National Map Corps Volunteers Receive Recognition in National Map Gamification Effort - The USGS The National Map Corps launches a recognition program based on the number of points a volunteer contributes. Levels of recognition are displayed in the form of icons or badges of antique catalog drawings of sophisticated pieces of surveying equipment. As a volunteer attains each level, congratulations are sent and recognized via social media
GCS "Geospatial Big Data" Webinar Series - GCS has announced a new webinar series focused on developing solutions to the challenges of Geospatial Big Data by leveraging the fusion of location analytics, mobile platforms and cloud technologies. The first webinar (June 12, 2013) will feature Montana Site Selector, a cloud-based, web-enabled GIS application that GCS built for a consortium of economic development organizations.
Free Webinar! Rebuilding After Sandy: Surveying the Aftermath - Last October, the second-costliest hurricane in U.S. history put our mapping and forecasting systems to the test. As it turns out, the tragic truth is that the best means of determining the accuracy of risk predicted by the Flood Insurance Rate Maps is to have a flood. In this edition of the Amerisurv webinar series, we'll cover key areas of interest to land surveyors, planners, GIS and mapping professionals.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Connect With Anglers via Colorado Fishing Atlas - Colorado Parks and Wildlife Connect With Anglers via Colorado Fishing Atlas and Social Media. Some fine civic engagement from the Parks and Wildlife service in Colorado as some new resources designed to connect with Anglers have been released to the public.
Top 10 Features in The New Google Maps - Google has reinforced that Maps are all about exploring and discovering, especially on mobile. The experience will only get better, for the developer and end user. We can all expect to enjoy new features and enhanced navigation experiences from gMaps in the near future.
AEC Firms Lose an Average 100K a Year - Architectural, engineering and environmental firms she works for easily lose $100,000 each year through inefficient and ineffective practices
Canada Post Suing Over the use of Postal Code - An interesting issue is unfolding in Canada and quite frankly its darned amazing! Imagine this, you have a website and offer some kind of product or service. You also use a map so users can search your product by Postal Code... uhoh, now you get a letter from Canada Post stating that they are suing you
Location, Location! 10 Map Services Your Business MUST Be Listed in - You have a business... perhaps a bar, a coffee shop, or maybe a consulting firm. Regardless of the business type, if you have a brick and mortar presence then you need to get your business listed in some of the popular online, location-based resources and search tools.
Editing OpenStreetMap (OSM) Just Got Easy, Really Easy! I'm sure that many (if not most) of you have often wanted to mess around with OSM and add/edit some features but were a little lazy - I'm guilty! But now we have no excuse thanks to the new OpenStreetMap in-browser map editing tools available from the iD Editor
Creative Cartography Meets Music in The Song Map - Oh yes, I love art. I also love music too, heck, who doesn't right? Well, I know you GeoGeeks and music lovers will really dig this one as we stumble onto yet another amazing cartographic product that quite simply will make you say WOW
Why is Landsat important and the Landsat Missions Timeline - Landsat has the optimal ground resolution and spectral bands to efficiently track land use and to document land change due to climate change, urbanization, drought, wildfire, biomass changes (carbon assessments), and a host of other natural and human-caused changes.
Mobile Market Trends show Apple users most loyal - Results from a recent survey indicate that Mobile Market Trendsreveal Apple users are most loyal, T-Mobile customers most likely to bail - are you still confident that your clients are loyal to your brand?
10 Must Have Gadgets and Technology for the Remote Office - Chances are good that if you happen to work in technology or you're a consultant, that you may be working remotely or from a home-based office at some time soon - or perhaps you already do
This is a section devoted to providing our valued contributors with a corner to do whatever they like with and discuss Geo/Tech topics that are near and dear to them! Be sure to check out ALL of our experts for commentary, editorial, links, and advice! Interested in becoming a contributing expert? Contact us and tell us about yourself
Food mapping website a place for tasty conversations
Written by UBC
26 March 2012
Narrative map concept born on UBC’s Okanagan campus -A stroll through just about any grocery store shows just how much our food supply has gone international.
Human geography student Shayne Wright and Jon Corbett, assistant professor of Community, Culture and Global Studies at UBC's Okanagan campus believe people not only want to think about where their food comes from, but will want to share foodie thoughts and actively discuss their interests through a specially designed website they have created.
“We can all agree food has become globalized. Even here in the Okanagan where we produce so much,” says Wright who wanted to develop his thesis on mapping out food sources to be interactive with the public.
So together with Corbett, a unique mapping idea was born.
“We came up with the idea of a narrative map,” says Corbett. “It’s like an instant-messaging map.”
The mapping is being done in partnership with the Central Okanagan Food Policy Council and the Interior Health Authority and is funded by UBC’s Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention and the Geomatics for Informed Decisions (GEOIDE) network.
People can post comments on the map about food sources, problems and successes and even engage in online discussions about a specific place.
“You have this whole dialogue taking place,” says Corbett. “It acts as a starting point for people to think more critically about food. It becomes an active dialogue between people.”
Wright says it has been enlightening to learn about other people’s views on food issues in the Valley.
“Most people never knew what other people thought,” says Wright. “They get to compare their own views with other people. It’s that sharing of views that has been interesting.”
Groups like Interior Health are taking a keen interest in the mapping to better understand and promote a healthy diet. The discussions are generated from numerous spots throughout the Central Okanagan.
Wright says information gathered will be passed along to a variety of groups such as Sustainable Communities, professors, students, consulting companies and any agency that has a role to play.
The mapping program itself is also getting attention. Corbett says site mapping is nothing new, but the added dimension of being able to comment and carry on a dialogue is.
Corbett and Wright designed the program from the ground up and it is sparking interest with a variety of groups who are interested in applying it in their own fields. Project co-investigator Casey Hamilton and UBC web-based participatory mapping application (GEOLIVE) programmer Nick Blackwell were also instrumental in making the mapping possible.
To contribute to conversation participants must register, but anyone can click on the icon to see what is being said.
Human geography student Shayne Wright, left, and Jon Corbett, assistant professor of Community, Culture and Global Studies, check out some of the comments at a food mapping website they developed.
MORE ARTICLES- Check out all the GISuser articles in the archive, stored by category
Featured Events
HxGN Live - The Hexagon Global Network - Learn about surveying, mapping, laser scanning and geospatial solutions from Leica Geosystems. June 3-6, 2013, Las Vegas, Nevada
Join us at GIS for Government 2013 taking place June 24-26, 2013 in the Washington, DC Metro Area to find out everything you need to know about GIS. Click here for more information
To register for the first GCS Geospatial Big Data webinar, visit the new GCS website at www.YourDataSmarter.com. The one-hour free webinar will be broadcast live at 3 pm EDT Wed, June 12, 2013
National Map Corps Volunteers Receive Recognition in National Map Gamification Effort
See more 
This is a section devoted to providing our valued contributors with a corner to do whatever they like with and discuss Geo/Tech topics that are near and dear to them! Be sure to check out ALL of our experts for commentary, editorial, links, and advice! Interested in becoming a contributing expert? 
