Openscapes

  • Let's do better science
  • in less time
  • together






What we do

At Openscapes, we champion open practices in environmental science to help uncover data-driven solutions faster. Regardless of research question, environmental scientists are united by the need to analyze data — and to do so in a way that is efficient, reproducible, and easily communicated. With tools specifically created to meet modern demands for collaborative data science, we help create a positive open culture to enable better science in less time. Here’s how:



Engage

We build awareness and excitement. We engage scientists with the possibilities of open data science with empathy, art, and storytelling, using narratives like our own path to better science in less time.

Empower

We help build confidence and skills. We empower scientists by connecting them with existing open software and communities that meet them where they are so they can develop the skills they need.

Amplify

We build champions and communities. We amplify scientists’ efforts through academic seminars as well as blogs and social media to increase the visibility of open practices on campus and online.

Champions Program

Openscapes Champions is a mentorship program that empowers science teams with open data science tools and grows the community of practice in the research group, organization, and beyond. Read how the 2019 Openscapes Champions have supercharged their research, and contact us about participating in the Champions program.

  • One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections.

    John McIntyre

    CEO, TransTech

  • One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections.

    John McIntyre

    CEO, TransTech

  • One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections.

    John McIntyre

    CEO, TransTech

  • One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections.

    John McIntyre

    CEO, TransTech

  • One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections.

    John McIntyre

    CEO, TransTech

Operated by NCEAS and incubated by Mozilla

Openscapes bridges environmental synthesis science with the open movement. Learn more about us.

    

From our blog

Blog posts are both Openscapes stories and advice snippets for the community. Some are cross-posted on Medium.com. Also, see our media page for media, presentation slide decks, and publications.

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Our Openscapes experience: The Fay Lab

By Ashleigh Novak on March 31, 2020

Ashleigh Novak is a spatial ecologist at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science & Technology (SMAST), focused on integrating tagging data into stock assessments that inform fisheries management. As a technical associate with the Fay Lab, Ashleigh participated at our first in-person Openscapes Workshop at NOAA NEFSC in February 2020 and shares her experiences here. She notes below that “given the current, global situation of transitioning to at-home research, our lab is leaning on many of the tools and skills learned from Openscapes.

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How to run a remote workshop, Openscapes/Open Leaders-style

By Julie Lowndes on March 11, 2020

Here is some tips about how to run remote workshops like we do in Openscapes, which was modeled after Mozilla Open Leaders program. This post was sparked by a question on Twitter asking for ideas/suggestions on virtual workshops, and is really one I meant to write a long time ago. I’ve structured it with practical guidance for remote workshops and small remote meetings, with more details and examples from Openscapes remote and mixed events as you continue reading.

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Our first Openscapes Workshop

By Julie Lowndes on March 6, 2020

Last week Openscapes had its first-ever in-person 2-day workshop at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with six teams of fisheries scientists from NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI), and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science & Technology (SMAST). It was really wonderful to meet and work with these thoughtful scientists in person, and to see them leave the workshop energized to strengthen teamwork and community-based learning around open data science.

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rOpenSci's leadership in #rstats culture

By Julie Lowndes on February 21, 2020

Cross-posted on rOpenSci At their closing keynote at the 2020 RStudio Conference, Hilary Parker and Roger Peng mentioned that they hatched the idea for their excellent Not So Standard Deviations podcast following their reunion at the 2015 rOpenSci unconf, (“runconf15”). That statement went straight to my heart because it pin-pointed how I had been feeling throughout the week of RStudio Conference that I had been unable to name. At rstudio::conf, I was surrounded by so many of the incredible people I had met at that very same runconf15.

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