June 2021 GLOBE News Brief |
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GLOBE Thanks Everyone Who Participated in the 2021 Community Trees Challenge |
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The 2021 Community Trees Challenge, where “Science is Better Together” has concluded! Between 15 April and 15 May, community members and citizen scientists from around the world took 2,441 tree height observations from 1,733 global locations. This makes up just over 7 percent of the total tree height observations from just over 11 percent of the global locations since the release of the GLOBE Observer (The GLOBE Program’s app) Trees Tool on 26 March 2019. Since the release of the Trees Tool, there have been 34,915 tree height observations from 15,014 global locations.
The GLOBE Program would like to thank everyone who participated in the challenge.
For more information on the challenge, and for a
customizable Certificate of Participation, click here.
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June 2021 GLOBE Annual Meeting Update |
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The 2021 GLOBE Annual Meeting is just around the corner! Here’s the latest news to help ensure your experience is a resounding success... |
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GIO’s second keynote speaker for the GLOBE Annual Meeting is Dr. Raj Pandya. Dr. Pandya directs the American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) Thriving Earth Exchange, which helps volunteer scientists and community leaders work together to use science, especially Earth and space science, to advance community priorities related to sustainability, resilience, disaster risk reduction, and environmental justice.
Dr. Pandya invites everyone to be part of guiding and doing science, especially people from historically marginalized communities, so that the sciences can contribute to a world where all people and nature can thrive, now and in the future.
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BE with GLOBE – Zooniverse |
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As part of the 2021 GLOBE Annual Meeting, GIO will again be hosting a “Benefit the Environment” or “BE with GLOBE” volunteer event. The acronym of GLOBE is “Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment,” and this optional time will highlight the “Benefit the Environment” part of the acronym. During the meeting, participants will be encouraged to sign up with Zooniverse, an online platform for people-powered research.
GIO will identify several projects that benefit science and our understanding of the environment (like counting penguins or checking images for pollinators). We would also like to highlight a GLOBE project! Participants can help NASA scientists identify cloud types, cloud cover, and events like dust storms and smoke plumes in sky photographs. (NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE is a partnership between NASA GLOBE Clouds and Zooniverse.) The resulting detailed information, or metadata, will validate GLOBE Cloud observations. So, BE with GLOBE and practice your cloud observations skills and help NASA study our skies.
General Registration Deadline is Approaching
The deadline for general registration to the 2021 GLOBE Annual Meeting is 01 July. Optional sessions are also available for sign-up. (These include networking sessions and protocol training sessions. The protocol training sessions are given on a first-come/first-served basis with limited capacities, so register soon to save your seat.)
To register for the 2020 GLOBE Annual Meeting, click here.
For more information on the 2021 GLOBE Annual Meeting, click here.
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Join GIO on 03 June for Webinar: “Presentations with
Accessibility in Mind”
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GIO is hosting a webinar on “Presentations with Accessibility in Mind” on 03 June 2021 at 07:00 a.m. MDT (09:00 am EDT, 01:00 p.m. GMT).
Rosalba Giarratano, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies from the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP), will share best practices and tips for making presentations accessible for more audiences. While this webinar is being developed for presenters at the 2021 GLOBE Annual Meeting, all members of the GLOBE community are invited to join.
To register for the webinar, and to view the recording (after the webinar), click here.
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The GLOBE Program Thanks the 2021 IVSS Judges for Their Service
to the Community
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For the 2021 International Virtual Science Symposium (IVSS), GIO had 180 judges from 46 countries provide feedback on the student research reports. The IVSS would not be possible without the generous support of these individuals.
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.
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Journey Along with GLOBE’s New Student Vloggers |
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Have you been following along with GLOBE’s 12 new Student Vloggers (video bloggers)? Vlog-style videos are filmed, in part, “selfie-style” in order to help you journey along with them as they explore and engage in the world of GLOBE.
The GLOBE Student Vloggers are now nearly two months into their journey. In addition to creating weekly content, the vloggers connect with GLOBE staff to check in on their progress, as well as to receive training in best practices, storytelling, video creation, and Instagram stories.
To watch the most recent episode, click here (subscribe to GLOBE’s YouTube Channel).
To follow GLOBE on Instagram (to view additional story content from
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Join 14 June Trees Around the GLOBE Student Research Campaign
Half-Day Workshop: “The People Behind the Pixels: Understanding Rapid Forest Changes to the Andes-Amazon Region”
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The “Trees Around the GLOBE Student Research Campaign Half-Day Workshop: The People Behind the Pixels: Understanding Rapid Forest Changes to the Andes-Amazon Region,” will be held on Monday, 14 June, at 01:00 p.m. EDT (05:00 p.m. UTC).
Join Dr. Paulo Murillo-Sandoval, a native of Colombia, to learn how he used the Landsat time-series satellite data with local knowledge to map, measure, and describe conversion of forest to agriculture land cover changes from 1988-2019 in an area of the Andes-Amazon region. In particular, he will describe how armed conflict influenced forest resources in this region. He will also introduce how he uses the publicly accessible Google Earth Engine to perform satellite image analysis and share results with others. (To learn more about Dr. Murillo-Sandoval, click here. To view the results of his work, click here.) Following the featured presentation, Dr. Murillo-Sandoval and Peder Nelson will showcase how people can examine the Landsat time-series for their area.
En Español
Únase al Dr. Paulo Murillo-Sandoval, nativo de Colombia, para aprender cómo él utilizó los datos satelitales la serie temporal Landsat y el conocimiento local para mapear, medir y describir los cambios en la conversión de cobertura terrestre forestal a agrícola desde 1988 a 2019 en el área de la región andino-amazónica. En particular, describirá cómo el conflicto armado influyó en los recursos forestales de esta región. También presentará cómo utiliza Google Earth Engine de acceso público para realizar análisis de imágenes satelitales y compartir resultados con otros. Para obtener más información sobre https://paulomur.github.io/paulomurillo/ o ver los resultados de su trabajo aquí: https://murillop.users.earthengine.app/view/landchangeconflict. Después de la presentación, el Dr. Murillo-Sandoval y Peder Nelson mostrarán cómo las personas pueden examinar la serie temporal Landsat para su área.
If you are interested in joining the webinar, please send an email to Campaign Lead, Brian Campbell. To learn more about the Trees Around the GLOBE Student Research Campaign, click here.
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NASA GLOBE Clouds Team Matches Your Cloud Observations to
Satellite Data! Why? Read Recent Blog and Find Out!
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“Every time you take a cloud observation, the NASA GLOBE Clouds team matches your observation to satellite data,” Marilé Colón Robles (lead for the GLOBE Clouds Team at NASA's Langley Research Center) said in a recent blog, “Data Discoveries.”
“Why do we do this? Your view of clouds is from a different perspective than what is observed from a satellite. Satellites look down at clouds and see the top. When you make your observation, you are looking up towards the sky and seeing the bottom of the clouds. When there is a match, scientists then have a top-down view of clouds from a satellite and a bottom-up view from your spot. When you mix these two views together, you have a more complete picture of the sky. Researchers have used these two views to study different aspects of the clouds and sky. As more data become available, more ideas for how to use it are generated,” Robles said in the blog.
The blog discusses how Dr. Brant Dodson, an atmospheric scientist at NASA Langley Research Center, is working to compare satellite data to GLOBE cloud observations, as well as research projects your observations can support.
To check out other GLOBE Community Blogs, click here.
To check out GLOBE STEM Professionals Blog, click here.
To view a tutorial on how to create a community blog, click here.
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Join 10 June GLOBE Mission Mosquito Webinar: “Engage Native Youth Using Citizen Science” |
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The GLOBE Mission Mosquito (GMM) webinar, “Engage Native Youth Using Citizen Science,” will be held on Thursday, 10 June, at 02:00 p.m. EDT (06:00 p.m. UTC).
Join Amelia Cook as she shares how she adapted a GMM monitoring activity for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma’s Jones Academy Virtual STEAM summer camp. She will share incorporating Native American culture, and what virtual resources they used to drive student engagement.
Have Mosquito Photos?
The GMM team would like to feature your mosquito photos in the Science Notebook Resource. Submissions will be accepted through September 2021. The GMM team is looking for exemplary larvae photos in the following categories: full-body; siphon; pectin; and tuft.
GLOBE Teachers: If you or your students have taken photos you would like to share with the community, please contact Cassie Soeffling, Informal Education Lead at: cassie_soeffling@strategies.org.
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Scientists Are Asking for Your Mosquito Habitat Mapper Data!
Read Recent GLOBE STEM Professionals Blog
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A recent blog, written by Dr. Rusty Low (GMM Science Lead), discusses how The GLOBE Program’s App, GLOBE Observer (GO), is partnering with several new science projects.
“Two projects have adopted the GO Mosquito Habitat Mapper tool as a way to obtain data for scientific analysis. The GLOBE Mission Mosquito Campaign plays an official role in a research project funded by the National Science Foundation: Citizen Epidemiology: Designing and Connecting Next-Generation Cyber, Biological, and Citizen Science Systems for the Surveillance and Control of Mosquito-Borne Diseases. The project PI is Dr. Ryan Carney, University of South Florida,” Low explains in the blog.
“To create an automated larva identification using artificial intelligence, many images of mosquito larvae are needed- from all angles. Mosquito Habitat Mappers can help support this work by submitting larvae photographs using the GLOBE Observer app. Remember that you can take up to 9 photos. Dr. Carney, with Dr. Chellappan, are developing the AI larvae recognition software. They would like to see as many as you have time to make, including the entire body, tail segments, as well as head, thorax, and abdomen. Using your toothpick, roll your specimen around and get several angles- the challenge is always trying to represent our 3-D organism in flat 2-D images, which is why one photo is rarely enough!”
“Besides collecting the larvae photos, Dr. Carney also needs land cover photos that correspond to the place where you find mosquito habitats. This is the beauty of the GLOBE Observer app: The Land Cover tool is handy, and this task will take less than 5 minutes. You don't need to do the classification step in the land cover protocol (the second step); however, the six photos from the first data collection step that corresponds to the mosquito breeding site location would add valuable data for our scientists.”
To read the entire blog, and see the video created by Dr. Carney and Dr. Chellappan on the AI model they are developing, as well as how the GO Mosquito Habitat Mapper has been adopted as a data collection tool by Ethiopian entomologists, click here.
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U.S. GLOBE Teachers/Partners: Join June Watercoolers |
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U.S. GLOBE Teachers and Partners: Join the Watercoolers in June. Watercoolers, which start at 04:10 p.m. ET, are an informal opportunity to connect with other GLOBE teachers and partners to share ideas. Each week begins with a presentation from a teacher or partner, with time for questions and conversation following.
For upcoming Watercooler dates, topics, and registration click here.
Sign up to Present
GLOBE Teachers and Partners: You are invited to share your experience and expertise. Please consider signing up to share how you are using GLOBE in your region.
To sign up to present at a Watercooler, click here.
STEM Mentor Role Model Training Recording is Available
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In April, GLOBE Partner Jessica Taylor (NASA Langley), gave a virtual Role Model Training based on the SciGirls Role Model Strategy resource. The training introduces best practices for offering young people a window into exciting STEM research and STEM career pathways outside of their classroom or program.
To learn more about the SciGirls Role Model Strategy Resource, click here.
Join the U.S. GLOBE Mailing List
In a once-a-month email, U.S. GLOBE will be posting updated information about the Student Research Symposia (SRS), as well as highlights covering regional and country news, events, and resources.
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As always, GLOBE continues to work to ensure that your “use” of the website, and associated apps, is as user-friendly as possible.
By the end of June, look for a new ability to search for data by GLOBE “Team” in ADAT (or Elasticsearch). There will also be an improved way for teachers to access and use student accounts, plus enhanced capabilities.
In addition to the above enhancements, great progress has been made toward implementing the following items (delivery on each of these will also be near the end of June):
- GLOBE’s data entry process will soon give users a new option: all GLOBE atmosphere protocols will be available in The GLOBE Program’s app, GLOBE Observer (GO). Trained and approved GLOBE members (those who already have access to the Data Entry app) will be able to submit atmospheric measurements (such as temperature and rainfall), as well as bundle data directly using the GO app. Future work will move other existing sphere protocols into the app.
- The GO Mosquito Habitat Mapper (MHM) tool will receive an update. The update will include: an updated dichotomous key with updated visuals; reduced text for increased accessibility for non-English speaking populations; and maintenance to keep compatibility with newer systems, maintain performance, and GLOBE connectivity.
- For people who participate in SciStarter, there soon will be an ability to log participation in the GO protocols on their SciStarter dashboard account. (SciStarter, a GLOBE Partner, provides a database of thousands of vetted, searchable projects and events through an online citizen science project directory.)
GIO, in time for the 2021 GLOBE Annual Meeting, will deliver an update on how trainees and mentor trainees are brought into the GLOBE system. This update will only affect Country Coordinators, Regional Country Offices, and GLOBE partners.
If you have any questions, or need assistance with any of these enhancements, contact the GLOBE Community Support Team (CST) at: globehelp@ucar.edu.
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Keeping Up with GLOBE Star Stories? Read About Our Latest Star! |
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Have you been keeping up with the latest GLOBE Star Stories? GLOBE Stars are stories of projects, people and extraordinary activities being conducted around the world in connection to GLOBE. These GLOBE Stars are the bright lights that spark our imagination and inspire us with news of GLOBE at work in the world.
Read our most recent Star Story:
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“GLOBE Malta Students “Rise to a Green Challenge.” In 2021, The GLOBE Program Malta and Europe Direct Information Centre (EDIC), Victoria Gozo, joined forces to promote science and environment education through the GLOBE EDIC STEAM Challenge. this hands-on science investigation, GLOBE students planted seeds, observed the conditions of the environment that promote seed germination, measured and recorded plant growth, and interpreted data collected. The challenge was launched in November and concluded on Earth Day 2021.
Are you a GLOBE Star? Share Your Story!
Are you a GLOBE Star? If so, GLOBE wants to hear all about it! Send your story of people, projects, or activities to share on the GLOBE website.
To learn more about GLOBE Stars, and to use the new easier-to-use template for submitting your GLOBE Star Story, click here.
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U.S. High School Student Shares “Life-Changing” Experience in New Blog: “Reflections of a SEES Mosquito Mapper Intern” |
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Rahil V., a U.S. high school student from Maryland, who was part of the 2020 STEM Enhancement in the Earth Sciences (SEES) Mosquito Habitat Mapper summer research intern cohort, shares his experience in a recent blog: “Reflections of a SEES Mosquito Mapper Intern.”
“This past summer I attended the SEES Virtual Mosquito Mappers Internship, changing my life. I suppose ‘life-changing’ is often used arbitrarily to describe a great experience, but I can assure you, I do mean life-changing. I entered the summer wary of a virtual internship; after all, how useful could zoom calls and a virtual classroom be?”
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“Within the first week, I was blown away by the competent mentors, resources, and peers online. I learned about topics I never considered to be of any interest, yet became the bulk of my thoughts during the summer. The internship inspired me to do things I never thought possible as a high school student. My NASA SEES Virtual Internship opened so many doors; I gained media exposure from local news outlets, submitted articles to numerous scientific journals, co-authored one scientific paper, and won the prestigious Community Innovation Award from the Society for Science through my submission to a local science fair,” Rahil said in the blog.
“Much of my motivation to conduct research came from within; however, I would have never been introduced to this alien world of STEM without the SEES's mentors' help. SEES has a special way of connecting to high school students; instead of having interns do boring/low-level tasks, they encourage students to learn in unique and hands-on methods, even online. Make no mistake, the extent to which you can reach this internship is not limited by resources, education, or money. Only you control whether you do the bare minimum or become an esteemed high schooler in the world of science.”
To read more about Rahil’s experience, click here.
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05 June is World Environment Day – Join #GenerationRestoration |
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The theme of this year’s World Environment Day, 05 June, is “Ecosystem Restoration.” World Environment Day is the United Nation’s most important day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of the 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.
World Environment Day 2021 will see the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration: A global rallying cry for everyone – from governments to corporations and citizens – to do their part in healing our ailing planet. World Environment Day, hosted by Pakistan this year, offers a global platform for inspiring positive change. It pushes for individuals to think about the way they consume; for businesses to develop greener models; for farmers and manufacturers to produce more sustainably; for governments to invest in repairing the environment; for educators to inspire students to take action; and for youth to build a greener future.
Everybody living on this planet, in this moment in time can be a part of #GenerationRestoration
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.
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Opportunities for Teachers |
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(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: globecommunications@ucar.edu. Thank you!)
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NASA STEM Educator Webinars |
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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: Celebrating Hubble 30th Anniversary,” is geared toward educators in grades 06-12. On Tuesday,15 June (04:30 p.m. EDT), come and learn more about Hubble. In 2020, the Hubble Space Telescope achieves its 30th year in orbit. Hubble’s unique design, allowing it to be repaired and upgraded with advanced technology by astronauts, has made it one of NASA’s longest-living and most valuable observatories, beaming transformational astronomical images to Earth for decades. Hubble has fundamentally changed our understanding of the cosmos. Learn about the Hubble space telescope, Electromagnetic Radiation from space and our cosmic connection to the elements. Discussion will include classroom modifications.
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YLACES Offers Awards, Scholarships, Grants – and Support – for Science Education |
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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.
For more information on YLACES, and the specific types of assistance
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GLOBE U.S. In-Service/Pre-Service Teachers: Natural Inquirer Opportunity Offers Stipends for Blog/Social Media Posts |
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U.S. GLOBE Pre-service and In-service Educators: Do you use GLOBE protocols, learning activities, or books? Do you use the Natural Inquirer journals or activities? If you answered YES to either question, there is an exciting opportunity for you!
The GLOBE Program, in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, is looking for K-12 pre- and in-service educators to write a blog or social media post (Pinterest, Twitter thread, etc.) connecting an issue of the Natural Inquirer with GLOBE protocols and/or learning activities. These crosswalk resources will be published on the GLOBE website and shared with educators in both communities. Stipends for published pieces are available!
Share this flyer with your networks, or use as a classroom assignment with your
pre-service teachers.
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Opportunities for Students |
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U.S. Summer STEM Research Opportunities |
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U.S. Community: Now is the time that summer research programs are announcing their 2021 deadlines. Click here and browse by institution, disciplinary categories, or by geography.
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Congratulations to the 13 GLOBE countries celebrating anniversaries of successful GLOBE implementation during the month of June:
Argentina – 26 years
28 June 1995
Bahrain – 20 years
16 June 2001
Republic of Botswana – 03 year
26 June 2018
Brazil –06 years
30 June 2015
Republic of Congo – 16 years
28 June 2005
Dominican Republic – 24 years
20 June 1997
Estonia – 25 years
19 June 1996
Ireland – 26 years
12 June 1995
Kenya – 24 years
9 June 1997
Kyrgyz Republic – 26 years
9 June 1995
Madagascar – 24 years
11 June 1997
Monaco – 21 years
29 June 2000
United Arab Emirates – 22 years
06 June 1999
The GLOBE Implementation Office would like to thank these countries for their ongoing educational and scientific contributions to The GLOBE Program!
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Send us news that you would like to share with the GLOBE community and we'll include it in next month's News Brief. Be sure to include photos too.
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Past issues of the GLOBE News Brief are available in the online. (On the drop-down menu under “Category,” simply scroll down to “News Topics” and select “News Briefs.”)
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