On September 18th, several scientists from around the country, together with LSPA members, staff and local citizen scientists convened in Sunapee for a Cyber-Infrastructure Workshop. Don’t let the name of the workshop throw you! Funded by the NSF, the workshop was part of a grant to understand how to make scientific data accessible and relevant to today’s populace. This would include school aged children, teachers, and the general interested public. The National Science Foundation has placed a priority on educating the public about scientific phenomena, because in today’s environment, more people need to know how science affects their everyday lives.
At the workshop were social scientists, ecologists, internet and communication specialists, as well as people from various backgrounds, including those for whom the internet is not their first communication tool.
The results will first yield a prototype for the LSPA GLEON buoy data. In the discussions however, many other ideas emerged from 3-D simulations for general understanding of ecological and biological systems to event-based maps, in which people could enter wildlife sightings. The discussions covered both sensor based and non-sensor based information. Other ideas were types of interactive maps and audio information, that is, recorders in the environment.
The hosts for this event was the grant’s “CI-Team”, which includes Kak Weathers and June Fichter from LSPA.
Date published on web site:
09-18-2008
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