The Kittiwalkers community builds momentum

Since April, more than thirty volunteers have taken part in Rissa's Kittiwalker workshops, to learn how to monitor and safeguard kittiwakes in Tromsø. These citizen scientists serve as sentinels and advocates, enhancing our understanding of this highly endangered species, raising public awareness, proposing coexistence solutions, and reporting illegal nest destructions when everything else falls short.

Volunteers during a Kittiwalker workshop in Tromsø in May 2025

While resistance to coexisting with kittiwakes remains strong in Tromsø, their presence also serves as a unifying force. Municipal staff, bird scientists, architects, artists, building owners, tourists, and residents from all walks of life are coming together with a shared goal: to support coexistence with this highly endangered seabird. We are particularly grateful to the volunteers who participated in the workshops and to those who joined the Kittiwalkers:

Adam, Alexander, Anita, Anna Liisa, Anthony, Camille, Carsten, Christine, Cornelia, Daniel C, Daniel JB, Delphin, Elicya, Emily, Erik, Florentine, Géraldine, Giulia, Grégoire, Ilona, Iona, Jacqueline, Jamie, Jessica, Jitske, Julie, Katharina, Katie, Laura, Leo, Liga, Lyra, Noémie, Matthew, Martha, Mikhail, Naima, Nina, Nico, Maren, Ole, Olga, Philip, Roel, Rita, Saga, Saranke, Scarlett, Silje, Sophia, Stan, Veronica, Sigurd, Sylvie, Willie and Yago (apology to those we haven't mentioned!)

Kittiwalkers in action around the kittiwake hotels in Tromsø

How long to become a Kittiwalker?

It usually takes two workshops for most new volunteers to feel confident enough to go Kittiwalking on their own. It’s important that the observations they make are reliable so the results can actually be used. That’s why we take the time to practice things like telling apart the different species of seagulls in Tromsø, or figuring out if a kittiwake nest is occupied just by interpreting the adults’ body language. It also takes a while to get to know where all the kittiwake nests are hidden in Tromsø city center.

Kittiwakes using a satellite dish to communicate with faraway friends

Each contribution matters

Once you become a Kittiwalker, it’s really up to you how much time and energy you want to give. Some people log a quick observation on their way to work, others focus on a small area and get to know every nest in it, and a few go all in, doing full checks every weekend by foot or bike. Everyone contributes in their own way, and together it adds up. With more and more Kittiwalkers joining, new observations are added to Rissa’s app daily, and there are watchful eyes across the city keeping track of nests, sharing information on the Kittiwalkers Whatsapp group and flagging illegal activity.

Kittiwalkers monitoring kittiwake hotels in Tromsø

The extended network

Kittiwalkers’ observations are regularly shared with Tromsø municipality, whether to flag concerns or highlight successful efforts. Rissa Citizen Science also passes this valuable data on to ornithologists at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), who use it in their annual reports on urban kittiwakes. There’s a constant dialogue with other key players too, from those designing and building kittiwake hotels to property owners looking for ways to support coexistence.

In defending the right of this endangered species to live alongside humans in Tromsø, people are developing empathy for nature while building a more connected community.

Volunteers during a Kittiwalker workshop in Tromsø in May 2025

Many thanks to those who support our actions

Rissa Citizen Science extends heartfelt thanks to Sparebankstiftelsen Nord-Norge for their generous support this year. Their generous contribution enables us to dedicate more time to advocating for peaceful coexistence with kittiwakes in Tromsø, to train and grow our volunteer network, and to carry out hands-on initiatives that directly support the conservation of this endangered seabird.

We're also grateful to Focus Nordic for their support. Thanks to their sponsorship, we’ve been able to equip Rissa Citizen Science with several pairs of Kite Ursus 10x42 binoculars. A reliable pair of binoculars is essential for counting and observing kittiwakes, and the clarity and performance of this particular model are truly impressive. These binoculars are now available for use during our workshops and our most active Kittiwalkers can borrow them throughout the season.

Close-up of a black-legged kittiwake