Mayor Bruce Teague | Mayor Bruce Teague official photo
Mayor Bruce Teague | Mayor Bruce Teague official photo
The City's Climate Action and Outreach Office is seeking volunteers to help map heat islands this July as part of its Spot the Hot initiative.
Those interested can register to volunteer by completing our online form. Residents can also join in on volunteer training sessions coming up soon:
- Noon, Tuesday, June 27, 2023
- 6 p.m. Thursday, June 29, 2023
- 6 p.m. Thursday, July 6, 2023
- In-person at the Iowa City Public Library
Those who would like to volunteer in Cedar Rapids can visit the city's website.
What is Spot the Hot?
Spot the Hot is a collaboration between Iowa City and the City of Cedar Rapids. Together, the two communities will participate in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Urban Heat Island (UHI) mapping campaign. UHIs are areas with fewer trees and more pavement to absorb heat and create heat pockets in communities, in contrast with areas that feature more trees, green spaces, and less asphalt. UHIs are detrimental to public health because they create heat pockets.
The Spot the Hot project engages community volunteers to help collect data in their neighborhoods by utilizing provided sensors mounted on their vehicles; the sensors will record temperature, humidity, time, and location. Interested residents are asked to fill out a volunteer form indicating whether they prefer to be a driver (providing their own vehicle), a navigator (paired with a community-member driver), or have no preference.
Drivers must be at least 18 years of age, and navigators must be at least 14 years old. Friends and family can sign up together on the form.
Because the goal of this project is to collect data on one of the hottest days of the year, the data collection date will be determined by the National Weather Service and not known by event organizers until sometime in July, with a three- to seven-day notice; the date will be chosen from the following: July 7, 8, 9, 21, 22, or 23.
Volunteers will be required to participate in training and will receive a $15 gift card for completing the training and being "on call" to participate. Volunteers who participate as either a driver or navigator will receive a $50 gift card.
Information gathered to help map these areas can help local decision-makers better address the health impacts of extreme heat.
Original source can be found here.
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