GLOBE Observer is part of the GLOBE Program, which is active in thousands of schools across the world, citizen scientists are strengthening science education by providing data for student research. 

GLOBE Observer: Land Cover is an app-based tool that will help you document what is on the land (land cover). Once you have downloaded the app and created an account, the Land Cover tool will guide you through the observation process. You will report on current surface conditions, then take photographs in all four cardinal directions, up and down. Optionally, you can classify the land cover in your photographs, telling us if it is grassland, a forest or an urban area, as well as compare your classification to a satellite land cover observation and note any differences. Even a basic observation without optional elements is valuable!  

For more details about how to take observations, including tips and tricks, additional tutorials beyond what is in the app, and frequently asked questions about how to observe, visit the Taking Observations page. Our Resource Library includes additional activities, references, videos, and book lists.

A recent "GO on a Trail Data" Challenge resulted in more than 3,300 land cover data points from around the world with concentrated data collection in the United States and Australia. This data challenge that was held between June 1 and October 15, 2019, ​and results are available at https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fclim.2021.620497/full.