Our Crowdfunding Groups
Although our giving page is no longer active, you can still donate. If you would like to provide any additional support to our project, please do so here.
For almost 40 years, Byrd Center scientists at Ohio State have been racing against a warming climate to collect and preserve ice cores from tropical glaciers before they melt and are lost forever. Byrd’s tropical ice core collection is the largest in the world and recognized by the scientific community as a unique archive of our planet’s climate history. The oldest ice in the Byrd collection is estimated to be ~600,000 years old.
The Byrd Center Ice Core Facility that houses 4.5 miles of ice, is over 30 years old, has exceeded its storage capacity and reached the end of its useful life. If the facility is not replaced immediately, we are at risk of losing the current core collection and already lack the space to add cores from future drilling projects. A multi-million dollar renovation project is underway and this campaign is one component of a broader strategy to maintain the facility and raise awareness of this critical need.
“Many of the questions that we haven’t even asked can only be answered by having an archive of Earth’s history available to the next generation” – Dr. Lonnie Thompson
Ice cores contain frozen records of past temperature, and contain samples of ancient air, dust, pollen, and even viruses and bacteria. These records allow us to predict our climate future by better understanding historical conditions that resulted from varying CO₂ concentrations and temperatures. It is critical to preserve this unique collection of ice cores for the study of climate impacts and for future generations of scientists who will continue to make discoveries and recommend solutions that will make a positive difference for the future of Earth and humankind.
This fundraising effort is part of a multi million dollar campaign to renovate and expand the current ice core storage facility and cold workrooms at the Byrd Center. Every dollar is needed and goes directly toward maintaining the current facility. Buckeye Funder is one component of a broader strategy to maintain the facility and raise awareness of this critical need. The Buckeye Ice Campaign remains open for donations, so please continue to help us spread the word.
Thank you for caring about one of the most important causes of our time!
