Winter GIS Courses Now Available at UC Davis Extension

Winter GIS Courses Now Available at UC Davis Extension

Davis, Calif.— Take a winter course in Geographic Information Systems from UC Davis Extension. Learn how to analyze and model the built and natural environments in order to inform policy and policy decisions. Visit our website for a full listing of courses and to learn about the Geographic Information Systems Professional Concentration.

Data Acquisition and Evaluation/GPS
Explore alternatives for coupling digital imagery with GPS-derived positions, and evaluate data quality in imagery and GPS-derived positions.
•    Feb. 19-20 & March 4: Fri.-Sat., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
•    UC Davis: Wickson Hall, 350 North Quad
•    $675. Enroll in section 153NAT420.

Python Programming for GIS
Learn fundamental programming and GIS principles commonly used in the GIS industry in this hands-on workshop.
•    Feb. 3-24: Wed., 6-9 p.m.
•    UC Davis: Wickson Hall, 350 North Quad
•    $500. Enroll in section 153NAT431.


For more information or to enroll, call (800) 752-0881, email extension@ucdavis.edu or visit our website.

www.extension.ucdavis.edu/gis


UC Davis Extension, the continuing and professional education division of UC Davis, has been an internationally recognized leader in educational outreach for individuals, organizations and communities for more than 50 years. With 62,000 annual enrollments in classroom and online university-level courses, UC Davis Extension serves lifelong learners in the growing Sacramento region, all 50 states and more than 115 countries.

* * * * *

For more information, please visit our website at www.extension.ucdavis.edu

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please contact us:
info@ucde.ucdavis.edu
UC Davis Extension
1333 Research Park Dr.
Davis, CA  95618
(800) 752-0881
(530) 757-8777 from Davis and Woodland

Support Geography and GIS in K-12 Education: Be a GeoMentor

The AAG and Esri are working together to develop a nationwide network of GeoMentors to support the U.S. Department of Education’s ConnectED Program, for which Esri has agreed to donate free GIS software to all K-12 schools in the U.S.  GeoMentors will play a pivotal role in improving GIS and geography education by helping schools and teachers introduce GIS and geographic concepts into classrooms across the country!  The GeoMentors program is a great opportunity for geography students to participate in community service using their disciplinary knowledge and GIS skills (program certificates are provided so participants can document their efforts).  We ask that you please share this email with your group members to let them know about this outreach opportunity.

Who can be a GeoMentor?
From undergraduate and graduate students to professors and geographic information scientists, we welcome the entire GIS and geography community to volunteer their skills and experience as GeoMentors.  Advanced GIS skills are not required for you to be a great asset to K-12 classrooms and we provide numerous training materials through our program website.

What do GeoMentors do?
As a GeoMentor you can engage in a range of roles depending on your expertise, interests, and the needs of schools and teachers.  Opportunities include: advocating GIS adoption and helping schools get their free software; demonstrating available geography and GIS classroom exercises to teachers; sharing information about careers in geography and GIS; or assisting teachers with tailoring geography and GIS activities for their specific subject, grade, and/or project.  You can work with your local community schools or with schools and educators across the US.  The variety of outreach opportunities is as diverse as the field of geography and the application potential of GIS!

How do I get started as a GeoMentor?

1.     Register.  Sign up online to be a GeoMentor!

2.     Visit our website.  Learn more about the program, explore available training materials, and review guidelines for contacting potential collaborators.

3.     Get involved.  Find a school or teacher who is ready to collaborate!  Another great starting point is to help build the GeoMentor community by recruiting your peers as fellow GeoMentors and by recruiting new schools to sign up for free GIS software.

4.     Join the GeoMentor community.  Learn about program news, participate in discussions, and meet fellow participants by joining the GeoMentors GeoNet Group or the GeoMentors AAG Knowledge Community.  You can also follow @AAGGeoMentors on Twitter or the AAG GeoMentors Facebook page.

Be sure to share your GeoMentor experiences with us so we can track and improve program efforts.

We’ll provide you a program certificate for your records and may create a case study from your experience to help encourage others to get involved in the GeoMentors program!  This is a great activity and service opportunity for student geography groups!

If you have any questions, please contact program staff at geomentors@aag.org.

Thank you for your help in promoting geography and GIS in K-12 education,

The AAG GeoMentors Team

Association of American Geographers
1710 Sixteenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20009-3198
www.geomentors.net
geomentors@aag.org
Twitter: @AAGGeoMentors

Fall GIS Courses Now Available at UC Davis Extension

Davis, Calif.— Take a fall course in Geographic Information Systems from UC Davis Extension. Learn how to analyze and model the built and natural environments in order to inform policy and policy decisions. Visit our website for a full listing of courses and to learn about the Geographic Information Systems Professional Concentration.

GIS Database Design
Review industry-standard and emerging-data design technologies for today’s natural resource and land use planning needs.
•    Sept. 15-16: Tues.-Wed., 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sept. 24-25: Thur.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
•    UC Davis: Wickson Hall, 350 North Quad
•    $695. Enroll in section 152NAT403.

GIS for Resource Managers and Professionals
Gain an overview and working knowledge of GIS in this hands -on workshop.
•    Sept. 22-23: Tues.-Wed., 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
•    UC Davis: Plant and Environmental Sciences, California Ave.
•    $500. Enroll in section 152NAT415.

GIS for Watershed Analysis: Intermediate 
Learn the theoretical background of watershed analysis within a geographic information system to become familiar with common methods, tools and frameworks for investigation.
•    Dec. 15-16: Tues.-Wed., 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
•    UC Davis: Wickson Hall, 350 North Quad
•    $500. Enroll in section 152NAT416.

GIS for Watershed Analysis: Advanced
This hands-on GIS workshop will give researchers, planners and land/resource managers the spatial analysis skills they need to integrate field data with watershed-scale variables and gain a better perspective of the upstream processes and circumstances that may be driving observed conditions.
•    Dec. 17-18: Thur.-Fri., 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
•    UC Davis: Wickson Hall, 350 North Quad
•    $500. Enroll in section 152NAT417.

For more information or to enroll, call (800) 752-0881, email extension@ucdavis.edu or visit our website.

www.extension.ucdavis.edu/gis


UC Davis Extension, the continuing and professional education division of UC Davis, has been an internationally recognized leader in educational outreach for individuals, organizations and communities for more than 50 years. With 62,000 annual enrollments in classroom and online university-level courses, UC Davis Extension serves lifelong learners in the growing Sacramento region, all 50 states and more than 115 countries.

Presentations from the May 15, 2015 GIS User Group Meeting

A big thank you to our presenters at the May 15th Sacramento GIS User Group meeting and to Nate Jennings and the City of Sacramento for hosting our event.  Below are links to the presentations from the meeting:

"The City of Elk Grove Enterprise GIS Platform" - Steve Gay and Jason Latoski, Interwest Consulting Group

"Stolen?  Introducing the Sutter Land Claim, and perhaps the Largest Theft of Public Property in our History" - Andrew McLeod

"GIS is the Wine Industry" - Andy Morgan and Martin Mendez-Costabel, Gallo Winery*

Mapping in the City using Geocortex" - Nate Jennings, Sacramento City GIS*

*This presentation was live only/not available for download

Sacramento GIS User Group Agenda - May 15th 9 AM – 12

GIS User Group Meeting Agenda -  May 15th

New City Hall, Council Chambers

915 I Street 

Sacramento CA

9:00am  Welcome
9:15am  “GIS is the Wine Industry”. Andy Morgan and Martin Mendez-Costabel, Gallo Winery
9:45am  “Mapping in the City using Geocortex” Nate Jennings, Sacramento City GIS
10:15am Break
10:45am “The City of Elk Grove Enterprise GIS Platform” Steve Gay and Jason Latoski, Interwest Consulting Group
11:15am  “Stolen?  Introducing the Sutter land claim, and perhaps the largest theft of public property in our history”, Andrew McLeod

Save the Date - Next Meeting May 15, 2015!

GIS Events at UC Merced and UC Davis

The Northern California Chapter of URISA (Urban and Regional Information Systems Association) is pleased to co-sponsor two events of interest to the California GIS community.

The Annual CGIA (California Geographic Information Association) GeoSummit at UC Merced happens on March 13, 2015. Here is a link for more information: 
http://www.norcalurisa.org/events.html

UC Davis presents a GIS Symposium on April 1. More information is available here:
http://gisatucd.ucdavis.edu/

Data Acquisition and Evaluation/GPS Class

Data Acquisition and Evaluation/GPS

Feb. 20 & 21 & March 6: Fri. & Sat., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
2 Units Academic Credit

In Winter Term, 2015 run this course will introduce for the first time Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS, or ‘drones’) and their rapidly evolving roles in land management and other applications.  The course will open with a special, interagency webinar that will inform students about upcoming UAS policies and regulatory environments for research and commercial operations.  Through brief lectures, classroom computing sessions, and outdoor and indoor exercises, students will explore alternatives for coupling digital imagery with GPS-derived positions, and will evaluate data quality in imagery and GPS-derived positions. Skills in preparation of metadata will be cultivated throughout the course, with emphasis on data quality elements. Students will build upon project work of their choosing, concluding with hands-on building of a geographic database (geodatabase) in industry-standard format.

Visit bit.ly/UCDEGPS2015 for more information or to enroll.

Instructor:  Paul Veisze

CalGIS 2015 - June 1-3, 2015 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento

Dear Sacramento Area GIS Professional:

CalGIS 2015, the 21st Annual California GIS Conference, is happening June 1-3, 2015 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Downtown Sacramento.
www.calgis.org

If you have never attended a CalGIS conference, I think you would be pleasantly surprised at what a valuable experience it can be. This year it’s in Sacramento, which means that many of us won’t have to deal with travel and lodging expenses to attend. The conference fee is nominal. I encourage you to consider attending.

The Call for Presentation Abstracts is out and the deadline is February 2.

Participate!  What have you been working on that you would like to share with your GIS colleagues and peers in California? Tips & tricks, research, success stories or cautionary tales?

Participation may come in a variety of formats including:
•             Map Gallery
•             Poster Presentation
•             Lightning Talk
•             Presentation
•             Active Learning
         
Abstracts are due no later than February 2, 2015.

For participation details and an online abstract submission form, visit www.calgis.org and be sure to follow @CalGIS on Twitter!

Christina Boggs is the 2015 Conference Chair, so you know it will be, as Christina says, “AWESOME!”

Check it out at www.calgis.org

Jane Schafer-Kramer, Research Analyst (GIS), CalGIS Outreach Committee Chair

jschaferkramer@gmail.com

Possible S-341 Class at College of the Siskiyous in Weed, CA

Passing along a possible training class from Christina Boggs at DWR.  Contact Rich Strazzo at Rich.Strazzo@fire.ca.gov if interested.

Subject: Possible S-341 Class at College of the Siskiyous in Weed, CA

To All,

There's a possibility that College of the Siskiyous (COS) will hold an S-341 class in Northern California (Weed or Dunsmuir) in April (date not set).  Tuition will be charged for this course, but I'm not sure what it will be (guess of $175-350).  In order to justify having a class, I want to make sure there's a demand to have a class in California this year.  Would you please solicit the GIS users you know (CAL FIRE, federal, local government, private, vendor, etc.) to see if they would be interested in taking this course.  Please distribute this email widely to get the best picture of the demand.  Please send me the names (include agency/company/private) of those who would like to take the S-341 course if it is hosted by COS.  Since students are required to be fully proficient in using ArcGIS software, please only submit names of those who meet this requirement.  Due to the short time frames, please reply to my request ASAP.

Thanks,

Rich Strazzo
Battalion Chief - Retired Annuitant
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Sacramento & Northern Region