Openscapes: Forking as a Worldview

Forking as a Worldview: Scaling Solutions in Open Science with Environmental and Earth Science

Join us for an enlightening session with Julia Stewart Lowndes, the Director of Openscapes, as she delves into the transformative concept of “forking” in the realm of open science. Originally rooted in software development, forking has evolved into a powerful approach for addressing collaborative challenges across government and academia.

Julia will share her insights on how forking goes beyond mere code adaptation; it embodies a mindset that promotes innovation, credit-sharing, and collective progress. Through her work with Openscapes and NASA, Julia has built communities that empower teams to transition their workflows to the cloud and beyond.

In her own words:

“Forking is a concept from software development that has evolved with open source software and the internet. It means taking something that works and is made available, then adapting it for your own use while staying connected to the source. This networking allows for contributions back to the original work and ensures proper credit is given. While forking traditionally involves code, it can apply to virtually anything—it’s about taking what works to new places to solve problems more efficiently.

Since 2018, Openscapes has partnered with teams in government and academia to help them tackle significant collaborative challenges through open science. One of our primary focuses at NASA Openscapes has been upskilling users of NASA Earthdata as they transition their workflows to cloud computing.

We’ve fostered a mentor community across NASA Earth science data centers (DAACs) to co-create tutorials and develop teaching, mentoring, and facilitation skills. Along the way, we’ve forked numerous resources, including code, documentation, workshop materials, presentations, and even entire programs like NOAA Fisheries Openscapes and Pathways to Open Science.

Ultimately, we’ve discovered that forking represents a way of thinking—a worldview. Recognizing forking as an essential element of our collaborative innovation efforts in open science is crucial, and I am eager to discuss it with all of you!”

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from Julia Stewart Lowndes, a thought leader in open science. Whether you’re interested in cloud-based workflows, open data, or fostering innovation through collaboration, this talk is sure to provide valuable insights and inspiration.