On 1-6 June 2010, 42 representatives from 22 European countries met in Ohrid, Macedonia, to discuss regional governance, hold elections of new officers, update one another on national implementation activities and GLOBE student research underway, and begin preparation for GLOBE’s upcoming climate research events. Countries present at the meeting included Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. Guests from Kosovo, a neighboring country hoping to join GLOBE regional activities in the near future, and representatives from the GLOBE Program in the United States, were also present at the event.
Professional development training sessions were led by several European scientists actively working with GLOBE students including Dr. Joris de Vroom, climate researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, and Mr. Karli Kütt, representing GLOBE Estonia from the Institute of Physics at the University of Tartu. European Space Agency representative, Dr. Juerg Lichtenegger, from the EDUSPACE Operational Team in Geneva, Switzerland, led activities related to Remote Sensing utilizing ESA’s extensive Web site and supporting educational resources. Dr. Lichtenegger presented the new plans for a Web site that will display both ESA satellite and GLOBE student measurements on a new Web interface. In addition, activities were led by GLOBE Seasons and Biomes ESSP project scientists Dr. Elena Sparrow, from the University of Alaska, USA, and GLOBE Carbon Cycle ESSP project scientists Zuzana Lhotakova, from Charles University in Prague, and Ms. Sara Silverberg, from the University of New Hampshire, USA. In addition, information from the GLOBE Program Office about the new GLOBE Web site and upcoming Student Climate Research Campaign plans were shared by Dr. Teresa Kennedy, Director of GLOBE’s International Division, and Dr. Donna Charlevoix, Director of GLOBE’s Science and Education Division. All activities covered in the meeting were intended to facilitate future planning related to GLOBE Europe’s initial climate research campaign activities that will be sponsored in part by the Alcoa Foundation through a funding proposal awarded in 2009, in collaboration with the Comenius Project. The GLOBE Europe Youth Summit on Climate is scheduled to be held at a facility located near the regional office in the Netherlands, in September 2012, to provide a platform for exchange between GLOBE students and scientists within the worldwide Climate Research campaign.
This important GLOBE Europe Regional event gained much attention in Macedonia and was widely covered by the press. Dignitaries present at the opening included Mr. Nedzati Jakupi, Minister of Environment and Physical Planning, Mr. Nikola Todorov, Minister of Education and Science, Mr. H.E. Philip T. Reeker, U.S. Ambassador in the Republic of Macedonia, and Mr. Aleksandar Petreski, the Mayor of Ohrid.
Many thanks to the GLOBE Macedonia team Mrs. Svetlana Gjorgjeva, Macedonia Country Coordinator, Mrs. Katerina Nikolovska, Macedonia Assistant Country Coordinator, and Martina Toceva, GLOBE Assistant from the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning; and to GLOBE Europe-Eurasia Board members Dr. Andy Tasker (UK), Ms. Dana Votápková (Czech Republic), Ms. Danielle DeStaerke (France), Mr. Hanspeter Meier (Switzerland) and Ms. Magdalena Machinko-Nagrabecka (Poland), as well as Mr. Matthijs Begheyn from the GLOBE Europe Regional Office located in the Netherlands, for planning the successful event.