Welcome to the latest issue of Conservation GIS, a quarterly Esri e-newsletter that keeps you informed about GIS and conservation news.

What Makes New York's Shawangunk Mountains
One of the "Last Great Places"?
By John Thompson, Director of Conservation Science,
Mohonk Preserve, Inc.

Due to its rich biological diversity, New York State's Shawangunk Mountains region is one of the most important sites for conservation in the northeastern United States. Because of the many rare natural communities and species found here, the New York Natural Heritage Program ranked the Shawangunks highest in biological diversity, and The Nature Conservancy recognized them as one of the "last great places" on earth. The northern Shawangunk Mountains support 42 state rare species, 8 state rare ecological communities, and 3 globally rare ecological communities in a largely forested landscape surrounded by residential housing and agricultural uses.
Read more.

Where the Wild Things Are in Yellowstone Park:
A Science-Based Approach to Collaborative
Decision Making at Ecosystem Scales

The human history of the Yellowstone region can be traced back to an undesignated time in tribal oral history more than 11,000 years ago, when many groups of Native Americans used the park as their home, hunting ground, and source for gathering medicinal plants. These traditional uses of Yellowstone lands continued until the first explorers and trappers of European descent found their way into the region, recounting tales of a bountiful land full of natural wonders where "fire and brimstone" gushed up from the ground. In March 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law a congressional act making Yellowstone the first national park in the world, an area so extraordinary that it was set aside and protected in perpetuity for the enjoyment of future generations. Thanks to its early designation and protection, Yellowstone is one of the few remaining intact large ecosystems in the northern temperate zone of the earth. Read more.

Janice Thomson: Tireless Wilderness Advocate

An avid hiker who adores the mountains of the Northwest, Janice Thomson was drawn to The Wilderness Society out of a desire to defend the wildlands she loves. In her current position as the society's director for the Center for Landscape Analysis, Thomson integrates a wide variety of data items into spatial analyses and tenable maps. These maps are then used to promote the goals and values of The Wilderness Society to agencies working directly with the land. As a lifelong wilderness advocate, Thomson has put her passion to work protecting America's public lands. Read more.

Afghans Work to Preserve Habitat; Esri Technology Plays a Role
in the Conservation Quest

Maps created using GIS technology are being used to identify wildlife habitats to protect and other sensitive areas to conserve in Afghanistan, including places such as Band-e-Amir, the country's first national park. Band-e-Amir is a chain of six deep lakes, situated in a desert area high in the Hindu Kush mountains. They are separated by mineral deposits of white travertine limestone and lie like a jeweled necklace on a woven rug. With the changing light and moving mountain shadows, these lakes range in color from faint turquoise to intense shades of blue, and their placid glass surfaces mirror the surrounding peaks. Ibex (wild goats) and urial (wild sheep) can be seen roaming along the red cliffs. Afghan snow finches also make the area their home.
Read more.

Predicting Prehistoric Site Location in the Southern Caucasus
By Christopher M. Nicholson, Charles P. Egeland, and Boris Gasparian

The southern Caucasus Mountains (which includes the modern republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia), nestled between Africa, Europe, and Asia, has served as an important thoroughfare for human populations throughout the Paleolithic period (about 2.6 million to 12,000 years ago). Although the region has a rich record of Paleolithic research, many of the sites have not been analyzed with modern archaeological methods. Therefore, the identification of new sites in the region that can be excavated and analyzed with modern techniques is imperative. Relative to sites of later time periods, those of Paleolithic age are typically rare and nondescript.
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New and Updated Basemaps on ArcGIS Online

The latest addition to the ArcGIS Online basemap collection is Light Gray Canvas Map, available at arcgis.com and ArcGIS Explorer Online. Light Gray Canvas Map features an overall soft gray color for land and darker gray for oceans and other bodies of water. These shades provide a pleasing neutral background so that data overlays contrast sharply with the rest of the map. With fewer features and labels on the map, there is more freedom to color and label data. The map is a perfect alternative to traditional basemaps, which can have an abundance of detail that obscures data overlays.
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Esri Receives Jane Goodall Global Leadership Award

Esri received the 2011 Jane Goodall Global Leadership Award for Excellence in Conservation Science for its deScades of work supporting conservation, sustainability, and related education. Esri president Jack Dangermond accepted the award on September 24 during the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) program, A Conversation with Jane Goodall, held in Hollywood, California. The evening's festivities commemorated Goodall's extraSordinary accomplishments over the past 51 years while honoring the work and achievements of individuals and organizations that embody the institute's mission by taking informed and compassionate action on behalf of all living things. Read more.

Share Your GIS Experience
If you have a GIS and conservation success story that you would like to share, contact Matt Artz at martz@esri.com.