VOLUNTEER – Urban Heat Island Data Collection

If you can hold & read a thermometer and have a maps app on your phone, YOU can help us understand Urban Heat Island Effect in the Piedmont Region!

What is an Urban Heat Island?

Urban Heat Island Effect is when developed areas have a higher temperature compared to the nearby rural and forested areas due to a concentration of concrete and asphalt surfaces with little vegetation coverage. These have can have an affect on water quality and stressing out organisms, air quality, wildlife and human healthy.

What will volunteers be doing?

Friends of the Rappahannock and Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission are looking for volunteers to sample temperature levels across Fauquier, Madison, Culpeper, Orange and Rappahannock County to find urban heat islands.

This study is great to do with a partner, so grab a friend a sign up together today! Solo volunteers also welcome.

• REGISTER – Fill out the volunteer registration form HERE
• PICK UP – Picking up a thermometer and data sheet from one of our pick up dates and locations
• SAMPLE – Go out on July 20th from 3-4pm to your assigned sample site (ex. local park or shopping center).
• You will record the air temperature and coordinates of your location every 3ish minutes/every city block. In between those sample times, you will walk around your site. You will record about 10-15 temp samples
• Drop off your thermometer & clipboard at one of the designated sites.
• SUBMIT – Submit your sample data online (or return data sheet to FOR and we will submit it for you)

RAIN DATE – July 21st 3-4pm

It is important to identify and understand where these urban heat islands are so we can create solutions local to those areas. So THANK YOU for helping make that possible in our community!

(Left) A volunteer recording her air temperature sample and the coordinates of where she took it on her data sheet!

(Right) A volunteer taking his air temperature sample!

Thank you to the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission, Department of Forestry and US Forest Service for making this community science study possible! 

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