Mapping

Once you've created a map in Data Basin, arranged everything so it looks just the way you want, and saved it -- what can you do next? One of the things you can do is export your map. Previously, exporting was restricted to a PDF document or a ZIP file that contained PNG images of the pages of the PDF document. 

The Data Basin developers are currently working to allow the import and visualization of time-enabled datasets. This screencast gives a short preview of how users will be able to interact with time-enabled data in the live map viewer. In addition to viewing animations in the map, users will also be able to save animated data as a movie to easily share with others.

As I’ve said so many times, the Data Basin users and community continue to show us how this great tool can be used.

We rolled out another series of design updates on 1/29/2011.   One of our major goals in this release was to make it easier to browse and work with content, which means reducing visual clutter and better use of space on the page.  We've moved more strongly toward effective use of white space, so you will no longer see the curved green or yellow header bars on pages, nor will you see private items highlighted with a yellow background (note: these items are still private!).  There are fewer borders and lines to get in the way of quickly skimming content.  We rewo

Who doesn’t like maps? Our director James Strittholt has said before that maps are a unifying object from which people can find common ground. You can take a group of people, spread out a map on the table and everyone will begin dreaming, talking and telling stories. Data Basin is not much different and, from the beginning, we have been thrilled by how much the community has taught us how it will be used. 

In my August blog post about abstaining from plastic, I referenced a site describing the detrimental effects of plastics in our oceans and briefly mentioned the “garbage patch” in the North Pacific Gyre. Many people allude to this large concentration of plastic waste when appealing to the public to ban plastic bags or increase plastic recycling programs. Recently, there has been some debate about the actual size of the plastic waste expanse in the North Pacific Gyre.

Over my career I can’t recall how many paper napkin maps I have digitized into datasets.

The theme of the annual Ecological Society of America meetings this year was climate change. One talk I listened to really stands out in my mind. Tom Stohlgren (USGS Fort Collins) gave a thought provoking talk about the role of invasives  species (harmful plants, animals and diseases from other countries) in shaping the world we live in.

In the entryway to the Conservation Biology Institute offices is a map we printed in 2004 of the Late Seral Forest of the Pacific Northwest, that was displayed in the American Museum of Natural History.

Protected areas are important to each person in their own way.  Be it a special spot, a rare habitat or unique ecosystem, we all have our reasons for caring.  While I care deeply about the intrinsic value of protected areas, I also care about the data that helps us catalog these places.  One of CBI’s recent projects is PAD-US 1.1 (CBI Edition) dataset, a national inventory of protected areas.