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UNL Weather Camp 2011 a Success!
Author: Braedi Wickard - High Plains Regional Climate Center
Published: 2011-07-08 20:39:46
Updated: 2013-06-26 16:35:39
Tornadoes! And blizzards! And flooding! Oh, my! These were among the topics chosen for research by the participants in the first ever Weather Camp, funded by the National Weather Service Central Region Headquarters. Nine students entering 5th-8th grades participated in the week-long day camp held in June at Hardin Hall on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s east campus.
Each participant was responsible for completing a research project about a historical weather event. At the end of the week, each topic was presented at a research fair. Along with their research posters, students learned about meteorology and climatology from field trips, experiments, and presenters.
The group visited KOLN/KGIN-TV and meteorologist Brad Anderson where they watched a live news broadcast and tried their hand as broadcast meteorologists using the green screen. A visit to the National Weather Service in Valley, Neb. answered questions about forecasting and taught the students about severe weather safety. A field trip to Memorial Stadium taught microclimatology as students used hand-held weather instruments to take measurements in various locations of the stadium.
Small weather experiments and a trip to the AWDN weather station also took place. Students got real-world experience as they participated in a daily weather discussion, learned about satellite and radar, and completed tasks teaching them about weather and climate and the difference between them.
The campers attended presentations by Barb Mayes, a forecaster from the National Weather Service in Valley, ANtarctic geological DRILLing (ANDRILL), and the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) throughout the week.
Family members, volunteers, and campers were invited to a picnic at the end of the week to celebrate the conclusion of the camp. Students were presented with awards for their research posters as well as certificates of achievement from the weather camp staff.
Weather Camp was organized by the High Plains Regional Climate Center (HPRCC), the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), and the School of Natural Resources (SNR).