Hello NeRAIN Volunteer(s)!

We hope March was enjoyable for you, and April even better. If you don?t typically report during cold months, it will soon be time to start reporting again. If you reported in the past years, and have stopped for a while, it?s a good time to consider reporting again. And to everyone, with spring rains (hopefully!), March is a good month to recruit new volunteers.

So why does NeRAIN need more volunteers? First, there aren?t enough reporters, so, when you look closely at the rainfall maps, there are many gaps in the data. Ideally, we?d like to have at least one reporter every square mile in towns and one every township (six miles square) in rural areas. Precipitation can vary significantly from one neighborhood block to the next as well, so the more people that are reporting, the better some of those spatial gaps can be filled in. The more data that is collected, the better major weather agencies can predict conditions such as flooding and drought, which are important for things like ranching and farming. Secondly, we never know when circumstances will require that volunteers cease reporting. Therefore, to maintain continuity, we gladly accept all reporters who volunteer, even if they will be near current volunteers.

How can NeRAIN get more volunteers? It?s easy! Simply sharing the program with friends, family, and neighbors can increase volunteer participation. It?s a little difficult to participate in a program if you don?t know what it is about. March is a great time to introduce the subjects to friends and family and can be done in multiple ways.

How can I interest my friends, family, and neighbors in participating in programs like CoCoRaHS and NeRAIN? Keep in mind that NeRAIN provides a free rain gauge to new volunteers, typically through your regional coordinator in one of the Natural Resource Districts. Collecting precipitation data is a great science activity for kids, and it can teach a variety of skills. These skills can include reading scientific instruments, like the rain gauge, data collection skills, and even basic science skills like observation and measurement. Perhaps a neighbor is frustrated with the lack of rain, is concerned that their plants (crops, flowers, ornamental grasses) won?t be able to grow, and wants an explanation on why one year was so different from another year. Maybe a friend is interested in the trends of precipitation from year to year. NeRAIN is a great resource for understanding the patterns in weather and the climate. And, if anyone is willing to join and participate in gathering data, well, that helps everyone!

If someone is interested, please send them to: https://nednr.nebraska.gov/NeRAIN/account/Involved

To learn more about the program or to register for an account, go to https://nednr.nebraska.gov/NeRAIN/Account/Register