Nature Mapping – A Michigan Initiative for Wildlife Inventory Conservation Management

What:      Nature Mapping Scoping Meeting
When:     July 16, 2008  9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where:    Northern Michigan University
Lake Ontario Room
University Center
1401 Presque Isle Avenue
Marquette, MI 49855

You are invited to a session hosted by the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve, Inc in the scoping and building of a Michigan specific Nature Mapping Program.  Nature Mapping was developed by the University of Washington (Seattle, WA) and where specific inventory software has been developed for many states and countries.  We have an opportunity to have inventory software developed for Michigan and need your help in scoping out the requirements for the system criteria.

Nature Mapping is a unique system utilizing Cyber Tracker which allows citizens, professionals, and academics to use hand held PDA units with GPS and populated with user-friendly inventory screens that help the user document field findings of multiple types.  The hand held field information is then downloaded into a central inventory data management system (GIS) and held for all users in aiding their conservation work.

The one day scoping meeting will be run by Karen Dvornich from the University of Washington and she will be looking for stakeholder input for:

– Inventory Requirements
– Training Workshops
– Stewardship Plans
– Data Management Criteria
– Development of a Nature Mapping Center in Michigan

Please RSVP to Emily Whittaker at 906 345-9223 or emowok@gmail.com and let us know your ability to attend this day’s worth of scoping for this system.

For more information please see the following links:
Nature Mapping Program
CyberTracking Tutorial and Movie