2019: A Mappening Year of Gratitude
The same two words we used to describe 2018 summarize our feelings toward2019: maptastic gratitude. Yep, you read that right! Wehave so much gratitude for all of the support and ideas generated by ourmaptastic community partners, citizen scientists, K-12 teachers, youth, donors,and research students. Science works because of people, and we pledge thatpeople will remain at the core of Citizen Science GIS and GeoBus well into thefuture. We can’t thank you all enough for working with us, inspiring us,supporting science’s next generation, and showing that local knowledge is thekey to science.
2019 has been a year of growth for Citizen Science GIS, and we look forwardto what’s to come in 2020. It promises to be a mappening year with the launchof the nation’s first GeoBus here inOrlando (the bus moved to our solar partner last week to begin the solar panelinstallation to power our lab); our 2nd year of fieldwork with our collaborativeNSF eelgrass mapping grantwith the Smithsonian MarineGeo program, UC-Davis, and Cornell; wrapping upour NSF CNH work around sense of place and coastal restoration in the IndianRiver Lagoon, FL; another 3 years of funded summer research experiences for undergraduatesin Belize (more details in January); a new drone mapping project with OrangeCounty, FL utilities that will provide funded research experiences for UCFstudents; and more drone tips from our mascot DroneCat. And there mightjust be a few additional surprises in the works as well.
As we reflect on this year, and look forward to 2020, we are reminded of ourmain goals: to make science more accessible and understandable, to ensurethat society can inform science, and to ensure society benefits from scientificdiscoveries.
In thinking about our goals, we challenge each of you to continue to supportpublic scholarship in all that you do. Whether that be through innovative research,engaging teaching, community service, or some combination of all of theseopportunities. At the end of the day, we hope you will continue to inspireothers around you to engage in work that benefits society. We firmly believethat people from all walks of life, all backgrounds, and all ages can make adifference in science and society.
As we wrap-up 2019, we’ll be taking a few weeks off to recharge and to spendtime away from our work with our family and friends. We hope you might be ableto do the same. Let’s all get energized for what’s to come in 2020. Andremember, our best days are ahead of us. Together, everything is possible.
Here’s to a wonderful holiday season,
Dr. Timothy L. Hawthorne and your geo-pals at Citizen Science GIS and GeoBus