Westmeath schools have been invited to take part in this year’s Greenwave project after two schools took part in the project last year. The participating schools in 2010 were Scoil Náisiúnta Brighde Buach, Rochfortbridge and Eoin Naofa National School, Mullingar.
Greenwave 2011, a mass science project for primary school students to track the progress of spring across Ireland, was launched by Discover Science and Engineering (DSE ). Participating students will log sightings of the six species that are indicators of spring, such as frogspawn and horse chestnuts, and log the data on www.Greenwave.ie Schools will also measure temperature on a daily basis, as well as submitting data from rain gauges and anemometers, a device used to measure wind speed.
The results will enable participants to examine spring as it moves across Ireland – does it move from north to south or inland from the coast to centre, based on buds on trees and hedges beginning to open up during springtime. When viewed from outer space, it is said that a ‘green wave’ begins in the south of Europe in February and as the temperature rises, it moves up across Europe travelling at approximately four miles per hour; similar to the speed at which a human walks.
The project will also enable participating schools to see whether the timing of spring is changing by examining whether swallows are appearing in Ireland earlier in spring due to warmer temperatures earlier in the year.
Greenwave has become an international project this year, with schools in more than 15 countries ranging from Portugal and Greece in southern Europe to Denmark and Sweden in Scandinavia taking part in 2011 for the first time.
Between the months of February and March, students are asked to log their sightings of species including ash, horse chestnut, and hawthorn trees, the primrose, the swallow, and frogspawn. Students are also asked to record wind speed, rainfall, and temperature. The results are mapped onto the www.Greenwave.ie website to see the arrival of spring.
Students who participate in the experiment will be in with a chance to win some great prizes by submitting photos of their sightings on www.greenwave.ie The photos will be judged by Eanna Ni Lamhna, and Gerald Flemming and the winning school will receive a digital camera and printer.
Schools wishing to take part in this year’s Greenwave project can register online at www.greenwave.ie
