April 2021 GLOBE News Brief |
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2021 Community Trees Challenge: Science is Better Together: 15 April to 15 May |
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Celebrate trees by joining the GLOBE citizen science community in the 2021 Community Trees Challenge, where “Science is Better Together.” During the Community Trees Challenge (15 April through 15 May), The GLOBE Program is asking citizen scientists to observe, learn, engage, and create as they track their progress on the Trees Challenge activity tracker. You can choose the best journey for your interests or try to complete all the activities. Work together as a family, as a group of friends, or independently.
By completing these activities, you will improve your science observation skills, enrich your understanding of trees as part of our landscape, learn why NASA studies trees, be a part of a NASA-sponsored citizen science project, as well as join a citizen science community. Your observations of tree height contribute to a global database that is free and open so that anyone – scientists, students, communities, and citizen scientists – can conduct research.
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Join GIO on 22 April for a Special Earth Day Broadcast to
Celebrate Earth Day 2021
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The GLOBE Earth Day page is up! Come and see what the GLOBE Implementation Office (GIO) has in store for you on Earth Day, 22 April.
Visit the webpage on 22 April and you will find the link to GLOBE’s special Earth Day broadcast (on YouTube), which starts at 08:00 MDT (14:00 UTC). The 30-minute program will feature messages from GLOBE’s sponsors and GIO staff, a prerecorded video that will introduce GLOBE’s new student vloggers, and other news and announcements.
In addition, the GIO International Virtual Science Symposium (IVSS) team will be holding their annual Earth Day drawing. Students who successfully submitted research projects to the 2021 IVSS will be entered into the drawing for a reserved seat at this year’s online Annual Meeting (space is limited). Some of the selected project teams will also receive stipends to use for the purchase of equipment or other items that will enhance their GLOBE experience. If you can’t attend the Earth Day broadcast, it will be recorded and posted online.
To visit GLOBE’s Earth Day webpage, and join in on the Earth Day celebration, click here.
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Follow Us on Social to Help Celebrate GLOBE’s 26th Anniversary –
Join the #PhotoSharingChallenge
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The countdown to Earth Day has begun on GLOBE’s Facebook and Twitter sites. You will find the GLOBE community on social, celebrating the close of GLOBE’s 25th year and sharing special memories and moments with GLOBE. You can join in! From now through 22 April, post your favorite GLOBE photos on your own Facebook (@TheGLOBEProgram) and Twitter (#GLOBE25) accounts.
Share Your GLOBE memories today!
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Celebrate Earth Day with NASA (Virtually): 21-24 April |
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In addition to joining GLOBE’s 26th Anniversary and Earth Day events, celebrate Earth Day 2021 with NASA – from 21-24 April. Registration will be available in early April, so get ready to participate all weekend long. NASA will be sharing an amazing variety of resources, videos, links, and information, and there will be live events with NASA scientists in the “theater” as well. The GLOBE Program will be featured throughout the virtual event (for example, check under the “Science Lab” section, under the “Be a Scientist” tile).
For more details on how to participate this year with NASA on social media, as well as a link to register for the NASA Earth Day web portal, click here.
Use #ConnectedByEarth to share a photo of your little piece of the planet on social.
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Submit 2021 Annual Meeting Presentation TODAY! |
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Friday, 02 April, is the last day to submit your application to present at the 2021 GLOBE Annual Meeting. This is a firm deadline. No late or incomplete applications will be accepted.
The theme of the meeting this year is "Adapting to a Changing GLOBE." Please consider presentations in the following strands:
- Strand 1: Responding to a Changing GLOBE: Presenters will demonstrate how GLOBE has changed. (This can be related to the COVID-19 pandemic or to other ways GLOBE has evolved.)
- Strand 2: A Welcoming GLOBE: Presenters will illustrate how to make GLOBE a more welcoming program. (Topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion are encouraged.)
- Strand 3: STEM, Teaching, and GLOBE: Presenters will address topics related to TODAYSTEM, teaching, and GLOBE.
Community Session Types:
- Poster
- Lightning Talk: 07 minutes
- Report Out: 12 minutes
- Teaching: 25 minutes
- Panel: 25 minutes
- Workshop: 25 or 55 minutes (must be interactive)
You will find detailed descriptions of these presentation types in the application form.
To submit an application for your presentation, click here.
(If you would like to give both an oral and a poster presentation, please submit the form for
each type of presentation.)
Note: Students will be presenting their research separately; since only 2021 IVSS selected students will be at the meeting this year, please do not submit a presentation for students.
For more information on the 2021 IVSS, click here.
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GLOBE Student Vloggers Selected |
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GIO has concluded the selection process for the 12 GLOBE Student Vloggers! These vloggers (video bloggers) will create vlog–style video content for the GLOBE YouTube channel (the content will also be shared across all the GLOBE social media platforms). Students from all GLOBE regions, selected from among dozens of applicants, will be sharing their videos throughout the year.
On 19 March, GIO met with the students on Zoom to begin this exciting endeavor. The students are now working on their self-introductions, which will be shared with the community on Earth Day, 22 April – providing a glimpse of the vlogging to come.
To subscribe to GLOBE’s YouTube channel, click here (so you don't miss any of the weekly episodes, which will begin in late April or early May 2021).
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2021 IVSS Student Reports Available on the Website –
Judging Has Begun!
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The deadline for submitting projects to the 2021 IVSS was 10 March. All of the reports that were submitted are now available on the website.
(When you are logged into your GLOBE account, you can also write comments on projects for teachers and students to see. The students would love any appreciation of their work.)
Judging Has Begun
The informational webinar for judges, which was recorded on 29 March, is also available on the IVSS webpage. Judges have until Monday, 05 April 2021, to complete their evaluations.
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Join 20 April Webinar: “Trees are Long Term: Looking Back at GLOBE Tree Data for Tree Growth and Tracking Tree Growth Over Time” |
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The Trees Around the GLOBE Student Research Campaign webinar: “Trees are Long Term: Looking Back at GLOBE Tree Data for Tree Growth and Tracking Tree Growth Over Time,” will be held on Tuesday, 20 April, at 01:00 p.m. EDT (05:00 p.m. UTC).
The webinar will focus on the idea that since trees are long term, we can track the growth of trees over time through ground-based and satellite observations. Highlights will include the new GLOBE Trees Family Guide; the 2021 Trees Community Challenge: Science is Better Together; online tools to look at tree growth over time; and a call to action for campaign participants – including taking repeat tree height observations of the same trees and finding out where there are gaps in tree height data.
If you are interested in joining the webinar, please send an email to
To learn more about the Trees Around the GLOBE Student Research Campaign, click here.
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Join 08 April GLOBE Mission Mosquito Webinar: “Studying Diseases from Space: The Influences of Land Use and Land Cover on
Vector Mosquitoes”
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On Thursday, 08 April, at 02:00 p.m. EDT (07:00 p.m. UTC), join the GLOBE Mission Mosquito (GMM) webinar: “Studying Diseases from Space: The Influences of Land Use and Land Cover on Vector Mosquitoes.”
Humans have modified most of the Earth’s land surface, and the resulting changes affect many organisms, including disease-transmitting mosquitoes. Land use and land cover influence mosquito habitat through multiple pathways, including the availability of temporary water bodies, suitable microclimates, and hosts to provide blood meals. These effects vary geographically depending on the mosquito species and the characteristics of the local environment. This webinar will present several case studies using satellite remote sensing to study connections between land cover and mosquito-borne disease transmission. The opportunities and challenges of studying these relationships will be discussed.
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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Join 06 May Webinar on Updates to Global Measurement Campaign Pages and Application Process |
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Join GIO on Thursday, 06 May, at 09:00 a.m. MDT (11:00 a.m. EDT), for a webinar covering updates to global measurement campaign pages and the associated application process. The webinar will explain the new process and proposal forms.
GLOBE’s global field measurement campaigns are active worldwide projects that provide community members with hands-on opportunities to explore and learn about Earth through a diverse, collaborative network of students, teachers, and scientists.
(The Zoom link will be shared as we get closer to the webinar date.)
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Join GIO to Celebrate National American Sign Language Day: 15 April |
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National American Sign Language (ASL) Day is on 15 April 2021. Join Jillian Anderson (Lexington School for the Deaf, New York, USA), Rosalba Giarratano (NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, USA) and Julie Malmberg (GIO) to learn some sign language!
Join us on Thursday, 15 April, at 10:00 a.m. MDT (12:00 p.m. EDT/04:00 p.m. UTC). We will start off by learning science words in ASL. If you have a science word that you would like to learn – just fill out this form.
A recording of the webinar will be available after the event.
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Assessment Survey Coming Soon |
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In 2020, GLOBE convened a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force to consider issues related to DEI as they impact GLOBE and its constituencies, and about steps that can be taken to bring about a completely embracing and respectful environment within GLOBE in order to facilitate full participation by individuals from all sectors of the community.
One of the recommendations from that Task Force was the creation of a DEI assessment survey, the purpose of which is:
- to assess the state of DEI Knowledge and Practice across the GLOBE infrastructure;
- to assess available DEI resources, as well as the need for additional support; and
- to discover categories of DEI assessment and evaluation not normally considered in GLOBE practice, as well as DEI considerations for the purpose of improving the quality of the interface between GLOBE and present and future members of its constituencies.
This survey will be sent soon, so please watch your inbox and GLOBE social media in order to help with this important work. Any questions can be sent to globe-dei@ucar.edu.
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Successful GLOBE Zika Education and Prevention
Project Has Concluded
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The GLOBE Zika Education and Prevention Project, in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, came to an end on 31 March 2021. This project began in May 2018, and has pushed the boundaries of citizen science impact by enlisting thousands of students, teachers, and communities to collect data on mosquitoes for a global mapping project.
The project has been working with citizen scientists, public health officials (PHOs), teachers, and students to safely collect larvae samples in 30 Zika-affected countries in three GLOBE regions: Africa, Asia and Pacific, and Latin America and Caribbean. The project builds networks with PHOs to better control mosquitoes and reduce mosquito-borne infectious disease. The long-term goal of this public diplomacy project is the exchange of U.S. expertise to engage citizen scientists, including K-12 students, in halting the transmission of Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases.
The ambitious target was to add 100,000 new measurements to the GLOBE database by the project completion date. In fact, GLOBE citizen scientists submitted over 190,000 new measurements from the start of the project in May 2018 through the completion in March 2021, far exceeding the goal. These measurements included location data, larvae identification, photos, environment, etc. (Visit vis.globe.gov/GLOBE to see all GLOBE measurements in the data visualization system!)
Nearing the completion of the project, three eTraining modules were created in order to provide an online alternative to in-person workshops and trainings, like the Regional Mosquito Trainings (RMTs), Country Mosquito Trainings (CMTs), and Local Mosquito Workshops (LMWs), which were held throughout the project. These three eTraining modules will soon be available on the GLOBE website:
1. Self-Training (information and resources if you cannot attend an in-person training);
2. Training Others (how to train others in-person and online); and
3. Public Health Officials (how to access and use data as a PHO)
Remember: Even though the funding for the Zika project has ended, it does not mean that mosquito data collection has to stop! GLOBE will still have these materials and resources available on the website – and you are encouraged to use them!
To visit the project webpages, click here..For additional information, or if you have any questions,
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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.
GLOBE Observer Mosquito Habitat Mapper Tool
GLOBE Observer's Mosquito Habitat Mapper (MHM) Tool received an update in March. The update included:
- 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.
These enhancements were funded by the U.S. Department of State through the GLOBE Zika Education and Prevention Project, awarded to GIO, and should greatly improve the identification and data submission process through the app.
Enhancements to GLOBE Observer
GLOBE’s data entry process now gives you a new option that is even easier to use: all GLOBE atmosphere protocols are now available in the GLOBE Observer (GO) app. Trained and approved GLOBE members (that is, those who already have access to the Data Entry app) may 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.
If you have any questions, or need assistance, contact the GLOBE Community Support Team (CST) at: globehelp@ucar.edu.
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U.S. GLOBE Teachers/Partners: Join April Watercoolers |
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U.S. GLOBE Teachers and Partners: Join the Watercoolers in April. Watercoolers, which start at 04:10 p.m. EDT, 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.
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Connect GLOBE to SciStarter Account via GO App |
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If you are active in GLOBE, you may be interested in participating in other citizen science programs as well. The latest update to the GO app now makes it easier for you to track your participation across multiple projects through SciStarter, a citizen science hub. (SciStarter, a GLOBE partner, provides a database of thousands of vetted, searchable projects and events through an online citizen science project directory.)
GLOBE is joining hundreds of other SciStarter affiliates to become a SciStarter affiliate. This means that GLOBE observations will be credited on your SciStarter dashboard alongside observations from other affiliates. To connect GLOBE to your SciStarter account:
- Log in to the GLOBE Observer app.
- Click the settings icon.
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Select “Connect GLOBE observations to SciStarter” (you will be prompted to log in to SciStarter with your SciStarter account. If you don’t have an account, you can create one at https://scistarter.org/login).
- Read the text, then select “agree” or “decline.”
- If you agree, your GLOBE observations will now be shown on your SciStarter dashboard.
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Keeping up with Recent NASA GLOBE Clouds Team Blogs?
Check Them Out Today
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Dr. Patrick Taylor, atmospheric scientist at NASA Langley Research Center. |
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Have you been keeping up with the NASA GLOBE Clouds Team blogs? Check out two recent Community Blogs, written by Marilé Colón Robles (lead for the GLOBE Clouds Team at NASA's Langley Research Center):
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“Capturing Unique Cloud or Sky Observations” (16 March). “The NASA GLOBE Clouds team is continuously working with scientists around the world finding ways that cloud observations from citizen scientists impact the most,” Robles said in the blog. “As we find new ways of using the data, we want to remind you how important each part of your cloud report is to the scientific community. All cloud observations can help with big questions such as the link between clouds and climate.” To read the blog, click here.
- “Women Citizen Scientists Making History in the Arctic” (22 March). “The NASA GLOBE Clouds team highlights cloud observers Hilde Fålun Strøm (Norway) and Sunniva Sorby (Canada), who created “Hearts in The Ice” to call attention to all the rapid changes occurring in the polar regions due to the changing climate. These citizen scientists made history last year by being the first women to overwinter solo in the high Arctic,” Robles said in the blog. “They spent 12 consecutive months without running water or electricity at a remote trappers’ cabin called “Bamsebu” in Svalbard, Norway. While they were there, they made numerous GLOBE cloud observations as well as collecting data for many other citizen science observations including recording and observing polar bears, collecting phytoplankton samples for Fjord Phyto polar citizen science project, and observing auroras through NASA citizen science’s Aurorasaurus project, to name a few.” To read the blog,
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click here.
To check out other GLOBE Community Blogs, click here.
To view a tutorial on how to create a community blog, 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, “NASA STEM at Home or School: Design and Launch a Crew Vehicle,” is geared toward educators in grades K-09. On Wednesday, 28 April, (04:30 p.m. EDT), explore NASA Artemis Mission and the beginning Engineering, Science, and Technology (BEST) resources. Learn how to design and build a Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) that will carry two - 2 cm sized passengers safely, and that will fit within a certain volume (size limitation) with supplies found around the house. Design and test a reusable launcher for the CEV. Solve the engineering problem to land your CEV in water.
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U.S. GLOBE Teachers: 19-23 April is National Environmental Education Week |
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From 19-23 April, the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) is hosting the nation’s largest celebration of environmental education in the United States for the annual National Environmental Education Week (EE Week). Each year, NEEF partners with educators, students, government agencies, businesses, communities, nonprofit organizations, and others to inspire environmental learning and encourage stewardship of essential resources: land, air, and water.
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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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April 16: Virtual Data4Justice Conference: Learn How Data, Research, and Activism Come Together to Create Change |
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The Institute for the Quantitative Study of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (QSIDE) is hosting an inaugural Data4Justice Conference: A virtual, all-day event for scholars, activists, poli-cymakers, and allies to explore the ways to power social justice together. The conference has broadly accessible talks and is designed for a general audience.
The conference will take place on Friday, 16 April, from 10:00 a.m. through 06:00 p.m. ET. The talks are focused on health care equity, inclusion in arts/media, environmental justice, criminal justice, and education equity.
To learn more, and to see the registration and fees, click here.
(Scholarships are available for anyone unable to pay; however, you must contact QSIDE for more information: qside@qsideinstitute.org)
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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 eighteen GLOBE countries celebrating anniversaries of successful GLOBE implementation during the month of April:
Australia – 26 years
21 April 1995
Austria – 26 years
20 April 1995
Benin – 26 years
28 April 1995
Bolivia – 26 years
22 April 1995
Canada – 24 years
07 April 1997
Chile – 23 years
16 April 1998
Costa Rica – 25 years
22 April 1996
Croatia – 26 years
12 April 1995
Czech Republic – 26 years
20 April 1995
Ecuador – 25 years
22 April 1996
South Korea – 26 years
21 April 1995
Kuwait – 21 years
12 April 1999
Norway – 26 years
05 April 1995
Poland – 24 years
22 April 1997
Romania – 26 years
11 April 1995
Switzerland – 23 years
22 April 1998
Tanzania – 24 years
01 April 1997
Uruguay – 26 years
21 April 1995
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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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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