April 2019 News Brief

April 2019 GLOBE News Brief

New “NASA GLOBE Observer: Trees” Tool Allows Users to Measure Tree Height

Photo of a person using the new Trees tool on their smartphone.

The GLOBE Observer App provides a step-by-step guide for people to collect scientific data on their surroundings. With the new GLOBE Trees feature of the app, observers record tree height by tilting their phone up and down to align the screen with the tree’s top branch and base, and pace the distance to the tree; the app does the rest to calculate the tree’s height.

“With the GLOBE Observer, everyone can become a citizen scientist and easily take measurements to better understand their local ecosystem,” said Brian Campbell, GLOBE Trees science lead. Observers can measure one tree or hundreds. The data points – along with a GPS tag of the tree’s location – are sent back to NASA and collected in the GLOBE database. Anyone can visualize all of the tree height and other GLOBE data simply by visiting the GLOBE website.

To learn more about this new easy-to-use tool, click here !

News

Celebrate Earth Day 2019

Earth Day, celebrated throughout the world on 22 April, is just three weeks away. Visit the GLOBE Earth Day page for suggestions about how to celebrate and participate!

To view the Earth Day page , click here .

On 15 April, NASA will announce its own unique Earth Day 2019 activity. GIO will share that activity on the Earth Day page, and in a news article on the homepage of www.globe.gov .

Also, look for a video from Tony Murphy in your inbox on Earth Day!

Trees Around the GLOBE Student Research Campaign

April Intensive Observation Period Has Begun (01-30 April)

Trees Around the GLOBE campaign shareable.

The Trees Around the GLOBE Campaign’s April Intensive Observation Period (IOP) has begun! IOPs are focused periods of time where participants are encouraged to collect large amounts of data and enter it in the GLOBE database. Data that are collected during the IOP will provide GLOBE students, scientists, researchers, and educators large amounts of concentrated data over a short period of time. The April IOP will be focused on Land Cover.

During each IOP, GLOBE students will:

take measurements of tree height (January and July) or land cover (April and October), and one additional protocol, from the suite of campaign protocols (which can be found here);
take measurements at least three times per week for one month at the same study site for both protocols (the tree-height measurements should be of the same trees each time for each site; however, there can be multiple sites, thereby increasing the number of trees measured); and
report their number of tree-height measurements and identify the additional protocol measurement and number of measurements by the 5th day of the following month (which should be sent to Brian Campbell).

Each participant will receive a Virtual Tree Height IOP Badge. The GLOBE school with the most collected tree height data and additional protocol data will receive a virtual one-on-one Q&A session with a NASA scientist, researcher, or engineer; and a Virtual Tree Height IOP Winner Badge.

To learn more about the Trees Around the GLOBE Campaign,

and how to participate in the April IOP , click here .

Join the April GLOBE Mission Mosquito

Education and Citizen Science Webinars

GLOBE educators and citizen scientists (of all ages) – you are invited to join the following GLOBE Mission Mosquito (GMM) April webinars:

GMM Education Webinar #6 “Who Am I? Or How to Identify Larvae” – Wednesday, 10 April (2:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. UTC): During this webinar, participants will learn how to collect, sample, and identify mosquito larvae. Science Lead, Dr. Rusty Low will share Best Practices when collecting larvae and describe how to sample and identify larvae, pupae, and adult mosquitoes using an inexpensive clip-on magnifier for a cell phone and school microscopes, which are generally available. Learn how scientists and public health officials are planning to use the data we collect for their research and response to the threat of mosquito-related disease.

To register for the webinar, click here .

GMM Citizen Science Webinar #4 “Tools for Analyzing Data” – Wednesday, 17 April (2:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. UTC): Collecting mosquito data is fun but what's way more fun? Seeing your data in an entirely new way. This webinar will show participants how to use GLOBE Viz and ADAT, and Google Earth.

To register for the webinar, click here .

To learn more about the GLOBE Mission Mosquito Campaign, and to view archived webinars, click here .

Can You Engineer a Low-cost Tool for Measuring Wind Speed?

The GLOBE/AREN Project Wind Speed Challenge Is On!

The GLOBE/AREN (AEROKATS and ROVER Education Network) Wind Speed Challenge began 01 April. The goal of the challenge is to engineer a low-cost electronic or non-electronic anemometer (a tool for measuring the speed of wind). Projects must be submitted by 31 May.

One successfully engineered product will be selected as the “Grand Award Winner.” In addition, 10 successfully engineered international products will be randomly selected to receive an AREN Kite Package.

The GLOBE Program supports the AREN Project, which utilizes kites to collect data. The GLOBE Program does not have a protocol for determining wind speed. This challenge provides the opportunity for the GLOBE community to engineer a low-cost (less than $30) method of determining wind speed that could be used throughout the world.

For more information on the Wind Speed Challenge, click here .

For more information on the AREN Project , click here .

17 April: GLOBE Mission EARTH Webinar: “What Have We Learned by Doing the Urban Heat Island Effect-Surface Temperature Field Campaign?”

GLOBE Mission EARTH (GME) will host a webinar on Wednesday, 17 April (8:00 p.m. ET): “ What Have We Learned by Doing the Urban Heat Island Effect-Surface Temperature Field Campaign?”

During the webinar, Dr. Kevin Czajkowski (Dr. C, from the University of Toledo, Ohio, USA) will look at all the data entered in October, December, and February. He will showcase heat islands in various locations on Earth, and will discuss the importance of implementing mitigation efforts. A panel of teachers will share their students’ research on the Urban Heat Island Effect.

To register for the webinar, click here .

To learn more about GLOBE Mission Earth, click here .

Attending the 2019 GLOBE Annual Meeting in Detroit this Summer?

Then BE with GLOBE!

Are you planning to attend the 2019 GLOBE Annual Meeting in Detroit, Michigan, USA? Then maybe it’s time for you to consider volunteering to Benefit the Environment (BE) with GLOBE!

Benefiting the environment is part of the acronym that makes up GLOBE. If you are participating in this year’s Annual Meeting, you will have a chance to give back to the Detroit community through a volunteer opportunity with Hantz Farms . (There will be volunteer opportunities for everyone regardless of physical ability, and transportation will be provided.) This is an optional volunteer activity; so, if you’re interested, please be sure to select “YES” to BE with GLOBE as an agenda item during your registration.

The meeting (14-18 July) will be held at the Crowne Plaza Detroit Downtown Riverfront Hotel. The Student Experience (16-18 July) will be held at the Howell Nature Center. The theme of the meeting, which will be hosted by Dr. Kevin Czajkowski and David Bydlowski, is “Intersections of Diverse Environments.”

To learn more about the GLOBE Annual Meeting (#GLOBE23), click here .

To learn more about BE with GLOBE, click here .

Remember, “early-bird” registration ends 15 May!

Deadline to register is 01 July!

2019 IVSS Projects Are Due 10 April!

Ready to Serve as a Judge?

The deadline for submitting projects to the 2019 International Virtual Science Symposium (IVSS) is fast approaching – 10 April! It’s time to complete, and upload, your invaluable contribution to science and research.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are submitting a report for the IVSS, you will want to make sure that you check the correct box in the “Type of Student Report” section of the Upload Tool. You can select multiple report options; however, if you do not indicate that your report is a 2019 IVSS report, it will not be judged with the other IVSS reports!

GISN Members/STEM Professionals: Your Services Are Vital to this Endeavor! Sign up to Help Judge! The GIO is seeking GISN members, STEM professionals, GLOBE alumni, GLOBE teachers, and other GLOBE community members willing to help judge IVSS projects. Are you ready to step up and help? Then please fill out the form on this page !

IVSS Timeline:

The 2019 IVSS Timeline:

I nformational Webinar: 25 October 2018
Reports Accepted: 01 January 2019 to 10 April 2019
Due Date for Student Reports: 10 April 2019
Judging Webinar: 25 April 2019
Judging Period: 26 April to 05 May 2019
Feedback and Virtual Badges Shared: 17 May 2019
Drawing for Stipends: 17 May 2019

Reports will be accepted THROUGH 10 April 2019.

To download the IVSS shareables, click here !

For more information on the 2019 IVSS, click here !

Teachers: New Tornadoes Teaching Box Now Available – Make a Tornado in Your Classroom!

A new University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Center for Science Education (SciEd) Tornadoes Teaching Box is now available.

UCAR teaching boxes are collections of classroom-ready and standards-aligned activities, content, and multimedia that build student understanding of science, technology, engineering, and math. All materials are freely available online.

In the Tornadoes Teaching Box, you will find a collection of educational materials to help middle and high school students learn why, and where, tornadoes happen – and how these weather events impact people’s lives. (For example, “Make a Tornado in Your Classroom” is an activity where students make a model of a tornado to visualize how they form, and explore factors that influence why certain areas in the United States have more tornadoes than other areas.) The Tornadoes Teaching Box connects you to a wealth of free resources, such as classroom activities, videos, and images -- and is aligned with the U.S. Next Generation Science Standards.

To check out this new Teaching Box, click here .

Join the GLOBE Mission Mosquito Citizen Science Day Mosquito Blitz:

07-13 April

Saturday, 13 April, is Citizen Science Day! Join the GLOBE Mission Mosquito Citizen Science Day Mosquito Blitz, which will start 07 April and run through Citizen Science Day.

During this week, simply make mosquito habitat observations (and encourage your friends and family to do so too) and then upload your observations using the GLOBE Observer Mosquito Habitat Mapper App.

Don't have the app? You can download it for FREE from the Google Play Store or from the Apple App Store (just search: "GLOBE Observer"). When you do so, you are joining the GLOBE community and contributing important scientific data to NASA and GLOBE, your local community, and students and scientists worldwide.

Watch for details on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/nasa.globeobserver/ ) or Twitter ( https://twitter.com/NASAGO )

Photo credit: Emily Maletz.

U.S. Community: Join the Upcoming Teacher Watercooler

Meet-up: 09 April

U.S. GLOBE Teachers: Join the GLOBE Professional Learning Community (PLC) and hear how other GLOBE teachers use GLOBE with their students during a Teacher Watercooler meet-up at 7:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, 09 April.

During the watercooler, participants will connect with each other, and hear how Amy Woods, a GLOBE teacher from Pennsylvania, uses GLOBE in her classroom – and about her experience with the SRS.

To register for the 09 April Watercooler , click here !

U.S. GLOBE Teachers: 22-26 April is

National Environmental Education Week

From 22-26 April, the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) is hosting the nation’s largest celebration of environmental education for the 15th Annual National Environmental Education Week (U.S. only). Each year, NEEF partners with educators, students, government agencies, businesses, communities, nonprofit organizations, and others to inspire environmental learning and encourage stewardship of essential resources: land, air, and water.

To learn more, and to register, click here .

Have App, Will Travel! Read the Latest Community Blog: “Live From the Field: Mosquito Habitat Mapping in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA”

In a recent GLOBE Community Blog, Dr. Russanne (Rusty) Low, GLOBE Mission Mosquito Science Lead, describes her field experience at the campus of the University of Hawaii, Manoa, collecting data using the GLOBE Observer App.

“I had the good fortune to meet Dr. Floyd Reed, a professor in the Department of Biology,” Dr. Low explained in her blog. “His lab is involved in modifying strains of Culex mosquitoes so that they are unable to transmit avian (bird) malaria, a disease responsible for the ongoing extinction of many of Hawai’i’s native bird species.”

“Dr. Reed agreed to go out and collect mosquitoes with us this morning, using the GLOBE Observer Mosquito Habitat Mapper. One caveat: he made us promise to not dump out water or mitigate the site, because the site he was going to show us was his “nursery” where he obtained specimens to use in the lab. Of course, we agreed – he is raising mosquitoes for science.”

To find out how this GLOBE Mission Mosquito field experience unfolded, read Dr. Low’s blog.

To read other recent community blogs , click here .

What’s your GLOBE story? As a vital part of the GLOBE community, you are cordially invited to blog on the GLOBE website. Respectfully voice your opinion, ask questions, share tips and tidbits – and make meaningful connections with members of the community today! The GLOBE Community Support Team (CST) has recorded a new, updated, demonstration video on how to create your blog post. To watch the video, click here . We want to hear your GLOBE story today!

Are You a GLOBE Star?

Fill Out This Easy Template and Share Your Bright Light!

Are you a GLOBE Star? GLOBE Stars are stories of projects, people and extraordinary activities being conducted around the world in connection to GLOBE. These are our GLOBE Stars, the bright lights that spark our imagination and inspire us with news of GLOBE at work in the world. Send your story of people, projects, or activities to share on the GLOBE website.

To learn more about GLOBE Stars, and to use the Star template for submitting your

GLOBE Star Story, click here .

Need Financial Assistance?

YLACES Offers Awards, Scholarships, Grants – and Support –

for U.S. Science Education

Youth Learning as Citizen Environmental Scientists (YLACES), based in the United States, offers awards, scholarships, grants, and support – all to assist and reward the implementation of inquiry-based, experiential science education where students do science and contribute to understanding of our environment through recognition and financial reward programs.

Those working with youth to do research projects through environmental citizen science are invited to submit proposals for support to help their efforts. Grants range from support for taking simple measurements to teacher professional development and working for pervasive inclusion of student research projects in science teaching.

In addition, support is provided for prizes recognizing student achievement and effective teaching; for infrastructure necessary for contributing, storing, and sharing data and methods; and for science fairs/symposia that assess student work. (Are you a member of 4-H or Girl Scouts? YLACES offers grants for equipment to individual chapters, councils, and State organizations.)

For more information on YLACES,

and the specific types of assistance YLACES provides, click here .

GLOBE Zika Education and Prevention Project Update

GLOBE Zika Education and Prevention Project banner

From 25 February through 01 March, the GLOBE Zika Education and Prevention Project team facilitated community development webinars for each of the three regions involved with the project (Asia and Pacific, Africa, and Latin America and Caribbean) in order to support them as the project transitions from the Country Mosquito Trainings (CMTs) to Local Mosquito Workshops (LMWs).

The webinars provided project status updates and offered support and resources for countries to organize and carry out LMWs. The webinars encouraged participants to engage in the GLOBE Mission Mosquito Campaign and to use the GLOBE Mosquito Protocol Bundle in data collection. The webinars concluded with participants sharing strategies to successfully support recently trained trainers in developing local networks of support and organizing community trainings. Since the project started in spring 2018, Country Coordinators have organized 103 CMTs, trained over 2,400 individuals (T2 Trainers), and collectively have added over 56,000 data points to the MHM App.

For more information on how you can participate in mosquito data collection through the GLOBE Mission Mosquito Campaign, click here .

To watch a video tutorial on how to use the GO MHM App, click here .

For more information on the GLOBE Zika Education and Prevention Project, click here .

Video presentations from Kia Henry (United States Department of State), and GIO Director Dr. Tony Murphy recognized the project’s success.

Photo of a computer keyboard, with one key reading "Update"

Several enhancements were made, or were in progress, during March 2019.

The Website: Watershed base map layers were added to Vis/ADAT.
GLOBE Observer App: The new trees tool within the GLOBE Observer App went live on Friday, 22 March. Users can now measure tree heights with their phones.
Coming in April: GLOBE’s technology team is working on giving GLOBE Observers the ability to create and manage special groups (“GLOBE Teams”) with which they can associate their data. In addition, a production version of the API Out should be available for users in April.

Opportunities for Teachers

(U.S. opportunities are often highlighted in the News Brief simply because we are more aware of them through our local media; however, if there are opportunities for GLOBE students and/or teachers in your region that you would like us to highlight in the coming months, please send the information to: communications@globe.gov . Thank you!)

NASA STEM Educator Webinars

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative (EPDC) is presenting a series of webinars open to all educators. All pre-service, K-12, and informal educators, as well as university faculty, are invited to join NASA education specialists to learn about NASA missions, activities, lesson plans, educator guides, and online resources that integrate NASA and STEM into the classroom.

Two April webinars use GLOBE resources and insight:

08 April: “Explore Earth: GLOBE Hydrology” (Grades K-12) During this webinar, participants will learn about clouds and contrails using The GLOBE Program. Participants will learn how NASA’s fleet of satellites, its airborne missions, and its researchers address some of the critical challenges facing our planet today, with a specific focus on GLOBE protocols. This webinar will be held on Monday, 08 April, at 6:30 p.m. ET. For more information, and to register, click here.

17 April: “The Scoop on Soil” (Grades K-10) During this webinar, participants will Explore STEM resources on soil and soil moisture, and discover NASA resources to encourage field study experiences. Protocols will introduce measuring accurately with precision. STEM inquiry activities will guide participating educators through problem-based learning with real world authentic data. This webinar will be held on Wednesday, 17 April, at 5:00 p.m. ET. For more information, and to register, click here.

U.S. K-12 Teachers: Deadline to Apply for Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Semester, Cycle II, is 06 May

U.S. K-12 Teachers: Applications for the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Short-Term Program for U.S. Teachers (Fulbright DAST), Cycle II, is 06 May – for projects taking place in 12 countries between October 2019 and May 2020.

The Fulbright DAST provides an opportunity for outstanding K–12 teachers from the United States to take part in a two-week to six-week professional development experience overseas. Fulbright DAST sends expert U.S. K–12 teachers and educators to participating countries to support projects identified by U.S. embassies and Fulbright commissions in schools, teacher training colleges, government ministries, or educational nongovernmental organizations.

The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Short-Term Program for U.S. Teachers is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX. It is governed by policies established by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

For more information, and to apply for the program, click here .

Upcoming 2019 GLOBE Teacher Training Workshops

Upcoming GLOBE teacher training workshops include:

Galle, Sri Lanka (Southern Province Resource Center): 04-05 April (restricted attendance)
Elizabeth City, North Carolina, USA (GLOBE Workshop): 05-06 April (open to all)
Tananarive, Madagascar (INFP Mahamasina): 08-12 April (restricted attendance)
New York, New York, USA (Queens College): 23-25 April (open to all)
Denver, Colorado, USA (MULTI STEM Train-the-Trainer): 04-06 June (restricted attendance)
Denver, Colorado, USA (MULTI Summer STEM Institute): 05-06 June (restricted attendance)

No training workshops in your area? Check out GLOBE’s protocol eTraining . (In order to enter GLOBE data, GLOBE users must complete the necessary training either by attending a GLOBE workshop or by completing the required online eTraining modules. Once your training is complete, you will be ready to start entering your measurements – and will be joining a community of thousands of teachers around the world!)