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Jaroensutasinee and their team fromWalallak University, funded by
the GLOBE Thailand IPST.
6. GIS Natural Resource Database
IPST has developed a GIS Natural Resource Database for Rachaburi,
Phetchburi and Prachubkirikhan provinces, to serve as a natural
resource archive that the students can use in their study and
research. Students will be able to access and retrieve the data from
this database via the Internet anytime and anywhere. There are
currently 22 schools participating in this project.
7. Weather Station Project
IPST, in collaboration with Walailak University, set up an automatic
weather station project to develop the weather database for students
to use in their research. There are six weather stations installed
in four regions of Thailand to collect weather data including air
temperature, relative humidity, dew point, wind chill, wind direc-
tion, wind speed, heat index, UV index and solar radiation. Data
collection takes place using a data logger for automatic retention
in the weather station server. A weather station website has been
created to allow students to retrieve weather data collected from
four regions to use in their research projects.
8. CloudSat Project
In collaboration with Walailak University, IPTS has coordinated the
CloudSat Project in Thailand. There have been several activities in
the past year, such as a student conference, teacher training, school
visits and funding of school research projects. This project aims
at prompting students to investigate how weather parameters, the
percentage of cloud cover and CloudSat images are related to local
organisms and environments. Students will be trained on CEN proto-
cols to observe the percentage of cloud cover and cloud types, taking
pictures during the CloudSat overpass of their schools and compar-
ing data with the CloudSat Images. This project will allow the next
generation of scientists to share methods, compare data and monitor
their local environments. There have been 35 CloudSat
research studies funded by the GLOBE Thailand IPST.
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9. FLEXE Project
The ‘From Local to Extreme Environments’ (FLEXE)
Project involves study of the deep ocean, led by
Pennsylvania State University in partnership with Ridge
2000 and InterRIDGE scientists. Through comparative
protocols and online interaction with project scientists
and partner schools, students gain an understanding
of local and deep-sea environments, the intercon-
nected Earth system, and the process of science. FLEXE
students collect data from their local environment and
compare it with data from an extreme deep-sea envi-
ronment. Scientists guide students in their analysis
of deep-sea data through the online FLEXE Forum.
Scientific reporting, peer review, and communica-
tion with scientists at sea during a research cruise cap
the students’ experience. IPST, in collaboration with
Walailak University, has coordinated the FLEXE Project
in Thailand since 2009. At present, there are 17 schools
participating in this project and doing FLEXE research
funded by the GLOBE Thailand IPST.
10. GLOBE animations and cartoon books
To motivate young children to learn and understand ESS
easily, IPST has developed seven GLOBE animations and
cartoon books, both Thai and English versions.
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Banpu
Public Company gave support to IPST in the production
of the Globe animation materials and distributed them
free to 34,000 primary schools all over the country.
GLOBE Asia-Pacific regionalization
Following the first GLOBE Asia-Pacific Regional
Consortium held at Iloilo, Philippines, GLOBE Thailand
was nominated as a Chair of the Developing Regional
and International GLOBE Projects and Collaborations
Working Group. The group agreed to focus on the
following research areas:
• Drought
• Atmospheric change
• Landslide and soil erosion
• Biomes ecology
• Biodiversity change
• Flooding
• Water quality
• Watershed management
• Marine biology.
Regional activities in 2010
From 1-3 April 2010, two representatives from Thailand
attended the second GLOBE Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting
in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to plan future student inquiry
activities for the region. From 6-8 September 2010, three
schools fromThailand joined the Seminar on ‘Biodiversity,
Wetland, and Climate Change’ in Goa, India, in the Thai-
Indian Student Exchange Program. These activities will
continue to develop the work of IPST to promote under-
standing of ESS among students in many environments.
GLE research camp
Image: GLOBE Thailand