| 30 June 2010 GSA Release No. 10-32 |
| Contact: Christa Stratton Director - GSA Communications & Marketing +1-303-357-1093 |
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EarthTrek Marks One Year Anniversary
Boulder, CO, USA – The Geological Society of America, along with more than 20 partners from science and industry, celebrate the first anniversary of EarthTrek on 1 July 2010.
EarthTrek, a global citizen science program, aims to link the general public with scientists and their research. The program offers scientifically minded individuals the opportunity to assist researchers in gathering vital data on a variety of topics, with an emphasis on environmental issues. Those participating in the program will gather local data for inclusion in a worldwide database, allowing scientists to study the global environment in a high degree of detail.
After only one year, EarthTrek already boasts over 1,300 members from 38 countries, including the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, and the UK; the program’s Web site can be accessed in English, German, Norwegian, and Czech. EarthTrek intends to further grow its membership, expand into more countries, and offer the Web site in more languages in the coming year.
EarthTrek comprises both regional and global projects. Regional projects include Operation Rubythroat; global projects include the Garlic Mustard Field Survey and the Gravestone Project.
The Gravestone Project asks citizens to locate graveyards and to take measurements of marble headstones in those graveyards. The project’s goal is to gather data on the weathering rates of marble; in comparing samples of marble from all over the world, scientists hope to gain a more detailed perspective on pollution and climate change.
More information is available on the project’s Web site at www.goearthtrek.com or from Gary Lewis, EarthTrek director, at .
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