Lower Kafue River Basin Report Card released
September 25 was World Rivers Day. Our partners at World Wildlife Fund Zambia combined that celebration with the release of the Lower Kafue River Basin Report Card. The Kafue River runs north to south through Zambia and has a watershed of over 60,000 square miles. Overall, the basin received a score of C (49), combining indicators in five categories: water quality & quantity, human health & nutrition, landscapes & ecology, management & governance, and economy. This report card was developed in partnership with WWF Zambia, the Water Resources Management Authority, and other local partners. You can view the full report card document here.
The Hack-the-Bay Hackathon was a success
Hack the Bay, a hackathon led by Booz Allen Hamilton in partnership with the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative, was a rousing success! Participants represented skills, positions, and levels of expertise across data science, web development, and human-centered design. The hackathon helps the CMC reach its goals of analyzing and visualizing monitoring data. The incredible value of this previously unanalyzed, nontraditional water quality data was explored through four challenges. Four winning projects were selected as the top solutions in their categories and were showcased to a virtual audience. You can view all the hackathon entries and winners here.
Online River Academy science communication training course
River Academy, the latest initiative from International River Foundation, is an interactive learning platform designed to teach anyone in river-related topics. Current course offerings include Leadership for River Practitioners, River Resilience, Science Communication, and River Restoration - Form and Function. IAN is developing the introductory course in Science Communication, which will cover topics ranging from storytelling strategies, to color theory, to data visualization. Upon completing a course with River Academy, participants will be issued a digital badge to showcase on their CV/resume.
Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, ISBW14 and WSC2020 are postponed until summer 2022
We will update everyone as we have more information. Please discontinue abstract submission at this time, and stay safe and healthy. Visit the ISBW14 website for more details.
Welcome, Kelly!
At the end of September, Kelly Dobroski joined the IAN team as a Science Communicator. Her background includes a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University, where she used drone technology to map coastal marshes and mangroves. During her masters, she studied environmental communications and geospatial analyses to convey technical information to broad audiences. Kelly worked with the North Carolina Coastal Federation to develop a state-wide action plan to implement nature-based stormwater strategies to reduce flooding and improve water quality. When she's not communicating science, you can find Kelly running, paddling, and baking.