Mapping Symposium

Gathering data on shoreline use near marine reserves.\Photo courtesy of ODFW.

Anyone interested in how information is being mapped in the field, using a wide range of tools such as smartphones and tablets, is invited to “Symposium by the Sea:  From Field to Table—Stories in Mapping.” The symposium is intended for planners, scientists, journalists, GIS specialists, and anyone else who uses or hopes to use coastal data.  It is sponsored by South Coast GIS User Group, the Oregon Chapter of the Urban-Regional Information Services Association, and the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve.

The event takes place 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6, in the Florence Events Center (715 Quince St.).  Cost is $35; those who register by Sept. 30 will get lunch free.  To register, go here.

The Symposium by the Sea is an annual day of training and professional exchange on the Oregon Coast. This symposium will present stories of how information is being collected and mapped, and will also explore how to create effective maps and how maps can be used to weave data from different sources into compelling stories. People from all fields are invited to share their experiences using mobile devices to collect and present different types of data. The symposium is intended to be less a course in cartography and more an exploration of storytelling, with presentations that approach mapmaking as storytelling, highlight best map-making and story-telling practices, or impart skills and techniques that can help to make visually stunning presentations.  Presenters will be invited to join the audience in a closing panel discussion to consider how various organizations are using smartphones, tablets, and visualization tools and technologies to improve maps and mapping.

For more information, e-mail symposiumbythesea@gmail.com.