why does this matter?

roughly 68% of the nation’s acres for fruits and vegetables are in california. meanwhile, a 2020 report by nature found that over half of water use in the crb relies on crops designated for cattle-feed. be it produce or livestock, water consumption in agriculture poses an existential threat in a region suffering from a decades-long drought. in this historic moment of crisis, there is yet to be a clear and coordinated mitigation plan from impacted states – arizona, california, colorado, new mexico, nevada, utah, and wyoming.

to better understand the lasting impact of public policy, look no further than the colorado river compact. as part of the law of the river, the compact was established in 1922 to enforce surface water use without consideration for depletion of groundwater reserves in dryer climates of the present day. traditional agriculture methods alongside federally enforced water cuts significantly contribute to decreased water availability in the region. 

as mentioned above, a heavy agricultural presence in the american southwest pressures groundwater reserves on top of surface water deliveries at unprecedented levels. then there is the issue of public water consumption by non-farmers. u.s. census data released last year declares that some of the fastest growing and most populous cities in the country are in crb states: arizona, california, and nevada. these trends are bound to cause all the more water-stress for the basin.

anthropogenic climate change will result in a 10% to 30% reduction of public water use in the colorado river basin, which will likely lead to demands for stronger accountability of water waste within an agricultural system that devours resources across the basin.

changing policies for the colorado river basin

while it may feel like there is little room to fight for a better future, there are several opportunities for solutions: funding from the inflation reduction act, the farm bill, and better cooperation across private and public sectors led by affected communities.

for starters, section 50231 of the 2022 inflation reduction act apportioned $550 million in funding to protect water security in the basin by providing “domestic water supplies to communities or households that do not have reliable access” to water. federal, state and local governments have the chance to apply for this funding until september 30th, 2031. there is no time like the present. 

in the perspective of the agricultural industry, federal policy fails to address sustainable water governance, making sustainable food production a near impossible feat. case in point, the 2018 us farm bill has no explicit section dedicated to drought mitigation, which leads to room in senate and house negotiations over the 2023 bill for such language. 

technological innovations in the agricultural industry, such as controlled environment agriculture, present powerful tools for farmers to realize a sustainable business model while tracking their water and energy consumption. policymakers have the opportunity to center drought mitigation as a crucial component of agricultural policy. this can ensure food security, economic stability, and strategic climate action in a coordinated and holistic manner.

the lack of inter-state policy in groundwater management and the overutilization of surface water across most crb states has led to a need for federal leadership and policy that “[s]upports and embraces the diversity of locally tailored management solutions, particularly of communities facing groundwater depletion” to uplift the agricultural sector through a more generous return on investment.

even though water scarcity and food insecurity are scary, and sometimes nebulous, topics 2023 offers a new chance to defy the status quo with available funding, potential partnerships, and a fresh perspective.

this story was featured in our series, slipping through our fingers: the future of water.

creating new techniques and ways to capture the audience to teach them about the marine environment is important in helping us preserve this resource for years to come.

“people are interested in technology, and developing technology that really maximizes opportunity is critical,” said richard vevers, ceo of the ocean agency, a non-profit organization geared towards raising awareness for effective ocean protection. 

creating these techniques is a long-term goal of vevers. the university of rhode island teamed up with the ocean agency to investigate new habitats and bring public awareness to the sea.

inspired by 360-degree cameras utilized by google street view, the ocean agency developed the hammerhead camera, a similar camera designed to be used in an underwater environment, according to vevers.

the prototype camera was utilized in the catlin seaview survey, the most comprehensive underwater photographic survey that captured over one million images and allowed them to be analyzed. this prototype camera has captured photos of many unique ocean environments, but it was not originally designed for scientific research. 

however, the ocean agency recognized the research potential of the hammerhead camera for monitoring environments including coral reefs to see how they change over time. 

often sites cannot be surveyed multiple times because of numerous external factors (including weather, tides and visibility), but having a camera that can capture images will allow for more comprehensive and tangible visualizations of these sites for a potentially unlimited amount of time. 

“this camera permits us to get stereo imagery that can be reconstructed on a [three-dimensional] model of the place that was surveyed,” said vevers.

while working alongside uri, the ocean agency is fleshing out issues that have been found in previous models of the hammerhead camera. vevers said that two versions of the camera have existed so far: seaview 1 and seaview 2. seaview 1 was a massive camera that weighed over 80 kilograms. when it came time to re-thinking and re-designing the device, size was a primary consideration due to difficulties with transportation. 

in future prototypes the goal is to synthesize three-dimensional and four-dimensional models to allow monitoring of fish populations. to date, no scientist has combined the two in an attempt to monitor the full scope and scale of being at that location.  

vevers hopes to achieve two central objectives with the current model of the camera. the first involves demonstrating how reef restoration is accountable and captures how fast the corals are growing, while also showing that fish populations are returning to these reefs. 

the second purpose of this camera is to bring awareness to the public about diverse underwater environments. currently, there is an international push for coral reef monitoring as a key method to measure and incentivize action to save coral reefs. 

coral reef ecosystems are the most endangered ecosystems due to climate change. according to the ocean agency website, “advances in science and monitoring technology are allowing researchers to make strides toward reef conservation.” 

vevers made a point towards getting more media attention around the issue as well as finding solutions to problems that are currently underdeveloped.

protecting the ocean and conserving this resource is crucial. vevers said that people have a growing interest in technology and believes that right now is a pivotal time for coral reefs and ecosystems –– this camera and upcoming technology will allow us to share the imagery that it collects. 

engaging people with the story of what is unfolding in our environment, while covering the work that is being done to protect and restore ecosystems, is one of the primary means by which we can highlight the urgency of this project. 

to learn more about the ocean agency and the work they are doing visit their website at: https://www.theoceanagency.org 

but what garneau is really scouting for is roadkill. 

when coming upon a flattened porcupine or lamentable roadside squirrel, garneau pulls over. grabbing her smartphone, she opens up inaturalist, a social network that allows users to map and share global observations of biodiversity. she enters data into her device, noting the date, time, species, weather, road type, location, habitat surrounding, and more. snapping a picture, she uploads her photo to numerous studies taking place on the app. in recent years, her observations, and those of other citizen participants, have been added into global wildlife connectivity and roadkill long-term surveys. some of those projects include inaturalist’s global roadkill observations project and adventure scientists wildlife connectivity project, and squirrelmapper. 

the global roadkill observation study’s more than 15,000 international contributors have identified 3,641 species of roadkill globally. species from the crab-eating fox in cumaral, columbia to a black copper rat snake hin yung, thailand were documented with research-grade identifications. this plethora of global wildlife documentation, which garneau contributed to 227 times, will be used by scientists around the world to understand important conservation questions. the study’s page emphasizes that they are collaborating with “organizations globally to record roadkill observations as both evidence of a species occurrence and of wildlife-vehicle conflict.” 

as her prolific contributions suggest, garneau is not new to the rising world of road ecology. she has been studying and documenting roadkill since 2008. her awareness of the questions surrounding road ecology started from an education standpoint. she is one of several researchers in the area with projects that focus on roadkill patterns; others include dr. erika barthelmess at st. lawrence university and dr. tom langen at clarkson.

“i found a need in my courses, students were curious,” garneau said. “it is a good project to learn about wildlife using roadkill as an index of species abundance in the region. it helps students gain skills in animal id and spatial analysis using geographic information systems (gis). it also has the potential for community engagement and service learning.” 

garneau recalled the first launch of her initial wildlife monitoring study. 

“a former student had mentioned she rarely sees virginia opossum near suny plattsburgh during school, while in the albany region she sees a lot,” garneau said. “we were discussing dr. erika barthelmess’ roadkill research paper and commented on how interesting it was that opossum were common roadkill in st. lawrence county, in contrast to their rarity in clinton/essex county during our roadkill surveys since arriving at suny.” 

with the help of her students and dr. curt gervich, an environmental planner and fellow suny-plattsburgh professor, they commenced a survey of workers in the region who are on the roads for their jobs. school bus drivers, delivery drivers and mail carriers filled out the forms. the team started mapping for opossum hotspots. 

over the years, as the project developed, garneau went through trial and error to find a way to keep all of the data together. at first she used a handheld gps and camera to document specimens while adding relevant information to a huge excel sheet. as this became increasingly cumbersome, she then moved onto epicollect, a data-gathering smartphone platform. eventually, she even created her own project using the epicollect app. featured on npr, the epicollect project, titled roadkillgarneau, successfully documented garneau’s findings, as well as other contributors spanning the globe. in fact, in the early stages of the app project, an austrian professor reached out to translate the roadkillgarneau project, and use it in his classroom and research in austria. 

unfortunately, the app project has not been active since 2019 due to smartphone technology rollouts not keeping pace with the app code. garneau was discouraged by the issues outside of her control, but did not stop the research. instead, garneau switched to the inaturalist app, which contributes daily observations from a global network of citizen scientists. 

“(data gathering) got a lot easier with the help of inaturalist participation,” garneau said. “opossum are now one of the top roadkill species logged on my daily drive to work. the increase in frequency of opossum roadkill in essex and clinton counties likely reflects an increase in abundance –– indicating resident populations that are reproducing. we are continuing to pursue contributing factors to this trend. perhaps they are capitalizing on regional land-use changes, including on urban and agricultural habitat. it also offers us an opportunity to mitigate wildlife losses by informing the public and engaging with local organizations.”

garneau sees her roadkill research as a practice of citizen science, a new and growing field of research helping create new scientific knowledge through the collaboration of citizens in scientific research. 

according to garneau, “scientists have learned to understand the value of community participation for engagement, as well as to grow the scope of observations of particular species of interest.”

this is an important step toward helping communities understand the value of science. according to a 2015 analysis, “the direct involvement of the public in research projects ensures that they are less concerned about the findings and purpose of science as well as exposing them to the scientific process. this has the potential to combat the public skepticism of science when confronted with debates in areas such as climate change.”

beyond aiding different scientific circles with essential research, citizen science is having a tangible effect in increasing public safety and conservation impact.

a 2020 article from the journal of nature conservation found that citizen science platforms are helping to mitigate roadkill collisions on european roads. the authors found that the rise in platforms allowing citizens to report roadkill has the potential to increase public participation in both traffic safety and nature conservation. the study notes, “volunteers contribute significantly to collecting data on species that are not typically recorded in official databases.”

research like this supports that everyday citizens can have a direct impact. as of the 2015 analysis, “the term ‘citizen science’ is increasingly appearing in peer reviewed journals, indicating the wider use and acceptance of this term.” now, garneau has noticed a rise in citizen science app usage, even in her non-scientific circles.

pandemic-fueled boredom may have led to an increase in families wanting to identify the backyard birds they have been seeing more of. or, maybe people are beginning to see tangible effects of climate change in their hometowns, and they want to help in any way possible. or, perhaps more and more educators, like garneau, are introducing these growing technologies into their classrooms so students can feel a part of the change. 

want to try citizen science yourself? if roadkill doesn’t suit your interest, you can document the animated birds in your backyard, catalog the critters running around at your local park or search for mollusks in nearby water bodies. plant species can also be documented. turn citizen science into a family weekend outing or a unique date idea. there are a myriad of projects to discover and impacts to be made.

“i think what i didn’t have in my last role was being able to engage with people,” jenkins said, reflecting on her transition from an environmental consulting firm. o’brien, also a former consultant, echoed this sentiment.  “i loved that there was a community partner aspect to the work,” she said. 

jenkins now works as a natural infrastructure project manager at the nature conservancy, and o’brien is a ph.d. candidate in the department of civil and environmental engineering at northwestern university. they are partnering together to study the hydrology of the indian boundary prairies, a cluster of five grassland regions that form a rare natural oasis just south of chicago. 

the nature conservancy’s work focuses on maintaining the prairies as a natural habitat for biodiverse species, with big bluestem, little bluestem and indian grass attracting monarch butterflies and various migratory birds. but the prairie edges—where tar and asphalt were dumped during the construction of the road that continues to leach metal and salt into the soil—may be beyond restoration. jenkins and o’brien are exploring if the prairie boundary could be dedicated as a space for stormwater collection to help mitigate flooding in the region. 

to evaluate sundrop prairie’s water storage capacity, the pair collect data from wells installed throughout the prairie. a sensor in the well reads the underground water level, which indicates how much water is absorbed by the prairie that would otherwise be displaced. “it basically tells us, ‘if the prairie wasn’t here, how much water would be in someone’s backyard or on the street?” o’brien said.

this data also gives them an idea of how much more water the prairie might be able to take on. “what we need to do is get the prairie to work even harder than it already is,” jenkins said. 

o’brien and jenkins also analyze the water’s conductivity, which serves as a measure of how much salt and metal is in the water from contact with surrounding roads and industry. the conductivity trends allow them to see how far into the prairie interior this “urban runoff” effect persists, which can help to identify areas of the prairie that are connected by water flow paths.

understanding how the waterways intersect is critical in determining if diverting stormwater to the periphery could distress the prairie as a whole. “if we are going to think about ways to encourage more or less stormwater onto the site, we have to think about any unintentional negative impacts on the rest of the prairie,” jenkins said.  

the team also takes this holistic approach when considering how to maximize the benefit of the prairies for the local community. “we’re not just looking at the prairies in isolation—it’s all in the context of what’s happening around us,” jenkins said.   

to learn about the needs of their neighbors, o’brien and jenkins are developing a survey for south suburban residents on their experiences and perceptions related to flooding. in addition to informing their work, the responses help them to gauge people’s understanding of stormwater management and ensure that their communication with the public is accessible. 

jenkins and o’brien hope that through a combination of innovative environmental engineering and dialogue with the community, they can help to combat the flooding that disproportionately impacts the area south of chicago. “this problem, it’s not just a nuisance, it’s a public health problem,” jenkins said. “when you understand that these residents are affected by flooding on a regular basis, you can’t help but be moved to try to figure out a solution.” 

there’s one small hiccup in this invaluable marriage of technology and geographic information, though: the necessary mapping data that powers tools like these isn’t available everywhere. tools that so many take for granted across the western world like online map software, and even just the resources needed for a physical map, are severely lacking or wholly unavailable in many developing regions across africa, asia, and even areas within the u.s.

openstreetmaps (osm) is a solution to this widespread lack of mapping data. osm provides a completely open platform to access, view, and add to an ever-growing map of the world. utilizing the power of crowdsourcing, anyone can easily contribute to the creation of the map online from the comfort of their own home. in a matter of minutes, volunteers can set up an account and begin helping osm’s effort to map the world. this work is vital because the creation of a map allows governments, organizations, and everyday people to utilize its data to change lives, making healthcare, street safety, and disaster relief — among countless other necessities — more accessible to millions of people.

1. what is gis data?

map applications like google maps or waze are examples of a geographic information system, better known as gis, that you might use frequently, but not really understand how much is going on in the background. gis is a method of entering, storing, and displaying geographic data. once this data is collected in a gis, it can be used in an ever-growing number of fields including agriculture, engineering, and any other area that remotely utilizes geographic information.

2. what is openstreetmap?

openstreetmap is a free, open-source gis that seeks to create a complete, editable map of the world. if you’re wondering what sets osm apart from google and other consumer-geared gis services, the answer is that the project is public. think of it like a wikipedia, but for maps. osm is a world map for people, created by people. from a consumer point of view, google maps is free to use, however private companies like google force ngo’s, and other organizations and individuals to pay in order to access mapping and gis data. osm seeks to remedy this by crowdsourcing its own gis that is completely free to access across the world.

since its inception by steve coast in 2004, osm has worked to crowdsource data-mapping across the globe via local and remote means. volunteers on the ground utilize handheld gps devices, cameras, and paper notes to collect local geospatial information while others around the world help edit and ready the gis data remotely on computers. the process culminates in the entry of mapping data, like the marking of buildings and roads, by remote online volunteers. after a quick verification process, the map data is published and then free and open to use by anyone in the world.

3. why is it so important?

the gis data collected in openstreetmaps is used by individuals, communities, governments, businesses, and humanitarian projects for countless activities around the world. many of these groups desperately require gis data to fulfill their needs and goals but lack the budget to pay for gis services like google. osm has no fees, and because it is completely public anyone, anytime can help assist in their mission to expand mapping resources for all.

mapping the world also holds governments accountable. in areas of the world like western africa or southeast asia with vast expanses of unmapped but inhabited land, communities and the people that live in them are often neglected or forgotten. expanding mapping coverage and data literally puts these previously unmarked places on a map, and in doing so says to governments and aid groups, “we are here!” history has shown time and time again that unmarked communities are often forgotten in delivery of aid, development of commerce routes, and disaster relief. the simple act of marking a place, with populations ranging from dozens to hundreds of thousands of people, has an impact that cannot be understated.

4. mapping facilitates change

take for example the kibera slum in nairobi, kenya. kibera is home to more than 200,000 people, yet until recently did not appear in detail on any official map. scanning over the area online, you wouldn’t know it as home to nearly a quarter million people. empowering the communities within kibera with mapping resources and technology allowed these people better access to vital services, and improved recognition and support by the kenyan government.

before mapping resources were available, residents of kibera often couldn’t locate medical services in the crowded slum. with mapping data, they can easily locate and obtain medical care, as well as other life-changing services. the open-source nature of osm also allows kibera’s residents to mark hazardous areas such as those that are unsafe for women to travel through alone, notifying their community, and culminating in the installation of a police or government presence there to ensure safety.

this story is not unique to kibera, and similar changes are taking place all over the world. remote african villages are identifying and marking areas where female genital mutilation occurs, allowing aid groups and community members to provide assistance, and help young girls escape violence and abuse. in general, mapping informs communities and governments, facilitating a more active role in shaping their future.

mapping data is also invaluable in the case of disaster. when hurricanes, typhoons, floods, or other storms hit mapping data gives a more accurate representation of where people are, and how many are in danger. decisions about aid and evacuation are more informed, while search and rescue operations are expedited. the same holds true in monitoring the spread of disease outbreak, and more effective safety measures like quarantines are enabled using gis data.

5. getting involved is easy

assisting in the development of these maps is as simple as making an account on osm, or any of their affiliate organizations like the humanitarian openstreetmap team (hot), and browsing their current projects. once your account is made, simply navigate to the “contribute” or “projects” panel and you’ll be greeted by an image similar to this one (with layout dependent on which osm affiliate you’re using).

you can see in the image above that each open project on hot has a priority level ranging from low to urgent, and also a note on the percentage of the map completed. different community and aid groups will begin these projects for areas in need of gis data, opening them to osm for mappers like you to contribute to. hot also hosts a tutorial video explaining to new users how to use the in-browser mapping software and further describing the mapping process as a whole.

partner organizations like youthmappers are another way to get involved, and often host “mapathon” events where groups of people gather in person to educate new users on how to use osm’s online mapping software, and work together to work on an open mapping task.

yet scientists, like teachers, have lives outside the four walls of their work domain. media often focuses on the difference between those who practice science and those who don’t, rather than the things we might have in common, like family, sports, and love for pizza.

while this seems trivial, making the humans behind science more relatable is important for getting different kinds of people involved with science. dr. tesla monson, a postdoctoral scholar at the university of california, berkeley, maintains that this idea is key for people to realize that there is a pathway for everyone, especially for those less inclined to view themselves as potential scientists, into the field.  

one goal of monson’s podcast and radio show the graduates is to illustrate the different ways graduate students got involved with science. the show is a platform for these students to explain their research and its importance to radio audiences, all while giving them an opportunity to get to know them on a personal level.

highlighting that scientists don’t get involved with the subject at the same stages in their life is an important part of diversity in the scientific community, explains monson: “the last thing we want is for people to think, ‘i can’t understand biology right now, so i can never be a scientist.’”

monson felt the same way as a high school student and undergraduate: the way she was taught science was rigid and memorization-based rather than a creative and flexible process. framing of science — and scientists — as tough, cold, and disconnected, compounded by the fact that many underrepresented populations can’t view themselves as scientists, discourages participants in the field.

representation of real scientists and their stories can change that. the more we identify with someone, the more we understand where they come from and why they do what they do.

the perception of scientists isn’t the only problem in science communication. currently, many attempts at science communication have failed because of an audience disconnect problem. sara elshafie, a graduate student at uc berkeley, maintains that unsuccessful science communication is due to those disseminating the information failing to recognize how its consumers will perceive it. elshafie is involved with science communication through the creation of a workshop series, “science through story,” geared toward using storytelling strategies in science communication.

“the science itself is important,” she argues, “but the most important thing is making it meaningful to the audience.” information that the audience feels, rather than simply understands, has more of an impact.

it can be hard to make a significant impact when you cast a wide net, so elshafie advises targeting communication for a specific group. targeting communication towards a specific audience can seem paradoxical, but can often have better impacts than just the “general public.” it has a greater chance of making a lasting impact and a well-crafted piece might even have spillover effects into other demographics.

science communication is not only about getting views, it’s about getting people to care about issues enough to do something about them. thus, a better strategy is needed than the one for clickbait. it can be hard to balance thoughtful communication in the era of mass media, when it is hard to resist turning to sensationalism to get readers’ attention.

an effective and honest strategy involves consideration of how your words can be interpreted while critically thinking about how to use these words to better connect with consumers.

“it’s more about the audience than the speaker,” elshafie concludes, “and the ultimate goal is to make it meaningful to the audience.”

monson experienced a similar problem with audience relatability when she taught a class on human variation at berkeley. the biology class, touched on many controversial topics such as clinical obesity, skin pigmentation, and evolution. in a 300-person class, there was a potential for great social, cultural, and political diversity among students.

“i couldn’t be flippant with my language,” monson said. “for example, i couldn’t casually say that creationism shouldn’t be taught in schools — i had to be considerate of how students’  individual backgrounds lead to different interpretations of my words and find a respectful way to convey that.”

whether it’s through writing or through teaching, those with the responsibility of delivering information also have the duty to ensure that it is communicated in an honest, meaningful way.

what about the consumer’s duty? we should, as consumers, demand factually accurate information about the things that matter to us, such as our communities, environmental health, and governmental affairs. if we don’t care about the quality of our information, it means other people can change the way we think and act through how we learn about these issues.

it’s impossible for everyone to have a comprehensive technical background on every subject, so it’s important that we have accurate and high-quality information filters. the biggest thing preventing us from caring about an issue is lack of knowledge about the problem.

in a country where public opinion matters, it is important to have a scientifically literate citizenry that is aware of the problems our nation faces. it is imperative our community members feel empowered to be advocates for real change. many issues are preventative, and it is incredibly important to get people to care about them before it is too late.

we consumers should change the way we think of science. instead of something abstract and inaccessible, science should be thought of as a creative process. the only thing blocking someone from science is lack of wonder. science is tinkering and experimentation, with the end goal of truth above all else: pipetting in the lab, traveling to rainforests, and publishing papers are just a means to an end. most consumers won’t have much of a science background beyond their long-forgotten high school chemistry and biology lessons. it can be hard for readers to get past the jargon, to separate fact from opinion, and to see who is genuinely intentioned in communicating the truth. in this situation, maintains elshafie, it’s great to be skeptical. “if (something) doesn’t satisfy your curiosity, keep searching,” she advises. “and if you do that, you’ll find you have a lot in common with scientists.”

these techniques are so important because they translate science and data into easily consumable stories.

while the story, “greenland is melting away,” includes a written article, the important information that appeals to the viewer’s emotions is in the infographic that combines the footage of a drone and satellite. the viewer can see the researchers’ tents set up near the river, and then zoom out and see that it is not just this one river, but many rivers melting greenland from the inside out.

this is layered with data, relaying all of the surprising and important facts about how much water each river carries, and the impact these rivers have on the land mass of greenland and salinity of the surrounding ocean.

up next: reality revolution: how ar/vr can create empathy, urgency, and a new sense of place >

looking to keep track of team thinkfwd?

team thinkfwd is a group of fifteen students from frank sesno’s class at the george washington university. see all of their videos here: visit the member page