Join the Tethys Community

The Tethys Geoscience Foundation operates as a community-driven organization where members contribute to advancing open-source Earth science tools in ways that match their interests and capabilities. Whether you’re just discovering our work or ready to contribute actively to platform development, we offer membership tiers designed to welcome participants at different levels of engagement. Each tier provides value while supporting the foundation’s mission of making Earth science tools more accessible to communities worldwide.

Basic Membership is Free

Our Basic membership provides an accessible entry point for anyone interested in staying connected with the Tethys community. Basic members receive regular news and information about foundation activities, helping them learn about our community and the impact of open-source Earth science tools.

This tier keeps you updated on foundation announcements, upcoming conferences like our annual Tethys Summit, and advances in platform development. Basic members also receive our quarterly newsletter, which provides deeper insights into community projects, technical developments, and upcoming opportunities.

Basic membership serves those who want to understand what we do without immediate commitment to active participation. It’s ideal for students exploring career options, professionals considering new tools for their work, or anyone curious about open-source approaches to environmental challenges.

Contributor Membership

Contributor membership recognizes community members who actively advance the foundation’s mission through hands-on work. Contributors commit to dedicating at least five hours per month to activities that support open-source Earth science software development.

This contribution typically involves creating or maintaining open-source software that must be available to the public at no charge. Contributors might develop new applications using Tethys Platform, improve existing tools, contribute to documentation, or provide technical support to other community members.

The five-hour monthly commitment provides flexibility in how contributors participate. Some prefer concentrated work on specific projects, while others spread their contributions across multiple smaller tasks. The key requirement is that the work supports the broader mission of making Earth science tools more accessible and useful.

Contributors gain recognition for their efforts while building experience with open-source development practices. Many find that their contributor work enhances their résumés and provides networking opportunities within the Earth science community.

Supporter Membership

Supporter membership enables those who prefer financial contribution over time commitment to advance the foundation’s work. Supporters make annual donations that directly fund platform development, community events, educational initiatives, and infrastructure maintenance.

Supporter contributions help sustain the technical infrastructure that keeps Tethys Platform available to users worldwide. They also fund travel grants that enable broader participation in community events, educational resources that help new users get started, and development work that creates new capabilities.

The flexibility of financial contribution appeals to professionals who value the foundation’s work but may not have time for regular technical contributions. Supporters can choose donation levels that match their circumstances while still participating meaningfully in the community.

Getting Started

Joining the Tethys Geoscience Foundation begins with selecting the membership tier that matches your current interests and capabilities. Basic membership provides immediate access to community information and updates without any financial commitment or time requirements.

Those ready for more active participation can choose between contributing time through Contributor membership or providing financial support through Supporter membership. Both approaches make meaningful contributions to the foundation’s mission while offering different ways to engage with the community.

Managing your membership is straightforward through our online system. Supporters can access a donor dashboard to manage contributions and subscription renewals, while all members can manage their profiles through our website’s user account system.

Supporting Open Science

By joining the Tethys Geoscience Foundation, you become part of a movement toward more accessible and collaborative Earth science. Open-source approaches enable innovations developed in one context to be adapted and applied in others, multiplying the impact of each contribution.

Your membership, whether through time, financial support, or simply staying informed, contributes to building tools that help communities worldwide address environmental challenges. From flood prediction systems in Nepal to agricultural planning tools in West Africa, Tethys applications serve real communities facing real challenges.

The foundation operates as a non-profit organization supported by individuals and organizations worldwide who recognize the value of open-source software solutions. This distributed support model ensures that tools remain freely available while continuing to evolve and improve.

Join Today

Visit our website to explore membership options and join the growing network of people working to advance open-source Earth science solutions. Together, we can continue building tools that help communities understand and protect the environmental systems on which we all depend.

To learn more about membership benefits and to join our community, visit our Membership page today. Follow us on LinkedIn for regular updates about community activities, technical developments, and opportunities to get involved in advancing open-source Earth science tools.