What if the data needed to protect your watershed was already being collected — by volunteers around the world, using open-source tools, and freely shared with anyone who wants it? That’s the idea behind Safecast, a citizen science initiative born out of crisis and grown into one of the most comprehensive environmental monitoring networks on the planet.
From Fukushima to Your Backyard
In March 2011, a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck eastern Japan, triggering a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. In the aftermath, accurate and trustworthy radiation data was publicly unavailable. Safecast was formed in direct response — quickly mobilizing volunteers to monitor, collect, and openly share environmental radiation information.
More than 15 years later, Safecast has collected over 250 million radiation data points, building one of the most comprehensive open-source environmental datasets in the world. And the map they’ve built? Portions of our region — the Upper Ohio River Basin — have already been surveyed.
Why This Matters for Watershed Communities
H2O Water Network’s president Jon Detisch recently shared the Safecast map with our partners, noting that it’s a powerful example of what citizen science can look like in practice. The same principles that drive Safecast — community-led monitoring, open data, and shared stewardship — are central to the work our watershed organizations do every day across western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.
As John put it: “This is an example of the power of your work monitoring and collecting data in your watershed. Are you sharing?”
It’s a fair question. The more data our regional partners collect and share, the better equipped we all are to protect local waterways.
Help Shape the Next Generation of Tools
Safecast is currently developing two new resources: a redesigned, simplified map and an AI-powered data query assistant. To make those tools as useful as possible for students, educators, and self-guided learners, they’re gathering community feedback.
The survey takes about 10 minutes, and your input could help shape tools used by curious minds around the world for years to come.
We encourage our partners and network members to explore the Safecast map, check whether your area has been surveyed, and take the survey if it resonates with your work.
Citizen science works when citizens show up. Let’s make sure our region’s voice is in the data.
