Tuesday, February 27, 2007

About the WNC GIS Users Group

WNC GIS Users Group is a gathering of GIS professionals and people with related interests to share ideas and experiences in a casual setting for the benefit of the GIS professional and the larger public interest. The users group is not a marketing venue for private business.


The WNC GIS Blog Site is designed to support the larger WNC GIS community, whether they attend the meetings or not. It is a place to exchange ideas, share and request technical information, present links to special projects and programs, share job and internship opportunities, and link other local WNC GIS groups to the larger WNC GIS community, all within Western NC. The Blog will evolve with demand.


If you would like to become a contributor to this blog please contact Pete Kennedy.

Monday, February 26, 2007

NC GIS Conference this week

We'll all be there! Lot's of exciting talks and sessions.

http://www.cgia.state.nc.us/ncgis2007

We'll have Haywood Community College's very own Andy Tait giving a presentation as part of the 'G. Herbert Stout Award' student presentations. His presentation is entitled:

Resource Assessment: Ecologically Sound Development in Western North Carolina with Regard to Slope Stability, Soil Conditions, Watershed Integrity, and Other Factors.

These student presentations will go on all day Friday. Yours truly will be moderating the sessions.

Don't forget to check out the conference program before you go to get an idea of what sessions you may want to attend - and we hope you'll spend some time around the HCC booth helping to promote our programs!

Pete

Thursday, February 22, 2007

NC GIS 2007 - Extra hotel room at conference rate

I overbooked hotel rooms for the conference and have one extra at the Benton Convention Center for the $99.00 + tax conference rate. If you know anyone that would like to use it, let me know ASAP! I need to cancel no later than Saturday evening! The block of conference rooms have been sold out so if anyone missed out I'll be glad to transfer this room to you.

kennedy.pete(at)gmail.com

Check out the conference agenda and other info here ==>
http://www.cgia.state.nc.us/Default.aspx?alias=www.cgia.state.nc.us/ncgis2007

Monday, February 19, 2007

beer + gis = good

the next gathering is this week...

The first revival event of the GIS Beer Sessions collected a group of about 15 folks last month. We fought for tables and chairs but for the most part people found a seat. We will be shifting the venue to Jack of the Wood (JOW), the old stomping grounds.

The whole purpose of this is to visit with everyone so make a point to change tables, introduce yourself to new faces and enjoy.

GIS BEER FEBRUARY SESSION


DATE: Thursday, February 22nd
TIME: 5:15pm to about 6:30-7:00pm or whenever you leave.
PLACE: Jack of the Woods (JOW)
West Side of the Pub.
SNACKS: by Resource Data
BuyYourOwnBeer & Diners


Please invite your GIS friends but send us their email address so we can put them on the list. Send email addresses to Leo Klausmann at leklausm@yahoo.com

Always Drink Responsibly, Walk to the Pub, Take the Bus Home.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Great Volunteer Opportunity - Mapping Haiti Salt Ponds

Haiti Salt Ponds - image courtesy of google earth

VOLUNTEERS: Some of you will remember Demeter Russafov, he was the GIS analyst for Alan Lange in NC Community Development a few years back. He is now in Haiti with AMURT (http://amurt.net/haiti/index.html). His associate, Ewan Bloomfield is initiating a GIS/GPS study to help redevelop salt ponds in Haiti. I am trying to get some GPS coordinates of the region in Haiti so we can locate the areas on Google Earth. Anyway they need paying volunteers (buy your own plane ticket) to help map out the salt ponds and related infrastructure and resources. Hopefully we will get more details about this opportunity on the WNC GIS Blog soon.

from Ewan:

At the moment we do not have funds to pay for flights to Haiti, but we can cover all transportation, accomodation and food costs while here. I am not surethat we can promise more than that at this time, but I can vouch that the experience here is very worthwhile for anyone brave enough!!!

Ewan

PS I hope that we will be able to get the info from the Ministry by next week.

Welcome to the WNC GIS blog

NEW WNC GIS BLOG: I am hoping that by the time the email reminder goes out (a day or so before the beer session) we will have a BLOG on the web. Pete Kennedy (Haywood Community College-GIS) is our Western North Carolina GIS Blog Master. We hope to have the blog up and running in the next few days. I do not know how any of this works but if you have any questions ask Pete .