Marile Colon Robles (NASA Langley Research Center), Dr. Russanne Low, (Institute for Global Environmental Strategies) and Brian Campbell (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) co-presented, “Transitions in Citizen Science with the GLOBE Program during a Global Pandemic: Shifting Gears from Data Collection to Data Literacy” at the 2021 American Philosophical Society’s “The Promise and Pitfalls of Citizen Science Symposium.” The presentation featured a discussion on the NASA GLOBE Observer app for citizen science, highlighting the comparison of the space-based and ground-based observations, focusing on the four protocol observations (Clouds, Mosquito Habitats, Land Cover, and Trees) and the lessons learned in citizen science during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This symposium, according to the American Philosophical Society, “…reflects the work of Benjamin Franklin and others who lacked formal training and whose work sometimes went unacknowledged but whose contributions significantly added to the advancement of knowledge. It hopes to expand upon the theme of the exhibition by exploring understandings of citizen science over time, placing historical initiatives in conversation with present day projects as well as reflecting on the future needs and opportunities of the movement.”