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Nature Network 09/08/08 Biodiversity Atlas Meeting
Nature Network
Meeting on a Biodiversity Atlas for the NY-NJ-CT Metropolitan Region 09/09/08
Host: Bill Solecki, CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities
Agenda: John Mickelson
Attendees:
Action Items
Minutes
Introductions
Website host
John: CERC at Columbia University, partially funded by Ted Kheel, contracted with CIESIN to build a prototype NY biodiversity database. It still exists, and we can still have access to it. One downside though would likely be high overhead. The site lists regional research projects and links to maps and a catalog of those biological projects There are several web-based mapping and data portals being built and in many ways it’d be silly for us to “reinvent the wheel” Establishing a partnership with one of these could be our best option. One of the best (in my opinion) is. Landscope—a partnership between Nature Serve (the data branch of the Nature Conservancy) and the National Geographic Society.. It would likely cost between about $100,000-$150,000 to develop a local project of our own, using their servers, approach and technology, filled in with pertinent data from our region.. I have had initial talks with them and several other possible regional partners (e.g., NY Natural Heritage Program).. : This Atlas Working Group should set up subcommittees on content, funding and spatial footprint.
Bill Shore: OASIS another possible host website--operating out of the CUNY Graduate School, now mainly covers NYC but is extending out and has expressed willingness to extend further.
Who are our audiences and what should we provide them?
David: (1) scientists in government agencies and corporations and planners, (2) decision makers in government and business and community leaders and (3) the general public
Steve: These audiences can use Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s plant database to understand changes in the NYC area, plan conservation activities, identify species that are declining, ask generic questions about urban environment. Layered data on maps allows consideration of associated data. We need a timetable--identify products that can be completed in a couple years. Birds?
John: We could start with birds, relating them to habitat quality. We need two fund components: (1) start-up money to build the data base and (2) $100,000 to maintain the data base. After we post bird data, we should educate people on how to use the website.
Steve: Brooklyn Botanic Garden has an on-line data base, but Nature Network’s will add users and different map layers, e.g., plants related to birds related to development.
John: Different groups have different data formats. To integrate them is difficult but a value added. Data providers will want credit.
Liz: The Museum of Natural History can provide historic specimen data.
David: There also are extensive herps and butterfly data.
Bill Solecki: The Atlas would be used by specialists, but it also should attract people to the issues, like Chicago Wilderness. We need to better catalogue existing searchable databases not only within our group but also with all groups in the Region. Our website should be considered the principal environmental data source. The CUNY Institute can do an extensive survey of what’s out there. Habitat value or condition, a single layer, composed by a group, would be a good start—interesting a wide range of people. Let’s get one layer, whether habitat or birds.
David: Several different layers of value. Richness, abundance, getting people attached to nature. Will developers use low values as justification for development? Showing interaction of humans and nature would be valuable.
Margaret: NJ has Landscape project data and lots of bird data. The uniqueness of Nature Network is relating nature to urban areas.
Steve: NY Natural Heritage Program has been conducting habitat-value surveys and identifying rare communities. Relating rare communities to proximity to people would be valuable.
John: We should develop a Wiki for the Atlas and develop a metric of sustainability for terrestrial uplands systems, indices of biological integrity, a state of the Region measured by locality.
David: We can start with birds as a model; many species need large areas.
Bill Solecki: It should be of interest to our members. We should post on the Wiki a catalogue of what exists.
Steve: The atlas should contribute to environmental justice and to citizen science.
Erica: How can we make the neighborhood disparities in nature apparent and relate them to public health to inform policy makers? We’re interested in an Equity Atlas, such as Portland, Oregon, has done. Can we replicate that?
John: Google maps are free so equity can easily be layered.
David: Include pollution.
Lisa: We should bring in CT and NJ.
Bill Shore: and LI.
Steve: Strategically, we should adopt a theme and approach to persuade the public this will be valuable.
Margaret: Can we sell it as unique?
John: The data layers will enable us to tell useful stories, though we should start with one layer.
Lisa: Make it applicable to people’s backyards. A range of people will want to use it—political people, managers, scientists. I have compiled 120 data sets now 3-4 years old; how can they be sued?
Steve: Brooklyn Botanic Garden data are already mapped; Museum of Natural History data are not mapped. We as a group should find what’s at NY Botanical garden and Rutgers and use the Breeding Bird Atlas on Google Earth. The value added for me come from the layers and links.
Erin: Use it to show where there is a deficit of nature. The Bronx as a whole has a lot of natural areas, but broken down by neighborhoods there is inequity.
Partners?
John: We should have a subcommittee consider the several data content types we might use and include as well as discuss the pros\cons of the different existing map services: Landscope, OASIS, Oceans and Great Lakes, Google Earth etc and let people comment via the Wiki.
Steve: We could put examples of each on the Wiki.
John: There should be a conference of the operators of these programs. I’d like to set one up for March/April of next year.
SUMMARY FROM NATHANIEL EISEN
What are the main purposes of an Atlas? Why is our project unique? What is needed?
I. Lisa Garrity: Particularity: Start with people’s backyards or blocks.
II. Bill Solecki: Tool for people trying to protect natural environments in Metro Region.
III. Bill Shore will create framework for this question, turn it into a fundraising document.
IV. David Burg: Have it be a Nature Network document and give credit to the groups that collected the data.
Who are we considering partnering with?
1) Landscope (Nat’l Geographic)
2) NBII (through CIESIN, LDEO)
3) Oasis
4) Oceans and Great Lakes
What are our Models?
Google Earth IUCN Portland Equity Atlas Green Maps Chicago Wilderness Biodiversity Atlas.
What are our criteria for whom to partner with?
I. Bill Solecki: Partnering with an entity is appropriate and strengthens organization. Time commitment is large, need to partner.
II. Bill Shore: Between Oasis and Nature Conservancy/National Geographic (Landscope)
III. John: National Geographic people are very interested in developing a local franchise.
IV. Bill Solecki: Oasis is locally well known - Effectiveness in building regional connection - Theme and approach that will meet public approval.
Where will we get funding?
- The educational realm
- National Geographic?
>Connect it to quadricentennial of Hudson’s arrival?
Specific assignments:
John: Assemble a sub-committee to frame a decision about the partner data structure
Bill Shore: Framework for everyone to introduce concerns
Bill Solecki and Jason Nu: Put 5 points on Wiki
Develop forward looking report for October 22nd at Cornell.
Liz: E-mail survey to everyone of what different groups want.????.
Next Meeting: October 22nd at Cornell.
AGENDA
Nature Network
Meeting on a Biodiversity Atlas for the NY-NJ-CT Metropolitan Region
Host: Bill Solecki, CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities
Agenda: John Mickelson
Expected Attendance:
David Burg, Steve Clemants, Susan Elbin (SP?), Lisa Garrison, Erin Jarvis, Liz Johnson (Speaker Phone) Erica Johnson, Don McCrimmon (SP), John Mickelson (SP), Margaret O’Gorman, Deborah Popper, Janine Selendy, Bill Shore, Bill Solecki, Jaime Stein, Nellie Tsipoura
AGENDA
PART I (NEW)
- If a Nature Network Atlas project is adopted, what would you like your agency’s part to be in it?
- What would you like to get out of it?
- What time\resources would you have to contribute?
- How much would those depend on funds for your time?
PART II
One of the main things I want to do in our NN "Atlas"
conversation, is to help ensure that the nature, content, audience
served and general utility of any project is sufficiently unique and
functionally different from the wide and rapidly growing array of
current online services.
I think it'd be wise for us to identify the following, in order to
more effectively approach a project:
What are the main purposes of an "Atlas"?
Who are our target audience(s)?
What data do we see being included (ranked: 1.Critical, 2.Important,
3. Useful.)
Where would it be hosted?
What would a reasonable budget be\resources needed?
What on-going resources are available to maintain it over the
long-term? How will we identify\obtain start-up\development funds?
Meeting on a Biodiversity Atlas for the NY-NJ-CT Metropolitan Region 09/09/08
Host: Bill Solecki, CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities
Agenda: John Mickelson
Attendees:
| In person: | On speakerphone: |
| David Burg | Susan Elbin |
| Steve Clemants | Liz Johnson |
| Nathanial Eisen | Don McCrimmon |
| Lisa Garrison | John Mickelson |
| Erin Jarvis (Sustainable South Bronx) | Nellie Tsipoura |
| Erica Johnson (Sustainable South Bronx) | |
| Margaret O'Gorman | |
| Jason Nu | |
| Deborah Popper | |
| Bill Shore | |
| Bill Solecki |
Action Items
| Task | Person/s responsible |
| 1. Put up 9/8/08 meeting minutes / summary on wiki | Jason Nu, Nathanial Eisen, Bill Shore, Everybody |
| 2. Create workspace on wiki for atlas project action items | Jason Nu, Everybody |
| 3. Create and populate a list of existing map and data sources | Everybody, John Mickelson, Bill Solecki, Jason Nu, |
| 4. Discuss whether to partner with an existing mapmaking entity, discuss who to partner with, criteria for partnering, etc. | Everybody |
| 5. Discuss what thematic elements to include in the atlas. What makes the Nature Network atlas unique? How do we create a value-added product? | Everybody |
| 6.Discuss and identify potential funding sources | Everybody |
| 7. Provide information on previous surveys of what users might want out of a Nature Network atlas | John Mickelson, Everybody |
| 8. Post a fund proposal framework to which everyone can add | Bill Shore and John Mickelson |
Minutes
Introductions
Website host
John: CERC at Columbia University, partially funded by Ted Kheel, contracted with CIESIN to build a prototype NY biodiversity database. It still exists, and we can still have access to it. One downside though would likely be high overhead. The site lists regional research projects and links to maps and a catalog of those biological projects There are several web-based mapping and data portals being built and in many ways it’d be silly for us to “reinvent the wheel” Establishing a partnership with one of these could be our best option. One of the best (in my opinion) is. Landscope—a partnership between Nature Serve (the data branch of the Nature Conservancy) and the National Geographic Society.. It would likely cost between about $100,000-$150,000 to develop a local project of our own, using their servers, approach and technology, filled in with pertinent data from our region.. I have had initial talks with them and several other possible regional partners (e.g., NY Natural Heritage Program).. : This Atlas Working Group should set up subcommittees on content, funding and spatial footprint.
Bill Shore: OASIS another possible host website--operating out of the CUNY Graduate School, now mainly covers NYC but is extending out and has expressed willingness to extend further.
Who are our audiences and what should we provide them?
David: (1) scientists in government agencies and corporations and planners, (2) decision makers in government and business and community leaders and (3) the general public
Steve: These audiences can use Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s plant database to understand changes in the NYC area, plan conservation activities, identify species that are declining, ask generic questions about urban environment. Layered data on maps allows consideration of associated data. We need a timetable--identify products that can be completed in a couple years. Birds?
John: We could start with birds, relating them to habitat quality. We need two fund components: (1) start-up money to build the data base and (2) $100,000 to maintain the data base. After we post bird data, we should educate people on how to use the website.
Steve: Brooklyn Botanic Garden has an on-line data base, but Nature Network’s will add users and different map layers, e.g., plants related to birds related to development.
John: Different groups have different data formats. To integrate them is difficult but a value added. Data providers will want credit.
Liz: The Museum of Natural History can provide historic specimen data.
David: There also are extensive herps and butterfly data.
Bill Solecki: The Atlas would be used by specialists, but it also should attract people to the issues, like Chicago Wilderness. We need to better catalogue existing searchable databases not only within our group but also with all groups in the Region. Our website should be considered the principal environmental data source. The CUNY Institute can do an extensive survey of what’s out there. Habitat value or condition, a single layer, composed by a group, would be a good start—interesting a wide range of people. Let’s get one layer, whether habitat or birds.
David: Several different layers of value. Richness, abundance, getting people attached to nature. Will developers use low values as justification for development? Showing interaction of humans and nature would be valuable.
Margaret: NJ has Landscape project data and lots of bird data. The uniqueness of Nature Network is relating nature to urban areas.
Steve: NY Natural Heritage Program has been conducting habitat-value surveys and identifying rare communities. Relating rare communities to proximity to people would be valuable.
John: We should develop a Wiki for the Atlas and develop a metric of sustainability for terrestrial uplands systems, indices of biological integrity, a state of the Region measured by locality.
David: We can start with birds as a model; many species need large areas.
Bill Solecki: It should be of interest to our members. We should post on the Wiki a catalogue of what exists.
Steve: The atlas should contribute to environmental justice and to citizen science.
Erica: How can we make the neighborhood disparities in nature apparent and relate them to public health to inform policy makers? We’re interested in an Equity Atlas, such as Portland, Oregon, has done. Can we replicate that?
John: Google maps are free so equity can easily be layered.
David: Include pollution.
Lisa: We should bring in CT and NJ.
Bill Shore: and LI.
Steve: Strategically, we should adopt a theme and approach to persuade the public this will be valuable.
Margaret: Can we sell it as unique?
John: The data layers will enable us to tell useful stories, though we should start with one layer.
Lisa: Make it applicable to people’s backyards. A range of people will want to use it—political people, managers, scientists. I have compiled 120 data sets now 3-4 years old; how can they be sued?
Steve: Brooklyn Botanic Garden data are already mapped; Museum of Natural History data are not mapped. We as a group should find what’s at NY Botanical garden and Rutgers and use the Breeding Bird Atlas on Google Earth. The value added for me come from the layers and links.
Erin: Use it to show where there is a deficit of nature. The Bronx as a whole has a lot of natural areas, but broken down by neighborhoods there is inequity.
Partners?
John: We should have a subcommittee consider the several data content types we might use and include as well as discuss the pros\cons of the different existing map services: Landscope, OASIS, Oceans and Great Lakes, Google Earth etc and let people comment via the Wiki.
Steve: We could put examples of each on the Wiki.
John: There should be a conference of the operators of these programs. I’d like to set one up for March/April of next year.
SUMMARY FROM NATHANIEL EISEN
What are the main purposes of an Atlas? Why is our project unique? What is needed?
I. Lisa Garrity: Particularity: Start with people’s backyards or blocks.
II. Bill Solecki: Tool for people trying to protect natural environments in Metro Region.
III. Bill Shore will create framework for this question, turn it into a fundraising document.
IV. David Burg: Have it be a Nature Network document and give credit to the groups that collected the data.
Who are we considering partnering with?
1) Landscope (Nat’l Geographic)
2) NBII (through CIESIN, LDEO)
3) Oasis
4) Oceans and Great Lakes
What are our Models?
Google Earth IUCN Portland Equity Atlas Green Maps Chicago Wilderness Biodiversity Atlas.
What are our criteria for whom to partner with?
I. Bill Solecki: Partnering with an entity is appropriate and strengthens organization. Time commitment is large, need to partner.
II. Bill Shore: Between Oasis and Nature Conservancy/National Geographic (Landscope)
III. John: National Geographic people are very interested in developing a local franchise.
IV. Bill Solecki: Oasis is locally well known - Effectiveness in building regional connection - Theme and approach that will meet public approval.
Where will we get funding?
- The educational realm
- National Geographic?
>Connect it to quadricentennial of Hudson’s arrival?
Specific assignments:
John: Assemble a sub-committee to frame a decision about the partner data structure
Bill Shore: Framework for everyone to introduce concerns
Bill Solecki and Jason Nu: Put 5 points on Wiki
Develop forward looking report for October 22nd at Cornell.
Liz: E-mail survey to everyone of what different groups want.????.
Next Meeting: October 22nd at Cornell.
AGENDA
Nature Network
Meeting on a Biodiversity Atlas for the NY-NJ-CT Metropolitan Region
Host: Bill Solecki, CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities
Agenda: John Mickelson
Expected Attendance:
David Burg, Steve Clemants, Susan Elbin (SP?), Lisa Garrison, Erin Jarvis, Liz Johnson (Speaker Phone) Erica Johnson, Don McCrimmon (SP), John Mickelson (SP), Margaret O’Gorman, Deborah Popper, Janine Selendy, Bill Shore, Bill Solecki, Jaime Stein, Nellie Tsipoura
AGENDA
PART I (NEW)
- If a Nature Network Atlas project is adopted, what would you like your agency’s part to be in it?
- What would you like to get out of it?
- What time\resources would you have to contribute?
- How much would those depend on funds for your time?
PART II
One of the main things I want to do in our NN "Atlas"
conversation, is to help ensure that the nature, content, audience
served and general utility of any project is sufficiently unique and
functionally different from the wide and rapidly growing array of
current online services.
I think it'd be wise for us to identify the following, in order to
more effectively approach a project:
What are the main purposes of an "Atlas"?
Who are our target audience(s)?
What data do we see being included (ranked: 1.Critical, 2.Important,
3. Useful.)
Where would it be hosted?
What would a reasonable budget be\resources needed?
What on-going resources are available to maintain it over the
long-term? How will we identify\obtain start-up\development funds?
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