We are excited to announce our new Gaisce Challenge Partner – Met Éireann, Ireland’s National Meteorological Service!
Gaisce Participants can now take part in Met Éireann’s Irish Weather Rescue project for the Community Involvement Challenge Area of their Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards and make a significant contribution to climate research in their local areas.
Young people today are more aware than ever of the pressing challenges posed by the climate crisis as well as the potential for sustainable development through innovative solutions. Opportunities to delve into real-world climate issues and contribute to vital scientific research can be limited. By participating in climate research like this, young people can effectively bridge the gap between knowledge and action and make a direct impact on the future.
The Irish Weather Rescue Project aims to engage young citizen scientists to digitise millions of historical rainfall observations across Ireland during the late 19th to mid-20th Century. Participants will make a significant contribution to science by providing a more detailed picture of how rainfall patterns have changed over longer timescales and providing more context around recent changes in rainfall variability due to human-caused climate change. An online web-based project has been developed using the Zooniverse platform, where volunteers can access the images and templates to transcribe the data.
Detailed instructions and support and an online video tutorial are provided, and a discussion forum where volunteers can interact with the project team is also offered. If you choose this project for your Gaisce journey, the first hour will be in the form of an introduction to the project by Met Éireann staff. Ideally, this will take place in person but may be held virtually.
Gaisce CEO, Avril Ryan, welcomes Met Éireann as a Gaisce Challenge Partner: ‘’Gaisce is thrilled that Met Éireann are now on board as a Gaisce Challenge Partner. The Irish Weather Rescue Project from Met Éireann is a great opportunity for Gaisce participants to get involved in citizen science in a new and unique way.
There are few chances for young people to participate in climate research, so we are very glad that Met Éireann is giving this opportunity for Gaisce participants to be a part of this important project to collect historical Meteorological data. To safeguard the future, we have to take a look at the past.’’
It is apt that we are announcing this partnership on World Meteorological Day. This day recognises National Meteorological Services’ hard work to improve society’s safety and well-being, and we’re delighted to get a chance to support our own National Meteorological Service today!
Eoin Moran, Director of Met Éireann says:
“Met Éireann is delighted to collaborate with Gaisce, engaging young people nationwide in the vital task of weather data rescue. This initiative represents climate science in action, and we eagerly anticipate the valuable contributions from participants, which will significantly enhance our understanding of Ireland’s climate.”
Check out Met Éireann’s Gaisce Challenge Partner profile HERE for more information.
