ESRI Cave and Karst News
Welcome to the latest issue of ESRI Cave and Karst News, a newsletter for and about the ESRI cave and karst GIS user community. Visit the ESRI Cave and Karst GIS Web site at www.esri.com/karst. You are receiving ESRI Cave and Karst News because you are involved in cave and karst GIS activities or related fields and interests. To submit items for publication, contact Bernie Szukalski. To subscribe to Cave and Karst News, visit http://www.esri.com/subscribe. This document may be copied or redirected in its entirety. If your colleagues and associates might be interested in receiving this e-newsletter, please forward this message. Top News
Missouri Department of Conservation Recognized with SAG Award The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) was recognized at the 26th ESRI International User Conference with a Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) award. This award is given to user sites around the world in recognition of their outstanding work in the GIS field. MDC was recognized for its use of GIS for cave and karst conservation and to study and protect Missouri's unique cave biodiversity. Dr. William R. "Bill" Elliott spearheaded much of the GIS work, though he acknowledges the contributions of many other individuals and organizations including the Missouri Caves and Karst Conservancy, Cave Research Foundation, Missouri Speleological Survey, the Nature Conservancy, and others. Congratulations to Dr. Elliott and MDC for their well-deserved award.
Listen to a Podcast from Cave Biologist Dr. William Elliott Dr. Elliott works as a cave biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, Resource Science Division, and won a Special Achievement in GIS award at last summer's ESRI International User Conference. He applies GIS software in projects that help to protect caves and cave dwellers such as bats, cavefishes, snails, salamanders, and other species. By understanding which caves rank high in biodiversity and knowing the geographic distribution of those caves, Dr. Elliott and his colleagues can do a better job directing conservation resources to those sites. Listen to the podcast [MP3-28:21]. ESRI Speaker Series podcasts can be downloaded and listened to on computers or portable MP3 players. To listen to these podcasts, check the availability of new podcasts, and subscribe to podcast feeds, visit http://www.esri.com/news/podcasts/index.html.
Florida Cave Survey Receives ESRI Cave and Karst Grant The Florida Cave Survey recently received an ESRI Cave and Karst Conservation Grant for ESRI software in support of ongoing work and activities in Florida. The survey is a volunteer organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of caves and other karst features within the state of Florida. Some of the organization's work includes cave restoration activities, public outreach programs, supporting cave protection measures, and the collection and maintenance of the Florida Cave Survey Cave Index. The GIS software grant, which includes ArcView 9.2, ArcGIS Spatial Analyst, ArcGIS 3D Analyst, and ArcPad, will be used for the acquisition and management of cave locations and related data for conservation and cave protection. Visit the Florida Cave Survey Web site.
The Caves of Tobasco Project Receives ESRI Cave and Karst Conservation Grant The Caves of Tabasco Project also received an ESRI Cave and Karst Conservation Grant. The project is a recognized effort of the National Speleological Society. The Caves of Tabasco Project focuses on the exploration, mapping, and study of caves in the Mexican state of Tabasco. Recent work includes the chemical analysis of cave air, water, and sulfur isotopes in Cueva Villa Luz, an active cave formed by water rich in hydrogen sulfide. The software grant includes ArcInfo 9.2, ArcGIS Spatial Analyst, ArcGIS 3D Analyst, and ArcPad. This software will be used to collect, create, and manage a geodatabase for known caves in Tabasco; to visualize cave and karst features; and for map publication. For more information on ESRI's Cave and Karst Grant Program, contact bszukalski@esri.com. Back to Top
ESRI Sponsors National Cave and Karst Management Symposium The 2007 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium (NCKMS), hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Caves and Karst Conservancy, will be held October 8-12, 2007, at the Holiday Inn Southwest-Viking Conference Center, 10709 Watson Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63127. Nearby is the Missouri Department of Conservation's beautiful Powder Valley Nature Center (PVNC), where a free public event will be held on Tuesday, October 9th, including a cave photo exhibit and a speaker panel, followed by refreshments in the lobby. PVNC has a large auditorium, which accommodates 250 people and features state-of-the-art projection and sound equipment. PVNC also has a nature trail, interesting nature exhibits, and a nature shop. The chair of NCKMS 2007 is Dr. William R. Elliott, the Missouri Department of Conservation's cave biologist. ESRI is proud to be a sponsor of this year's event. For more information, visit the NCKMS 2007 Web site.
Call for Papers: International Conference on Karst Hydrogeology and Ecosystems The organizers of the 2007 International Conference on Karst Hydrogeology and Ecosystems are soliciting oral presentations and/or posters for the upcoming meeting. The conference will be held at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky, August 13-15, 2007, followed by a four-day field trip (August 16-19) to the karst of the Cumberland Plateau and southern Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee. The conference is a joint meeting of the major international karst research groups including UNESCO's International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) Project 513: Global Study of Karst Aquifers and Water Resources; the Karst Commission of the International Association of Hydrogeologists; the Karst Commission of the International Geographical Union; and the Union Internationale de Spéléologie Commission on Karst Hydrogeology and Speleogenesis.
The Philippine Speleological Society 7th National Caving Congress The 7th Caving Congress aims to increase understanding of the Philippine cave and karst ecosystems and help improve their management and conservation. It also aims to strengthen and promote Philippine Speleological Society standards in responsible caving among the country's caving community. The event will be held in Puerto Princesa City and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP), March 5-10, 2007. Palawan, the island province where Puerto Princesa City is located, is known as the "Last Frontier" due to its vast forests and rich marine life. Beneath the limestone forest of Puerto Princesa lies the longest cave in the country, and the longest navigable underground river system in the world is within PPSRNP. Because of this outstanding feature and its unique flora and fauna, the park has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Geologic Monument. The PPSRNP is one of the better-managed cave tourism areas in the Philippines and will be highlighted during the course of the congress. .For more information, contact a conference organizer of the Gaia Exploration Club, Philippines, at gaiaexplorationclub@gmail.com.
ESRI Cave and Karst Best Practices Published ESRI offers free GIS Best Practices booklets, which contain articles on innovative uses of GIS in specific industries or ways to be more productive with ESRI software. Published as PDFs with color illustrations and instantly available online, these booklets can be read at ESRI's Web site or downloaded and printed. A Best Practices white paper has been published for cave and karst,featuring several articles covering cave and karst GIS applications. Back to Top
ESRI Conference Proceedings Available Online NThe ESRI International User Conference Proceedings is a compilation of professional abstracts and papers presented at the 26th Annual ESRI International User Conference, August 7-11, 2006. Papers presented at the 2006 ESRI International User Conference are available online. Browse and search the conference proceedings. Papers of interest to cave and karst GIS users include
Plan Now to Attend the ESRI 2007 International User Conference GIS users will gather at the 2007 ESRI International User Conference to connect, learn, and share, June 18-22 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. The ESRI User Conference is unlike any other event. It's the largest conference in the world devoted to GIS. Users from more than 120 countries come to learn new skills, share information, and discover best practices and tips and tricks. Be a part of this exceptional event. To make your conference more enjoyable and productive, the ESRI User Conference Web site offers a variety of resources, including online planning tools, registration information, conference and preconference agendas, family activities, and more. The conference will also host the 10th Annual ESRI Cave and Karst Special Interest Group (SIG) meeting. If you are interested in presenting a short topic at the SIG, contact bszukalski@esri.com.
ESRI Product and Education News of Interest to Cave and Karst GIS Users 9.2 Now Available for Download ArcReader 9.2 includes enhanced viewing of maps with ArcGIS Online, which provides a series of ready-to-use online map, globe, and other GIS services. With ArcReader 9.2, users can also print maps with customized map titles. ArcReader is available as a free download for Windows, Solaris, and Linux. Download ArcReader. Free Virtual Campus Course Covers ArcView 3.x Migration A no-cost Web course, Migrating from ArcView 3.x to ArcGIS Desktop, introduces ArcView 3.x users to the features and architecture of ArcGIS Desktop software. Students will learn how ArcGIS terminology and features compare with ArcView 3.x and will cover ArcCatalog, ArcMap, and ArcToolbox to see how these ArcGIS applications work together to provide a complete GIS software solution. Enroll now. Instructional Series Podcast—-Performance Tips and Tricks: ArcGIS Desktop Discover strategies that will help you improve display and draw performance while working in ArcMap and ArcCatalog. Listen to or download ESRI Instructional Series podcasts. To check the availability of new podcasts and subscribe to podcast feeds, visit www.esri.com/podcasts. What's New in ArcGIS 9.2 ArcGIS 9.2 includes new productivity tools, data visualization and analysis capabilities, sophisticated cartographic tools, high-precision coordinate storage, and expanded support for standards. This release also introduces a new workflow for authoring, serving, and using geographic data, allowing users to be more productive with GIS technology. For more, view What's New in ArcGIS 9.2. New Virtual Campus Web-Based Training Seminar--Introduction to Cartographic Representations in ArcGIS 9.2 This no-cost online seminar introduces cartographic representations and discusses how they are stored in the geodatabase, used in ArcMap to create maps, and managed using new geoprocessing tools. View the seminar.
Cave and Karst News Wanted News and calendar items for future editions of ESRI Cave and Karst News are wanted. If you have any news concerning cave and karst GIS activities or events, send a brief description along with URLs (if any) to bszukalski@esri.com for inclusion in a future e-newsletter. Back to Top |
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