How was your experience in Edinburgh?

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my attendance at AOS in Edinburgh and I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to present within the Arctic Observing and Technologies Convergence Working Group (AOST CWG) session. This opportunity not only allowed me to initiate a discussion with all attendees around a topic I am interested in and seek to move towards in future, but also provided valuable insight into how sessions are structured and conducted. The session itself was highly interactive and engaging, especially in the second half, whereby the attendees were divided into four groups, discussing research needs and directions within the Arctic and pathways to address these needs relevant to the working group and all was summarised at the end. This interactive aspect was a great way to get people socialising within the session and to share different viewpoints. 

How was your experience in Edinburgh?

Thanks to the organizers for the invitation to the session and the AOS 2024 conference. During the session, participants shed light on the role that low-cost and open-source technologies play in community- based monitoring (CBM), all participants were active in discussions and ideas brain-storming activities. I presented my own research on the Arctic innovation ecosystems and reflected on the Indigenous perspective on how these innovations are transforming environmental stewardship, how combination of traditional knowledge with modern technologies could enrich environmental monitoring research. 

CBM stands as a beacon of engagement, where local communities participate in collecting data to monitor environmental changes. In the Arctic, where Indigenous peoples have a profound connection to their lands for generations and keep Indigenous knowledge to observe and protect the nature, CBM holds a significant importance in understanding and responding to the impacts of climate change. Collaboration and observation platforms, capacity building, educational trainings, cultural awareness and engagement were highlighted as essential strategies to empower researchers and community members with the skills and knowledge to use these technologies effectively.

By honoring Indigenous perspectives and values, low-cost and open-source technologies can truly support community-based monitoring initiatives in the Arctic, fostering resilience and sustainability for generations to come.

How was your experience in Edinburgh?

This year’s Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) in Edinburgh, Scotland provided me with many opportunities to learn, network, and discuss ideas among other students, experts, and professionals in the Arctic science field. On the Sunday before the conference, I was selected to present a brief presentation of my research to an Early Career Researchers (ECR’s) panel hosted by the Association of Early Career Polar Scientists (APECS). This presentation allowed me to rehearse and update my brief research presentation for the NNA AOST Workshop later in the week. Throughout the week I attended daily sessions and workshops focused on a variety of topics such as air quality monitoring, permafrost conditions, interdisciplinary research, indigenous perspectives, and low cost technologies in the field. The NNA AOST Workshop on Wednesday, March 27th was my first oral presentation to a room of experts, ECR’s, and professionals regarding the context and methodology of my terrestrial micrometeorological and particulate matter based sensing in Utqiaġvik, Alaska. Being invited to speak at the NNA AOST Workshop provided a unique experience to learn and present research related to arctic observing technologies among a diverse audience of Arctic researchers. After this session I further delved into the context, methodology, and preliminary results of my research at the ASSW poster session and networked with a variety of scientists and professionals from different corners of the field.

How was your experience in Edinburgh?

During our AOS session, presenting on low-cost technology use in the field was a great, albeit nerve-wracking experience but I am so grateful for the opportunity. It not only gave me continued confidence in public speaking and communicating my science, but it also provided the opening to engage with other researchers sharing similar technical struggles. This new knowledge that I am not alone in issues with my sensors is a tremendous relief and now thanks to this session, I have a lovely aquatic sensor support group of other early researchers in the field struggling. 

Lastly, during my participation in the conference and convergence working group session, I realized just how collective and overlapping our current challenges and future hopes are for the Arctic. Especially during the working group session where I wrote down many of the same responses amongst the different groups. Overall, involvement in recommendations and actionable change within the field was remarkable and humbling experience.