News - United States of America

Putting Citizen Science into Practice with CoCoRaHS

How does GLOBE fit in with other Citizen Science efforts? While many popular apps are available in addition to GLOBE Observer, few citizen science efforts are easily adapted to GLOBE protocols as the CoCoRaHS precipitation networks. Founded in 1998, CoCoRaHS has been in the Citizen’s Science game nearly as long as GLOBE (est. 1995). The rain gauge and protocols used by the two programs are virtually identical, so those familiar with the GLOBE precipitation protocol can easily become a volunteer to submit data for CoCoRaHS.

What is CoCoRaHS?   

An excerpt from their webpage states: “CoCoRaHS is an acronym for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. CoCoRaHS is a unique, non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail and snow). By using low-cost measurement tools, stressing training and education, and utilizing an interactive Web-site, our aim is to provide the highest quality data for natural resource, education and research applications. We are now in all fifty states.”

CoCoRaHS and the Colorado GLOBE Earth System Science Collaborative

CoCoRaHS has had close ties with The GLOBE Program since 2017, when CoCoRaHS “alumna” Deanna TeBockhorst, along with John Ristvey, led an effort to form a collective of science educators in Colorado’s Front Range region. The Colorado ESS Collaborative has thrived, with active participation from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Science (UCAR) Center for Science Education, University of Colorado Fiske Planetarium, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) Education and Outreach, CoCoRAHS, St. Vrain School District, Metropolitan State University’s Center for Advanced STEM Education, Colorado State University’s Natural Sciences Education and Outreach Center, and University of Northern Colorado Center for Urban Education. 

GLOBE/ESS Collaboratives go Nation-wide

In January 2021, Noah Newman, CoCoRaHS Education and Outreach Director, presented the first ESS Collaborative “Watercooler,” starting the conversation with a presentation entitled: “Putting Citizen Science into Practice” (see Noah's slides here). The GLOBE/ESS Collaborative Project, funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, has set up teams of GLOBE Partners and other Earth System Science providers in each of the six United States GLOBE regions, with additional cross-region collaboratives. 

Read more about the GLOBE/ESS Collaborative project and grant here.

- Contributed by Rich Wagner, Metropolitan University of Denver

News origin: United States of America

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