A teacher, a researcher and two students walk into a snowy forest. No, it's not the set up to a joke but rather a fascinating exploration of climate change and the inherent challenge of communicating research data. All are welcome to join the University Libraries for a panel discussion and reception 5 p.m., Tuesday, February 5, in Norlin Library's STEAM gallery.
Panelists will discuss the insights made possible through observing, recording, and representing scientific climate data and how that data is communicated. The accompanying exhibit, "Documenting Change," is the result of a collaboration between the University Libraries, CU researchers, ATLAS students, and local elementary school children. The exhibit features artistic and scienctific interpretations of Colorado's environmental data.
Guest panelists include: Tom Veblen, CU Geography Department; Erin Tripp, Herbarium; Clement Zheng, ATLAS; and Mary Powell, University Hill Elementary School.
Whether tracking snow depth and density, the increased intensity of wildfires in the west, or the relationship between drought and tree rings, each project provides different insights and challenges.
When describing the weekend workshop that led to the Talking Trees part of the exhibit, ATLAS student Clement Zheng said, "Participants collaborated on interactive art installations that embody Colorado environmental data...We started the workshop with an introduction to the micro:bit, a beginner-friendly micro-controller that enables users to program different behaviors for electronic sensors and actuators." Zheng continued, "Our participants blended physical making with physical computing to produce a ‘physicalization’ of forest fire devastation with rising and falling rows of miniature trees."
The event and accompanying exhibit are part of the CU Grand Challenge and Documenting Change program.
For more information, please contact Associate Professor and Interim Head of Gemmill Library, Barb Losoff.