Community Science: Air Quality

Our Community Science project aims to make discussion about the environment accessible to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. In particular, we are looking at air quality measures alongside various road types and traffic counts. We are looking at expanding the community science program both to more neighbourhoods and to include new measures, such as tree mapping. Want to get involved? 

Since kick-starting the Community Science Program in June 2020, we’ve been busy:

1. CBC Radio Active Interview, here.

2. Citizen Science Meet on June 11, 2020.

3. Webinar “Engaging Communities in Air Quality: Trends, Technology & Citizen Science” + Citizen Science Meet featuring guests from Alberta Capital Airshed, Gary Redmond (Executive Director) and Kevin McCullum (Data Scientist) on July 8, 2020.

4. Walking Tour “Citizen Science: Community, Change & the Environment” on July 11, 2020.

5. Webinar “Urban Trees: Improving Neighbourhood Air Quality” + Citizen Science Meet, featuring Dr. Greg King (Professor of Environmental Sciences UofA, Augusta) & sponsored by Canadian Tree Care.

6. Webinar “Lichens as Biomonitors for Urban Air Quality and Climate” + Community Science Meet, featuring Sustainability Scholar Christopher Schulze. Sponsored by Edmonton North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Coalition.

7. SOLD OUT river valley walk “Learning to Speak Lichen: Walk n’ Talk About Air Quality and Climate” featuring Dr. Diane Haughland (Lichenologist, Royal Alberta Museum, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute and Adjunct Professor, University of Alberta, Department of Renewable Resources). Sponsored by Edmonton North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Coalition.

8. Webinar “yegTreeMap: Calculating Eco Benefits of our Urban Forest” with City of Edmonton urban foresters Katelynne Webb and George Szilagyi. Sponsored by GFI Systems.

9. YouTube Channel with past webinar recordings.

10. Protecting Little Lungs: Outdoor Air Quality and Children’s Health
In Collaboration with Alberta Capital Airshed. 
June 4, 2024.

11. Several blog posts, including two regarding Edmonton’s Air Quality in the time of COVID and a post on the switch from “Citizen” to “Community” Science.

Check out our blog for more articles and for information on upcoming events, including registration.  You can also sign up to receive project updates by email by filling out the form to the right.

Clouds and blue sky

Photo by Sam Schooler on Unsplash

 

Help us expand the program. Sponsor a new community science site for 1 year.

Thank you to TELUS for sponsoring one community science site. Stay tuned for location detail! 

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