Powering two-way environmental knowledge production and communication with citizen science and nature quotient

The accelerating climate and biodiversity crises expose ecosystems already under severe stress, yet scientific knowledge production and communication remain largely unidirectional and didactic, constraining timely and integrated responses. This paper argues that combining citizen science with the cultivation of a nature quotient (NQ)-the capacity to perceive and organize the interconnections and dynamic interactions among humans, wildlife, ecosystems, and climate systems-is essential for advancing two-way environmental knowledge systems. Citizen engagement broadens data collection, grounds science in more detailed relational knowledge, and fosters ecological intelligence across society. Cultivating an individual and collective NQ can democratize science, enhance resilience to misinformation, and catalyze a shift toward ecosurplus culture, enabling societies to respond more proactively and intelligently to climate and environmental degradation crises.