"Scholarships" are available to staff and volunteers of non-profit conservation organizations through the instructor.
Example maps Resolution is low to reduce size. Information has been removed from some of the maps to hide the location.
- 10 ft. contours derived from LiDAR data, stream location derived by terrain analysis, slope shading (in red) shows cliffs too steep to climb, purple GPS track shows the route was actually possible
- vector information added to Google Earth
- image derived by subtracting bare earth LiDAR returns from first returns, symbolized as color ramp so that taller trees = darker green, 1 km. grid
- blue shading is calculated viewshed of waterfall, green color ramp shows height of trees, 10 ft. contours, 100 meter grid
- GPS track overlaid on scanned and geo-referenced paper map (only available in Spain at the time)
- finding a route that avoids private property, wetlands, roads, and steep terrain
- contour lines show the distance to the nearest road
o appreciate how maps can enhance the wilderness experience by enabling safe and legal off-trail travel
o experience how making our own custom maps gives us a deeper understanding of terrain, land cover, and property ownership
o learn to recognize the craftsmanship and technology in the maps we use
o learn how to find geographic information and use it to make a custom map
Each of us will use existing maps and/or verbal descriptions to pick a place that looks interesting but is not widely known. We'll gather publicly available information and make our own maps using free (or low cost) GIS programs. I hope that we all have a chance to hike and/or scramble to the places we picked and see how closely our maps matched the real world.
For some students this may be an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that may lead to enrollment in a PCC Geography Degree Program and a career in GIS.
There will be six class meetings, three lectures and three labs:
(all classes at Sylvania in HT301, Tuesdays 7:00 PM to 8:50 PM)
• JAN 14 - USGS maps, basic cartography, and on-line map services
o scale
o projection and datum
o grids
o symbology
o Google Earth™ and caltopo.com
• JAN 21 - Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
o raster vs. vector
o geo-referencing
o data sources and file formats
o tracks and GPS
o QGIS (open source GIS program)
• JAN 28 - terrain analysis
o DEM (digital elevation model)
o contours
o hillshading
o slope shading
o watershed and stream delineation
o viewsheds
o snow modeling
o LiDAR
• FEB 04 - lab - finding a place to explore and getting geographic information about it
• FEB 11 - lab - the map development environment
• FEB 18 - lab - advanced techniques
There are no required materials but students may find the following to be helpful:
o portable computer
o USB memory stick
o GPS receiver
Students who bring portable computers can save class time by downloading Google Earth™ before the first class meeting and QGIS before the second class meeting.