About RinkWatch
Citizen science meets winter sports – tracking climate change one rink at a time
What is RinkWatch?
RinkWatch is a groundbreaking citizen science research initiative that brings together outdoor skating enthusiasts and environmental scientists to monitor winter weather conditions and study the long-term impacts of climate change.
Launched by researchers at Wilfrid Laurier University in January 2013, our community has grown to include participants from across North America who have submitted invaluable data on more than 1,400 outdoor rinks and ponds.
Beyond contributing to vital environmental research, RinkWatch has evolved into a vibrant online community for people passionate about creating and maintaining backyard and community rinks.
Meets
Winter Sports
Meet the Team
Current RinkWatch Team Members
Dr. Robert McLeman
Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, where he studies how environmental change affects communities and households.
Hannah Balkissoon
Fourth year student at Laurier completing a Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in Environmental Science and Economics.
Brandon
Website Developer and Technical Coordinator for RinkWatch. Responsible for maintaining and enhancing the platform.
RinkWatch Team Alumni
Dr. Colin Robertson
Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University where he runs the Spatial Lab.
Haydn Lawrence
PhD student (Geomatics) at the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on machine learning algorithms for capturing spatial data.
Laura Sente
RinkWatch Research Assistant completing her BBA at Laurier with specialization in Marketing and minor in Environmental Studies.
Will Bender
Environmental Studies student at Laurier and RinkWatch Research Assistant. Playing hockey since age 5.
Contact Us
Connect With Us
🏛️ Our Location
RinkWatch
Department of Geography & Environmental Studies
Wilfrid Laurier University
75 University Avenue West
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3C5
