“Forest Doctors” – A STEM Workshop Enabling Citizen Science Discoveries in Plant Health

“Forest Doctors” is a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workshop developed in collaboration with local scientists and community leaders in Far North Queensland, Australia, in 2024. The workshops include thematic lectures, specimen collection, microscope work, and a guided bushwalk through a protected rainforest (i.e., an International Union for Conservation of Nature area). This program has great potential to (a) engage rural youth and increase STEM literacy, as well as (b) create a vibrant citizen science community that enables new ecological discoveries of unknown fungi, plants, and animal species of the rainforests. While the program focuses on plant health, it can be expanded to cover other ecological topics using the same format in different rural regions. Workshops are open to all ages, backgrounds, and abilities, and participation is 100% free. Historically, rural areas of Australia have lacked high-quality STEM initiatives and systematic engagement in citizen science. This plant health case demonstrates how “Forest Doctors” can serve as a flagship program, paving the way for positive rural change through STEM.