At IEDRO, we believe that, when used regionally, rescued environmental data can reduce humankind’s suffering and death more than any other endeavor. IEDRO is looking for individuals who are passionate about the environment and the future of our planet, people who want to make to make a difference by working on projects in other countries and at home in the U.S.
In recent months, IEDRO has seen an increase of data rescue and digitization project requests from NMHSs (National Meteorological and Hydrologic Services) and governments across the globe, all of whom want to save their historic weather data. These requests and new projects have made 2015 both exciting and busy for the IEDRO teams. IEDRO’s Executive Director and Founder, Dr. Richard Crouthamel foresees 2016 being just as busy, with more requests coming in the near future. This means that IEDRO is going to be looking for more manpower to help fuel these important projects, if we are to take on any more.
If you are:
Enthusiastic
Passionate
Environmentally conscious with a desire to help
Looking for an opportunity to give back
…then IEDRO is the place for you! We are seeking individuals who have experience or interest in climate data, project management, translation, among other things, or those who have a desire to travel WITH A PURPOSE!
Some volunteer opportunities available are:
Traveling to other countries to manage data rescue projects
Investigating archives of data across the world to determine if projects are viable
Organizing and planning projects with IEDRO team
If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about IEDRO or is ready to jump in with both feet, please fill out a Volunteer Application Form and someone from IEDRO will contact you shorty!
Many thanks for your continued support and interest in IEDRO’s mission!
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT:
Joanne DeVincent
IEDRO wanted to spotlight one of our outstanding and committed volunteers. Here, Joanne had the opportunity to explain why she volunteers, what she does, and in her opinion, the important parts of IEDRO for prospective volunteers in her own words.
“Why do you like volunteering for IEDRO?”
“It’s usually the question I’m asked by family, friends, and former colleagues when I tell them I’ve been doing volunteer work for IEDRO since I retired in September 2013.
I tell them it’s because the work has been varied and uses many of the skills that I’ve gathered over a lifetime in organizational change management and communications. I work on my own and usually at home, which, after working in offices for over 40 years, is a very welcome change. Depending on the need, some weeks I’ll work only a few hours and some weeks I’m hard at it, trying to get a project done.”
“Well, what is it that you actually do?”
“This question usually comes after I’ve given my inquisitors a rundown of IEDRO’s mission and our current projects. I’ve worked on applications for tax-exempt status for various states; assisted Rick Crouthamel, our executive director, in applying for grants from government agencies; drafted presentations to key groups; assisted Rick in drafting Letters of Agreement for IEDRO’s projects in various countries; and developed grant proposals to private foundations. During our beta test of Weather Wizards in the summer of 2014, I collected and categorized over 180 comments from the people who participated in the test.”
“How would you describe the culture of IEDRO to prospective volunteer or individuals interested in IEDRO’s work?”
“This question is often on people’s minds, even if they don’t say it. We’re all self-starters and it’s an essential quality because no one’s looking over your shoulder. If you step up to do something, it’s up to you to complete the work. Team work is also highly valued. Our volunteers are spread out across countries so communicating by phone and email, collaborating, and getting clarification on ideas is important. Rick has set an excellent example for these cultural values. And that’s another reason why I like volunteering at IEDRO.”
Stay tuned for our next volunteer spotlight!
CURRENT, UPCOMING & POTENTIAL PROJECTS
ONGOING PROJECTS
WEATHER WIZARDS: A cost effective tool for digitizing large amounts of historic weather data much faster than manual methods, created by Summit Business Technologies.
BOLIVIA: Between July 2012 and September 2013, IEDRO personnel began receiving surface data images from Bolivia. To date, IEDRO has received synoptic observations and Summary of Day observations for 22 surface stations – 16,544 pages/records in total, the equivalent of at least 10 years of data.
WEST AFRICA: Climate Data Rescue and Digitization Facility at ACMAD: Ongoing. The facility continues to scan about 8,000 microfiche frames per month.
TANZANIA: 500 upper air pilot balloon (PIBAL) observations.
EL SALVADOR: Successfully scanned 10,000 of the 330,000 strip charts. Next step is working on digitizing the data.
MALAWI: Several hundred thousand pages of surface weather observations. This project is ongoing. Upper air data is rescued; surface data needs rescuing.
To find out how to donate to IEDRO by just opening up your web browser, click below! Not only are you indirectly donating to IEDRO, but every time you open your browser, you could discover a new and exciting website, catered to your chosen interests!
Shop on Amazon? Want to support IEDRO? Click below and you will be directed to the amazon homepage, however, in doing so, Amazon will donate a percentage of your total to IEDRO at NO COST TO YOU! Shop away and rest assured knowing you’ve played a part in rescuing data!
Email the team at IEDRO and let us know what you think of this newsletter! What do you like? What would you like to see more of? Your feedback is valuable and will have a direct effect on future newsletters.
Comments are closed.