Call for Volunteers: Urban Heat Mapping Project


7/9/2019 • 5 years ago

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The City of Cambridge, the City of Boston, and the Town of Brookline are partnering with the Museum of Science to map urban heat this summer. Volunteers are needed to help collect data on temperature and humidity in Cambridge. The project will help the municipalities and the Museum of Science understand the hottest points in the greater Boston area and build better climate resiliency plans to prepare for the impacts of climate change.

There are two ways to participate:

  1. Become a citizen scientist and collect data through the app ISeeChange, which investigates how weather and climate are changing over time. After signing up, volunteers can participate from anywhere using their smart phone or computer and post observations about how the heat is affecting urban areas. To get started, visit www.scistarter.org/noaa

  2. Volunteer to ride or drive along a pre-set route in Cambridge, Boston, and Brookline to collect temperature and humidity data in a process called urban heat island mapping. The heat mapping will take place during the hottest times of the year, between July 15-August 15, 2019. Additional details are forthcoming. 

Although Cambridge has mapped its urban heat islands with satellite data, this project will collect data on the ground that is more dense. Data will be collected three times a day, including in the evening. This data can be used to better understand the public health implications of extreme heat and heat waves and plan projects to reduce the urban heat island effect.

This project is based on an initiative developed by the Science Museum of Virginia and Portland State University that has been conducted in Richmond, Baltimore, and Washington, DC and supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

For More Information

Those interested can contact John Bolduc, Environmental Planner, at jbolduc@cambridgema.gov or 617/ 349-4628 and leave a brief message indicating interest and contact information. The City will follow up with additional details for volunteers.