Datasets

Virtual Support Sessions for Students

About the Datasets

All datasets have been collected by professional scientists or research agencies who have kindly shared their data with Hudson Data Jam. Each dataset contains a link to a Google Sheet with the data and a brief introductory section describing the research.

You can view and sort the 30+ datasets at the bottom of this page.

For a Google Drive folder of sample graphs to guide student exploration, advisors can contact caryeducation@caryinstitute.org.

New This Year

  1. New Datasets:  Two new data sets are available this year, Breaking Buds and Colored Leaves and Spring Forbs Emergence. Both data sets explore phenology, the study of the timing of life cycle events in animals and plants, of plants here at Cary Institute. 
  2. All projects this year must use an official Data Jam dataset from our website. You are welcome to supplement your project with additional data, but we will not be accepting projects based on external data sets. 
     

Tips

How to work with a dataset: When you open a Google Sheet, click "File" in the upper left corner. From the drop-down list, either 1) Click "Download," which will download it as a Microsoft Excel file or 2) Click "Make a Copy" and save a copy of the Google Sheet to a personal Google Drive folder. Please do not "Request Access" to the dataset's Google Sheet. Thank you!

You can also work with select datasets within TUVA - see details below.

Tuva & the Hudson Valley Data Portal
We’ve created a partnership with TuvaLabs, Inc. to host many* of our Data Jam datasets on their interactive graphing platform. Students can drag and drop the variables right onto the axes and build graphs in seconds without the complexity of manipulating a spreadsheet. 

*Note: Many, but not all, of our datasets are on the TUVA platform. More of the Level 1 and Level 2 datasets are available on TUVA, and fewer Level 3 datasets. If a Data Jam dataset is available in TUVA, there will be a link to it on its associate webpage. 

Hudson Valley Data Portal

Explanation of Levels
Dataset levels are derived by looking at the number of factors in the dataset and by the sheer amount of data collected. We suggest that elementary students begin with Level 1 datasets, especially if it's their first competition. Most middle schoolers will be successful with a Level 1 or 2 dataset, and the appropriate level for your high schoolers depends on their data experience and determination. Drop us a line if you need help selecting an appropriate dataset for your student.

Level 1= Easy
Level 2= Moderate
Level 3=Challenging

Enhanced
Includes an additional PDF with background information and extra resources. These topics are a good starting place for students who are new to data analysis.

Filter:

Data

Air Temperature at Poughkeepsie

Hudson River Ecology

Looking at air temperature records can tell us about the climate of a certain location. In this case, we are looking at Poughkeepsie, a city in the Hudson Valley that is located right near the Hudson River

Level 1
Data

Change in Sea Level at Battery Park

These data come from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Battery Park monitoring station in New York City, and cover the years 1856-2014.

Level 1
poughkeepsie bridge
Data

Hudson River Temperature at Poughkeepsie (1946-2012)

These data show the annual average water temperature for the Hudson River at Poughkeepsie, NY from 1946-2012.

Level 1
Data

Lyme Disease Connections

This dataset will allow you to explore connections between tick populations, their mouse hosts, and the acorns that feed the mice.

Level 1 Enhanced
bird
Data

Spring Bird Migration Dates in Dutchess County

Data show a 123-year record (1885-2008) of first arrival date of select migratory birds in Dutchess County, NY.

Level 1 Enhanced
Data

Salt Levels in the Hudson River (Snapshot Day)

These data show the salinity (salt) levels at seven sites along the Hudson River.

Level 1 Enhanced
Data

Zebra Mussel Populations

Zebra mussels were first detected in the Hudson in 1991. By 1992 they had spread throughout the freshwater and slightly brackish parts of the estuary.

Level 1 Enhanced
Data

Oxygen Levels and Invasive Aquatic Plants

Healthy aquatic habitats usually have dissolved oxygen levels at or above 80% saturation. Most fish and other organisms cannot live below 30% dissolved oxygen saturation, which is considered hypoxic.

Level 1 Enhanced
Data

Wildlife Distribution & Abundance in Managed Ecosystems

Biodiversity

Dataset representing wildlife encounters recorded by trail cameras during the late summer and fall, 2015-2016. [Location: Cary Institute, Millbrook NY]

Level 2 Enhanced
Data

Hydrology in the Wappinger Creek

This dataset shows the stream depth, conductivity, discharge, and temperature of the Wappinger Creek. Looking at abiotic factors such as stream temperature, stream depth and conductivity can indicate the health of the stream as well as the surrounding land.

Level 2 Enhanced
sandy storm surge map
Data

Hurricane Sandy and the Hudson River

Using data from the Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observation System (HRECOS), you can track the storm and its effect on the river.

Level 2 Enhanced
Data

Hurricane Irene and the Hudson River

Hurricane Irene caused extensive flood and wind damage as it traveled across the Caribbean and up the East coast of the United States.  Using data from the Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observation System (HRECOS) you can track the storm and its effect on the river.

Level 2 Enhanced
Data

The Impact of Drought on the Hudson River

Using data from the Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observation System (HRECOS) you can look at the impact of drought in the Hudson River by comparing two years with different PDSI scores.

Level 2 Enhanced
glass eel credit: Joe Reynolds
Data

Glass Eels in Hudson River Tributaries (Eel Project)

The glass eel is the juvenile life stage of the American eel. This is a simplified dataset created from the full data collected by the Eel Project.

Level 2 Enhanced
Data

Day in the Life of the Hudson (Snapshot Day)

Groups from Manhattan to Troy collect a variety of river data including salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and fish abundance.

Level 2 Enhanced

Register for Data Jam

Deadlines & Dates

November 15 – Early bird registration deadline to be considered for a classroom visit.
January 17 – All registrations due. (All team information will be entered during project submission, not during registration.)
February 6 – Student consent forms due.
February 26 – Project submissions due online by 11:59pm EST.
April 3 – Virtual Data Jam Awards Ceremony & Celebration. All prizes awarded during the event.