Hootie is the perfect thing sometimes

Updates from the work side of things have been quite significant over the past few days. The station has had communication with Google and they have an effort to start becoming involved in non-profit organizations. They basically have developed a series of geospatial tools that help organize, store, import, and visualize geospatial information. In order to promote these tools to non-profits they have organized a workshop at their Google headquarters in California. “Geo for Good” is a workshop that is designed to not only show their products but help representatives from non-profits learn the basics in order to determine their potential with the organization. Google has personally invited one and maybe two representatives from the Charles Darwin Foundation to attend in September.

For the past week or so I’ve been putting together ideas that help identify the problems within the current CDF database system. On top of asking people to attend their conference Google wants to establish a presence in South America because their efforts are currently focused in Africa. This brainstorming of problems has been composed into a comprehensive proposal that is going to help in showing Google how their mapping tools could be implemented here at the Station. They plan to get involved much more in 2013…Which is conveniently right when I want to start graduate school…Good thing? Yup.

Adding to this we recently had a meeting to discuss how UWEC can get involved. I was asked to put together a power point and present my proposal to the growing GIS crew at the CDF. I’m currently acting as a mediator between the Station the University and what we now discussed as being Google. IF Google has enough spots for us to send two people I’m currently in line to be that second guy. Daniel, my boss and Director of the Social Sciences is obviously number one. I’m giddy with excitement and can’t wait for Google to get back to us… We’ll let fate determine that one but it would definitely be great to get involved with….

Another thing that has been on my mind is that the Stations database system which is currently being displayed as the Datazone on the Foundations website, is a great way to start serving this information to the public and conservation managers but still isn’t what it could be...Small world but I found out today through some research that the small GIS firm (Applied Data Consultants) outside of Eau Claire that actually hires people from our Department, is highly involved in this same matter. They are implementing the same exact software and logistical path that we are trying to put together which means were on the right track. They however, have created large systems for 4 states now and called it NatureMapping. It’s a system that citizens can upload data, view it, and become more aware of the issues in their own backyards. Let’s just say that I’ve become quite attached to the issues here…and can see what they could be as well as what the solution could do for the Galapagos as a whole…They only thing missing…is a solution…