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Announcing Land Cover Satellite Comparisons!

We are excited to announce that now when you submit your land cover observation(s) to GLOBE, you will receive an email from NASA that aligns the observation with satellite data! This new satellite comparison for land cover builds on the system used to create cloud comparisons at NASA's Langley Research Center.  

Learn more about land cover satellite comparisons and sharpen your skills for taking land cover observations.

Collecting Tree Data for NASA GEDI Mission

You are invited to take part in the upcoming Tree Measurement Intensive Observation Period (IOP) during 1–30 September. GLOBE Africa is collaborating with scientists from Northern Arizona University to support their research by collecting data on tree height, diameter, and species in all GLOBE regions. These data will provide ground validation to improve NASA’s Earth Systems Monitoring GEDI (Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation) L4a biomass product. This opportunity is open to all GLOBE regions. Learn more and watch webinar recordings introducing the work.

A recent publication, "Use of GLOBE Observer Citizen Science Data to Validate Continental-Scale Canopy Height Maps Derived from ICESat-2 and GEDI," offers important tips for volunteers collecting trees data. To better pinpoint a tree’s location, the authors recommend refreshing the location of the phone until the accuracy is under 25 meters or manually moving the location pin on the map to align exactly with the tree. They also encourage volunteers to collect more data in natural settings away from cities. Learn more in this GLOBE Observer article.

NASA Response Mappers Pilot

GLOBE is working with the Disasters Response Coordination System (DRCS) team, part of NASA’s Disasters program, to document changes in land cover before and after weather events, such as hurricanes, using the GLOBE Observer app. DRCS supports emergency management agencies during and after disasters by providing data such as high-resolution imagery from satellites. NASA Response Mappers' photos will augment the satellite data provided to emergency responders.

The NASA Response Mapper pilot program is taking place in the southeastern United States, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands this hurricane season (1 August–31 October). Watch this webinar recording to learn how to participate.

If you are an educator implementing NASA Response Mappers, view these educational resources for background information on hurricanes and suggested reading.

Building Workforce Pathways

The GLOBE Program is partnering with Business Professionals of America (BPA) to expand workforce development opportunities through career and technical education (CTE). This year’s BPA 2D Animation Team competition—Smart Solutions for a Healthier Planet: A GLOBE Community’s Journey with IoT (Internet of Things)—invites students to showcase how GLOBE data and IoT technology can drive real-world solutions for a healthier planet.

Stay tuned for more information on how CTE educators and students can get involved, including an informational webinar to be held in September.

2025 GLOBE Annual Meeting: Materials and Upcoming Sessions

Session Materials and Recordings

Thank you to everyone who helped celebrate the GLOBE Program’s 30th anniversary during the 2025 GLOBE Annual Meeting. For those who were unable to attend—or wish to revisit the sessions—all recordings and materials are now available on the GLOBE website.

GLOBE Learning Sessions

Building on the momentum of this milestone event, we are pleased to announce the launch of a series of GLOBE Learning Sessions beginning in September. These virtual sessions are designed to support the community by fostering collaboration, advancing scientific knowledge, and sharing innovative strategies.

Upcoming Sessions

• NASA Scientific Visualization Studio | 10 September 2025, 9 am ET (13:00–14:00 UTC): In this webinar, Mark SubbaRao, lead of the NASA Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS), will provide an overview of SVS and highlight the important role of data visualization in every stage of the scientific process—from data exploration, analysis, discovery, and publication for the science community to the dissemination of results to public audiences.
• Celebrating the Community and Legacy of GLOBE Observer | 24 September 2025, 10 am ET (14:00–15:30 UTC): Since 2016, the NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC) has implemented GLOBE Observer. This presentation will highlight NESEC’s approach to building an expanded GLOBE community to include individuals and communities outside of schools through partnerships.
• Engaging GLOBE Alumni to Promote, Support, and Sustain the GLOBE Program | 1 October 2025, 9 am ET (13:00–14:00 UTC): In this session, GLOBE members will learn about strategies for engaging alumni to support GLOBE activities at various levels. Laura Altin, Bill Becker, Lexie Gauthier, Ylliass Destin Lawani, and Watcharee Ruairuen will share their experiences and discuss the potential roles that alumni can play in promoting and sustaining GLOBE.

Looking Ahead

Additional sessions will be announced in the coming months. Planned topics include GLOBE member recognition, NASA's Science Activation (SciAct) projects, X-Snow, and Lake Observations from Citizen Scientists and Satellites (LOCSS). Please continue to visit the GLOBE Annual Meeting webpage for updates, registration links, and new opportunities to participate.

September Technology Update

The GLOBE website has been successfully updated to the latest version of Liferay. Many thanks to the DIS team for their tireless work to make this update possible.

For website visitors, the changes may not be noticeable. For those working behind the scenes, some tasks have moved, processes have changed, and new features have been added. Learn more.

Global Campaigns and Events

Convert the times listed below to your local time zone.

Trees Around the GLOBE

Upcoming Webinar

• The State of Trees – Looking Back at 7 Years of the Trees Around the GLOBE Student Research Campaign: What We’ve Done and What Is to Come! | 16 September at 1 pm ET (17:00 UTC; 19:00 CEST) 

Webinar Recording

• The State of Trees – Looking at Trees, Vegetation, Land Cover, and More with Future NASA Earth-Observing Missions: NISAR, GRACE-Continuity, and Landsat Next

Urban Heat Island IOP

GLOBE Mission Earth invites educators, citizen scientists, and students all over the world to participate in the Urban Heat Island IOP throughout October. You and your students can be part of this important data collection by collecting surface temperature, air temperature, and cloud observations.

GLOBE Observer

GLOBE Observer Connect

Matching Land Observations with Satellite Data | September Event

On 18 September at 12 pm ET (16:00 UTC) learn about how GLOBE Observer matches your data to satellite data, where to find satellite comparison information for any new GLOBE land cover observation, and how to interpret the comparisons. These new collocated land cover observations can provide feedback to help every GLOBE volunteer see how their observations of the land support and complement the larger space-based view! Learn more and register.

Cadet Stories from the GLOBE and Civil Air Patrol Aviation Weather Mission | August Webinar Recording

More than 3,800 Civil Air Patrol (CAP) volunteers in 48 states and two U.S. territories collected atmospheric observations and documented aircraft information using the GLOBE Observer app during the 2025 Aviation Weather Mission! Watch the GO Connect webinar recording to hear from the cadets and senior CAP members about the experience.

News

New GLOBE Observer App Updates!

The August 2025 GLOBE Observer app update introduces two new features—practice mode, which allows someone to try out the GLOBE Observer app without setting up an account, and the ability to submit extra photos of things like a dust storm or a storm cloud to a GLOBE Clouds observation. Learn more.

NASA STEM Enhancement in Earth and Space Science (SEES) High School Interns Present at Science Symposium 2025

The NASA SEES Program offers teams of high school students across the United States the opportunity to conduct research with NASA data under the guidance of expert mentors. In 2025, nine of the teams included GLOBE in their research. From mapping land cover to analyzing data, the student teams worked together to collect and analyze data to address questions important to them and their communities. They presented their research at the 2025 SEES Science Symposium. Learn more about these GLOBE-connected projects.

_NASA/GLOBE PM2.5 Low-Cost Sensor Workshop Summary

GLOBE Mission EARTH planned and hosted the virtual NASA/GLOBE PM2.5 Low-Cost Sensor (LCS) Workshop on 7–9 May 2025. The foundation for this workshop was laid over several years. During the intervening time, the use of LCS to measure PM2.5 has grown dramatically and demand for air quality measurements in the GLOBE Program has steadily increased. Learn more about the workshop, including the workshop format, topics, and goals. 

GLOBE Student Vloggers

Biome Videos

The current group of GLOBE student vloggers has been working to create new vlogs for the GLOBE Student Vlogger playlist on YouTube. In our latest vlogger videos, students explore the biomes in which they live and discuss how these biomes are shaped by local factors such as temperature, rainfall, elevation, and soil type. Learn more. 

Regional Campaigns and Highlights

Africa

GLOBE Africa Tree Measurement IOP

All regions are invited to collect tree measurements (height, diameter, and species) from 1–30 September to support research by University of Northern Arizona scientists. The data collected will provide ground validation to improve NASA’s Earth Systems Monitoring GEDI L4a biomass product. Learn more.

News

• Planetwalk Africa Continues | Dr. John Francis, Planetwalker, is back in Africa. On this leg of the Planetwalk Africa journey, Dr. Francis will travel on foot from S. Africa to Botswana, taking GLOBE Clouds and Trees measurements and visiting schools along the way.

Asia and Pacific

News

• The Asia and Pacific Region Digs Deeper: Exploring the Science of Soil Webinar

Event

• Asia and Pacific Wetlands Symposium | 17–18 November. Stay tuned for more information.

Europe and Eurasia

Event

• Science Learning Expedition (SLE-GO 2025) | 7–10 October, Palmanova, Italy.

Stars Stories

• GLOBE The Netherlands: Students Measure Air Quality—Where Government, Participation, and Education Meet
• GLOBE Estonia: Learning Expedition 2025 Brings Young Researchers to Jõulumäe

Latin America and Caribbean (LAC)

Trees Within LAC Campaign

• Join us on 25 September at 18:00 AST (21:00 UTC) for a Trees Within LAC Campaign webinar, when the Mosquitoes, Mangroves, and Urban Heat Island Subcommittees will share new classroom activities for teachers across the region. Learn more and register.
• On 21 August, 62 teachers from 12 countries joined the Trees Within LAC Campaign webinar on climate and its impact on cities. View presentations and session recordings.

Mangrove Workshop

• The final session of the Mangrove Workshop, on 10 September at 18:00 AST (21:00 UTC), covers biosphere protocols, including tree height and diameter, aerosols, and cloud cover! Learn how to apply GLOBE and non-GLOBE protocols to explore this essential ecosystem and contribute scientific data through citizen science. (Educators will need to have attended at least three of the four workshops for certification.) Learn more and register.
• A record-breaking 141 teachers from 13 countries joined the first Mangrove Workshop session on 20 August, making it the largest GLOBE LAC event of the year! View presentations and session recordings.

Near East and North Africa

Event

• 2025 NENA Regional Meeting | 9–10 November Stay tuned for more information.

North America

North American Phenology Campaign

The fall North American Phenology Campaign runs from August through December. Visit the campaign website for information and resources.

News

• Earth Around Us Tents—Reports from U.S. GLOBE Partners
• Find the GLOBE Equipment You Need Using This New Database

Event

• North America Partner Onboarding and Sustainability Series, Session 6 | 18 September at 4:30 pm ET.



Additional News and Information

Dr. Dixon Butler Shares His Story Through NASA's Oral Histories

NASA's Earth System Science Oral Histories is a series of interviews from individuals who significantly contributed to the launch and evolution of Earth System Science. Listen to Dr. Dixon Butler's interviews.

Recent GLOBE-Related NASA Science Article

• Linking Satellite Data and Community Knowledge to Advance Alaskan Snow Science

Foundations of Citizen Science Free Training

Learn about citizen and participatory sciences by completing a free, self-guided, interactive, online training that includes a digital badge. The Foundations of Citizen Science training was created by award-winning instructional designers at Arizona State University in partnership with SciStarter. Learn more.

Space Apps Challenge

The NASA Space Apps Challenge will be held 4–5 October. Registration is open for those interested in participating in the hackathon.

Reminders

Upcoming My NASA Data Events

Are you interested in using authentic NASA Earth and/or environmental data to engage students with scientific practices and enhance their data literacy? Consider registering for the upcoming My NASA Data webinars. The first webinar, My NASA Data: Data Literacy for All, is 23 September at 7 pm ET (23:00 UTC). Learn more and register.

GLOBE International STEM Network (GISN)

If you're not already a member, the GISN welcomes scientists and STEM professionals to increase participation across all six GLOBE regions. Visit the GISN webpage to learn more and apply for membership.

GLOBE Publications

Have you written a GLOBE-related paper? Submit your publication(s) and browse the collection of recent and past submissions.