June 2020 GLOBE News Brief

Join the 2020 GLOBE Virtual Annual Meeting: 13-16 July

To replace the planned in-person 25th Anniversary GLOBE Annual Meeting, GLOBE will be hosting the 2020 GLOBE Virtual Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held from 13-16 July 2020, and will be a completely online meeting!   It is free to register for the meeting, but space is limited. Please only register if you plan to attend this meeting live. We are limiting the registration to GLOBE community members with a GLOBE account. If you are a student, your teacher must have a globe.gov account, and the teacher's name must be included with your registration.   Although the meeting is free for all GLOBE community members, GIO is charged a fee for every registration. So, again, please only register if you are going to be able to attend. We look forward to connecting virtually!   To register, and for more information about the meeting, click here .

News

GLOBE Database Receives 15,000th NASA GLOBE Observer Tree Height Observation in April 2020

In April 2020, the GLOBE database received its 15,000th NASA GLOBE Observer Trees Tool tree height observation. The 15,000 observations have come from over 8,000 observation locations around the world.   Tree height is the most widely used indicator of an ecosystem’s ability to grow trees. Observing tree height allows NASA scientists to understand the gain or loss of biomass which can inform calculations of the carbon that trees and forests either take in from or release into the atmosphere. Tracking how trees are changing over time can help scientists estimate the number of trees that make up an area. Ground sources of data are also needed to verify the measurements from satellites, and citizen science data can help fill in gaps in that data. For example, tree height measurements could help scientists working on NASA missions.   The GLOBE Program would like to thank all the GLOBE citizen scientists for all their amazing observations of tree height.   To learn more about the NASA GLOBE Observer Trees Tool, click here . To learn more about the Trees Around the GLOBE Student Research Campaign, click here .

Join the 02 June Trees Around the GLOBE Student Research Campaign Webinar “GLOBE IVSS and Club de Ciencias Huechulafquen in Argentina”

The Trees Around the GLOBE Student Research Campaign webinar “GLOBE IVSS and Club de Ciencias Huechulafquen in Argentina: An Overview of the Combination of Trees, Land Cover, Water Quality, and Mosquito Habitats” will be held on Tuesday, 02 June, at 4:00 p.m. ET (8:00 p.m. UTC).    Join students from the Club de Ciencias Huechulafquen in Argentina as they discuss their GLOBE research of trees, land cover, water quality, and mosquito habitats. The students have been taking many GLOBE protocol observations to help construct a comprehensive picture of what is happening in their local environments. Student will be discussing the research they have submitted to the 2020 GLOBE International Virtual Science Symposium (IVSS) competition. The Club de Ciencias Huechulafquen also has a Facebook page that highlights this research and allows all to follow their observations. To learn more about the webinar,  click here . To learn more about the Trees Around the GLOBE Student Research Campaign, click here .

Join 04 June GLOBE Mission Mosquito Webinar: “Meet Up and Do Science – Connecting the Drops: The Relationship between Precipitation and Mosquitoes”

On Thursday, 04 June, at 2:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. UTC), GLOBE Mission Mosquito (GMM) will host a webinar, “Meet Up and Do Science – Connecting the Drops: The Relationship between Precipitation and Mosquitoes.”   During the webinar, NASA scientist, Dr. Assaf Anyamba, will share how he uses satellite data to forecast mosquito outbreaks, including the relationship between precipitation and mosquito-transmitted diseases. Participants will learn how to “DIY” (do-it-yourself) their own monthly precipitation data. Can you connect the drops? To register for the webinar, click here . To learn more about GLOBE Mission Mosquito, click here .

GLOBE Thanks Those Who Have Served as Judges for the International Virtual Science Symposium for the Past Five Years

The GLOBE Program would like to acknowledge the outstanding community members who have stepped up to serve as judges for the International Virtual Science Symposium (IVSS) for the past five years:   Dr. Mullica Jaroensutasinee (Asia and Pacific Region) Sunita Bal (Asia and Pacific Region) Ana Beatriz Prieto (Latin American and Caribbean Region) Dr. Hameed SulaimanTalk about (Near East and North Africa Region) Dr. Muhammad Naveed Tahir (Near East and North Africa Region) Dorian Janney (North America Region)   GLOBE sincerely appreciates these community members for their assistance in providing invaluable feedback and support to GLOBE students in their IVSS research and scientific endeavors.   To learn more about the IVSS, click here .

GLOBE IVSS Rubrics Are Being Updated – You Can Provide Feedback

B ased on community feedback, and what has been learned during the GLOBE IVSS over the past five years, the GLOBE Implementation Office (GIO) is in the process of updating the rubrics for the IVSS.     If you are interested in providing feedback, please send an email to i vss@globe.gov . You will receive the updated rubrics. (There will be additional opportunities for review by the GLOBE Working Groups and GLOBE community members.)   To learn more about the IVSS, click here .

U.S. GLOBE Teachers and Partners: Weekly (Friday) Watercoolers Continue through 26 June

U.S. GLOBE Teachers and Partners: The Friday Watercoolers will continue through the end of June (26 June). Each meet-up will begin at 3:10 ET with a brief update from U.S. Country Coordinator Jen Bourgeault, and will proceed with a presentation or two from a GLOBE teacher or partner, with time for questions and conversation following.   The Friday Watercoolers are a chance for GLOBE teachers and partners to gather weekly to connect and share ideas. If you’ve missed any of the 2020 Watercoolers, you can catch up now! There have been some great discussions, including: NASA @ Home resources Global Precipitation Measurement Mission Exploring Satellite Data.   You can watch them all from the   U.S. GLOBE Watercooler YouTube Playlist . How have you been using GLOBE? What is something you learned while remote teaching? To sign up to give a short, informal presentation, click here .   To register, click here . You can sign up for one or all of the watercooler meet-ups!

Winners Announced for the Department of State/GLOBE IVSS Drawing

On Earth Day, in conjunction with the GLOBE IVSS drawing, GIO announced the six drawing winners selected from among the mosquito-related projects. There were 32 eligible projects (projects were included if they used the mosquito protocol in their research). The winners were hand-selected by a team within GIO, based on a number of criteria, including how well the report was written, the amount of community interactions, and which mosquito species and related diseases were studied. The winning Department of State Mosquito-Related IVSS projects were: Africa: Benin: “Analyse Quantitative des Données de Mosquito Habitat Mapper en Afrique de L’oust” AND Nigeria: “The Spread of Biodiversity of Mosquitoes in Spussa Community, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria” Asia and Pacific: Philippines: “Mosquito Breeding Site Characterization of Barangay Igang, Pototan, Philippines AND Thailand: “Mosquito Larvae Diversity and Abundance Relation to Land Cover in Coastal Area in Trang Province” Latin America and Caribbean: Brazil: “Does the presence of reconstruction waste at school increase the incidence of mosquito larvae in capture traps?” AND Peru: “Alerta! Riesgo por Mosquitos en al Campus de la Universidad Nacional Agrarian la Molina, Peru” Congratulations to all of the drawing winners! To learn more about the GLOBE Zika Education and Prevention Project, click here .

UCAR Center for Science Education’s “Special Edition: Help K-12 Students Learn About Earth from Home” Collection of Educational Resources Available

Check out the “Special Edition: Help K12 Students Learn About Earth From Home” collection of K-12 educational resources. This collection is designed to support teachers with distance learning, and families who are doing their own instructional endeavors, about weather, climate, air quality, the Sun and space weather, and other Earth science topics. This collection was put together by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Center for Science Education (SciEd), which is a GLOBE partner.    This collection of resources highlights educational games and simulations, videos, short articles, and online books about Earth and atmospheric science. There are also links to citizen science projects and classroom activities that will work well for K-12 students learning from home.   To learn more , click here .

Share How GLOBE Has Impacted You in the New “Community Spotlight” Feature

The power behind The GLOBE Program is our passion, our purpose, and our people – YOU!    The GLOBE Program values the level of daily dedication to, and ongoing support of, the program, as well as the enduring quality of the educational, environmental, and scientific contributions of our community members.   As a way of highlighting this invaluable dedication, GLOBE would like to place a “spotlight” on you and your “GLOBE Story.” The goal is to share the stories of how working with GLOBE has impacted you – in your learning endeavors, classroom activities, scientific research, environmental observations, STEM career, and your overall journey of life. (NOTE: Students must be at least 18 years of age to submit a Community Spotlight feature item.)   For guidelines on submitting a Community Spotlight Feature, click here . If you have any questions, please contact: c ommunications@globe.gov

05 June is World Environment Day – It’s All About Diversity

The theme of this year’s World Environment Day, 05 June, is “It’s Time for Nature” – celebrating biodiversity. World Environment Day is the United Nation’s most important day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. Since it began in 1974, it has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in over 100 countries. This year, the event is being hosted by Colombia. Every World Environment Day has a different global host country, where official celebrations take place. The focus on the host country helps highlight the environmental challenges it faces, and supports the effort to address them. In recent years, millions of people have taken part in thousands of registered activities worldwide. For more information, as well as how to access tools, educational resources, and social media kits to help to raise awareness about these critical issues, click here .

Opportunities for Teachers

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.

An upcoming webinar, “ Explore Solar System and Beyond: NASA’s Four Great Observatories ,” is geared toward educators in grades K-12. On Thursday, 04 June (6:00 p.m. ET), the NASA EPDC at Texas State University will present a one-hour webinar. Chandra. Compton. Hubble. Spitzer. NASA's Great Observatories each use a distinct portion of the electro-magnetic spectrum when studying the Universe and its wonders. Being able to observe cosmic objects with different spectral wavelengths has significantly expanded astronomical understanding over the past three decades. In this webinar, participants will become acquainted with the legacy of these four observatories as NASA prepares to launch the next-generation James Webb Space Telescope in 2021. Relevant instructional resources will also be included.

U.S. Teachers: American Meteorological Society Offers New Certified AMS Program

U.S. Teachers: The Certified American Meteorological Society (AMS) Teacher (CAT) Program was established by the AMS to recognize and support educators actively engaged in raising Earth science literacy. CAT specifically connects K-12 educators to AMS, which strengthens their connection to the atmospheric science community and its resources. The CAT Program provides an incentive for continued professional growth for Earth science educators, ensuring that CATs remain up-to-date on new developments in Earth science and teaching standards. It offers K-12 educators opportunities to enroll in AMS Education Program courses to enhance their knowledge of weather, ocean, and climate science.   All active, in-service K-12 teachers and informal educators (i.e. museum docents, education center employees, aquarium tour guides, etc.) are eligible to become Certified AMS Teachers (CATs) through the AMS if they have a degree in atmospheric or related science and/or have completed two of the AMS Education Program’s Professional Development Courses. Educators who have a degree in atmospheric or related sciences and those that have completed two of the AMS Education Program’s courses more than five years ago must also upload a lesson plan with their application. For more information, click here .

Upcoming 2020 GLOBE Teacher Training Workshops

Some of the upcoming GLOBE teacher training workshops include:   New York, New York, USA (American Museum of Natural History): 30 March – 12 June (potential restricted attendance) Hilo, Hawaii, USA (University of Hawaii): 18 July (open to all)   You can also 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!)

Anniversaries

Congratulations to the 13 GLOBE countries celebrating anniversaries of successful GLOBE implementation during the month of June: Argentina – 25 years 28 June 1995 Bahrain – 19 years 16 June 2001 Republic of Botswana – 02 year 26 June 2018 Brazil –05 years 30 June 2015 Republic of Congo – 15 years 28 June 2005 Dominican Republic – 23 years 20 June 1997 Estonia – 24 years 19 June 1996 Ireland – 25 years 12 June 1995 Kenya – 23 years 9 June 1997 Kyrgyz Republic – 25 years 9 June 1995 Madagascar – 23 years 11 June 1997 Monaco – 20 years 29 June 2000 United Arab Emirates – 21 years 06 June 1999

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