Win $2,000 for studying and suggesting improvements to the Earth's environment!

 

From the massive Gulf oil spill to the continued decline of Arctic sea ice, satellites and other observing instruments have proved to be essential when monitoring the many environmental changes – both natural and human-induced – occurring on global, regional and local scales.

The 2012 Thacher Environmental Research Contest, sponsored by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, challenges high school students  to conduct innovative research on our changing planet using the latest geospatial tools and data, which in recent years have become increasingly accessible to the public.

Eligible geospatial tools and data include satellite remote sensing, aerial photography, geographic information systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). The main focus of the project must be on the application of the geospatial tool(s) or data to study a problem related to Earth's environment.

Geospatial tools and data have numerous uses in science research, ranging from climate prediction to archaeology. They can be used to improve our understanding of Earth systems, including interactions within and among the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere. They also can be used to improve the quality of our lives by supporting weather prediction, natural hazards monitoring, agriculture, land-use planning, coastal management, transportation, public health, emergency response and other fields.

Student Awards: Winning projects will receive cash awards in the amount of $2,000 for 1^st place, $1,000 for 2^nd place and $500 for 3^rd place. Entries can be submitted by individuals or teams. In the case of team entries, the cash award will be split equally among the winning team members. Winners also will be featured in an Encyclopedia of Earth article.

Entries must be received April 16, 2012 and the winning entries will be announced by May 23, 2012. Please visit http://www.strategies.org/education/index.aspx?sub=education&sub2=scholars&sub3=scholars2012 for more information about the contest and to download the entry form.