GIS & REMOTE SENSING FOR WILDLIFE MANAGERS USING THE NEW ESRI SOFTWARE ArcGIS

The Smithsonian Conservation and Research Center is offering the following 2005 courses:
GIS & REMOTE SENSING FOR WILDLIFE MANAGERS USING THE NEW ESRI SOFTWARE ArcGIS
An Introduction to the use of Geographic Information Systems & Remote Sensing in Conservation and Wildlife Management April 11-15, 2005 October 31- November 4, 2005
Advanced GIS and remote sensing course
Measuring Landcover Change and its Impact on Endangered Species April 18-22, 2005 November 7-11, 2005

Visit the following web address for more details and registration information:
GIS & REMOTE SENSING FOR WILDLIFE MANAGERS USING THE NEW ESRI SOFTWARE ArcGIS An Introduction to the use of Geographic Information Systems & Remote Sensing in Conservation and Wildlife Management
Increasingly, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing - the mapping of features using imagery acquired either from an aircraft or a satellite - have become important tools for decision-making and the applied management of natural resources. Many federal agencies and NGO's rely on GIS and satellite data for their work and are starting to produce their own spatial databases. However, there are few training opportunities for wildlife managers to learn the application of GIS in everyday management situations. We are offering a course for wildlife managers that will provide hands-on experience for the collection of data, GIS analysis of the data, and map-making using the latest ESRI and ERDAS software.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This short course will provide wildlife managers with a working knowledge about the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing to the monitoring and management of wildlife and forest vegetation. Exercises in establishing locations with a Global Positioning System (GPS), data input into a GIS, and spatial analysis techniques for GIS will provide hands-on and real world experience during the course. Based on examples about habitat selection in songbirds and white-tailed deer, course participants will learn how to:
* Collect GIS data in the field using survey techniques and GPS.
* Differentially correct GPS data.
* Input GPS data into GIS.
* Input field data into GIS.
* Use GIS for management of large data sets from multiple sources.
* Design and perform analysis using GIS data and spatial analysis techniques.
* Integrate data with ancillary data, such as satellite imagery, aerial photography, and State Agency databases.

Advanced GIS and remote sensing course
Measuring Landcover Change and its Impact on Endangered Species
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
This one-week advanced GIS and remote sensing course provides conservationists with an opportunity to learn how GIS and remote sensing can be used to assess the conservation status of endangered species. Participants will be provided with their own desktop computer for all lab exercises. During the hands-on exercises participants will use the Internet, ArcView, ArcView Spatial Analyst, ERDAS Imagine, Fragstats, and other spatial analysis programs. Instructors will lead participants step-by-step through the process of:
* conducting a regional conservation assessment using GIS to determine critical conservation areas for an endangered species
* acquiring multi-date satellite imagery to quantify land cover change and to map the extent of the remaining habitat
* using landscape analysis to determine optimal landscape configurations for conserving the endangered species.
Visit this web address for more details and registration information.

Contact:
Lily Paniagua
1500 Remount Road
Front Royal, VA 22630
540-635-6535 (GIS Lab)
540-635-6506 (FAX)
giscourse@si.edu