just concluded an international call for an artist-in-residence. In October, November of this year, an artist will realize an artistic intervention in the public space so that the Stiemer Valley will also have added value in that area. Moreover, throughout this story, we must not forget that the social infrastructure of the project was already there. The City of Genk is our project partner and they already rolled out a master plan around the Stiemer Valley some time ago. They see the valley as a connection between neighborhoods and sites in Genk and as a destination for relaxation and recreation. For example, they launched the event 'Genk Stiemert', but also Stiemerdeals and even Stiemerijs (icecream) and Stiemerkoeken (cookies) with honey from the Stiemervallei. We gratefully surfed along on those existing dynamics.'

Sticklebacks

To what extent has the pandemic affected you in the roll-out of the project?

Selina Schepers: 'COVID-19 was quite a challenge. We literally held 1 project meeting and after that everything went digital. We have a community of about 50 volunteers, the majority of whom are regular volunteers who commit to take samples or maintain sensors on a monthly or bi-weekly basis. So it is quite a challenge to keep them involved, in that sense the pandemic was also positive. We were forced to work very personally and to respond quickly via apps, emails or phone calls. For example, I delivered Stiemerkoeken all over Genk, so there was also personal individual contact, albeit at a distance.'

What important tip would you like to give other organizers of citizen science projects from your background as a researcher within Inter-Actions and a teacher in Participatory Practices?

Selina Schepers: ‘Well, in a citizen science project, on the one hand, you have the objective scientific data and the publications that can result from it, and on the other, you also have the subjective data, how citizens feel certain phenomena, how they relate to nature, in this case. In my opinion, in a citizen science project you have to take both science and citizen into account. The engagement of participants can be the engine of change. You should cherish the personal bond of citizens. Admit it, when you read that some volunteers used to catch sticklebacks or 'stiekeldjenkskes' in the Stiemerbeek with vanilla pudding, a large goblet and a fishnet made from their mother's old stocking, or that a hiker stumbles on a crayfish during an evening walk and shares that, that can only make you happy.'