Norfolk and Suffolk have been picked for a pilot project to analyse the benefits which come from volunteers acting as 'citizen scientists' to study nature and the environment.
The counties are among four areas government advisor Natural England has selected to look at how citizen science can help researchers - and potentially influence approaches to conservation.
Citizen science is where volunteers help scientists collect or classify data and the Norfolk project could see them monitoring schemes intended to protect wildlife.
The project, funded using a slice of a £140m government pot to assess ecosystems, is due to start in November and continue until March 2025.
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Andy Jefferies, senior advisor for citizen science at Natural England said: "Natural England and fellow Defra group bodies are undertaking a new series of projects to better understand how citizen science is being used across the country to study nature and the environment.
"One way Natural England hopes to explore this is by setting up local pilots in four areas.
"The pilots will provide an opportunity for various organisations to come together to discuss their citizen science projects, share experience, learn from each other, and explore closer cooperation and collaboration.
"This might include effective ways to collect data, to harness new technology, to secure investment, and encourage diversity and inclusion within the sector."
Norfolk and Suffolk, Northumberland, the West Midlands and Wessex have been selected.
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Mr Jefferies said: "Norfolk and Suffolk are distinctive because they are low lying, with large stretches of productive agricultural land, low population density in many areas, and a long stretch of coastline.
"The area also has a series of landscape-scale nature recovery projects underway at the moment, including the Wendling Beck regenerative farming project near Dereham, and the Little Ouse Headwaters Project in north Suffolk, which offer opportunities for local monitoring."
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