GPS World

Tag: natural resource management

  • How aerial imagery helps protect natural resources

    How aerial imagery helps protect natural resources

    Photo: Lake County Forest Preserves
    Photo: Lake County Forest Preserves

    An upcoming GPS World webinar shows how high-definition aerial imagery can help protect and maintain natural resources.

    In Transforming Land and Asset Management with HD Aerial Imagery, four
    mapping experts discuss how Lake County Forest Preserves of Illinois uses HD aerial imagery to manage and track changes.

    The webinar, sponsored by Nearmap, takes place June 25 at 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT / 7 p.m. (1900h) Central European Time. Registration is free.

    Managing and protecting the nearly 31,000 acres of the preserves is no small task, so the ability to see the environment at scale in crystal-clear clarity is a must. Aerial imagery provides an “eye in the sky” to get better context of truth on the ground.

    Lake County Forest Preserves uses Nearmap aerial imagery to:

    • monitor and track change over time with historical and current captures
    • assess and address invasive species growth with high-resolution imagery
    • manage remote work challenges during COVID-19 to locate assets.

    Joining Brett Clark of Nearmap are three experts from Lake County Forest Preserves.

    Nick SpittlemeisterNick Spittlemeister
    GIS Analyst, Planning and Land Preservation Dept.
    Lake County Forest Preserves District (IL)

    Nick Spittlemeister has been with Lake County Forest Preserves since 2016, working to create an enterprise solution that employs web GIS in all facets of the organization. He helped the district secure a license with Nearmap in 2018 and has deployed it across their GIS system, from Desktop software to web applications and native apps. He has been using GIS for more than 15 years and holds a bachelor’s degree in geography from Northern Michigan University.

    Dave CassinDave Cassin
    Manager of Landscape Ecology
    Lake County Forest Preserves District (IL)

    David Cassin’s remote sensing training began in the US Navy (1990-94) where he was trained as an Intelligence Specialist / Air Photo Interpreter, put into practice during Operation Desert Shield / Storm. Post military service, he continued his craft in college with incorporation of ArcGIS. He combined his skillset and his love of nature by getting a degree in Natural Resource Management. Integrating remote sensing skills into landscape scale restoration projects by utilizing historical air photos and land survey data, he is able to determine historic land uses and alterations. Specific to Nearmap, he was able to map populations of Phragmites australis (an invasive species in Illinois) by utilizing the fall 2019 Nearmap imagery remotely during the COVID-19 stay at home order.

    Kevin KleinjanKevin Kleinjan
    Senior Engineer
    Lake County Forest Preserves District (IL)

    Kevin has utilized aerial imagery and geospatial technologies for over 25 years to inform and support planning and infrastructure related decisions. He utilizes Nearmap’s high-resolution imagery with multiple captures throughout a calendar year to analyze and update infrastructure assets quickly and accurately from both the office, and in the field using mobile devices. This enables him to efficiently manage the District’s sign shop, site amenity and heavy equipment crews. He has dual degree in Landscape Architecture and Geography from South Dakota State University and is a Registered Landscape Architect in Illinois and Wisconsin.

    Brett Clark

    Brett Clark
    Senior Account Executive
    Nearmap
    Brett graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in communications. He was employee #2 for Nearmap, U.S., and focuses primarily on serving the public sector – both state and local. Brett lives in the Indianapolis area with his wife and three daughters.

    Register for the free webinar here.

  • Laser facilitates GIS in natural resource management; free webinar Thursday

    Using lasers in conjunction with GPS can collect richer data, faster, and streamline survey and mapping projects across many disciplines that draw on mapping and geospatial information systems.

    To learn more about the exact processes involved in Integrating a professional measurement and mapping laser to your GIS toolbox, both saving time and enabling collection of additional attribute data attend GPS World’s free webinar on Thursday, Aug. 16: LaserGIS: Your Gateway to Collect More GIS Data in Less Time.

    The webinar will be available for download 24 hours after broadcast time, for those unable to attend live.

    The applicable fields for this enabling technology include surveying, construction, ecosystem management, watershed analysis, geological mapping, environmental impact assessments and more.

    Photo: Laser Technology Inc.
    Photo: Laser Technology Inc.

    A natural resources ecosystem manager said, “I map areas that are either impossible to occupy or simply can’t be disturbed, so using laser-based reflectorless measurement technology is ideal for wildlife habitat research. When performing soil surveys, I can easily calculate the grade of a slope by using the missing line routine. I even used the Laser Technology TruPulse once to track the progress of a wildfire. This technology is a must-have for our crews because it’s highly portable and produces reliable data.”

    A land conservation specialist performing watershed analysis added, “Stream channel surveying tools have come a long way since I graduated college. I’m now able to mark a stream’s course, calculate the gradient and measure the width of the riparian zone, all with a simple point-and-shoot TruPulse laser. For wetland delineation projects, being able to shoot directly to the bank saves a huge amount of time and keeps me and my crew as dry as possible.”

    A geologist performing mapping as part of his work routine said, “I need to accurately track geological structures in mines and outcrops, and would really struggle with collecting measurements if it wasn’t for my TruPulse 360. With the laser, I can get a measurement to any type of surface and don’t have to stand in dangerous areas, so I can be extremely productive and safe. When I have to verify the volume of our biomass stockpile, I just integrate my laser with MapSmart and get reliable calculations in minutes, right in the field.”

    Finally, an archaeologist performing an environmental impact assessment stated, “Conserving archaeology sites is just as important as researching and analyzing them. Integrating the TruPulse with GPS allows me to make better planning decisions with all types of resource considerations without compromising data integrity or delicate areas. The TruPulse’s onboard solutions for height and 3D missing line make my job so much easier and far more productive than conventional measurement tools.”