2001 Scgis Annual Report

2001 Scgis Annual Report (from Convis, 2001 "Conservation Geography", Chapter 10, "International")

xHistory xReport xScgis x2001

Introduction

The final section of Conservation Geography is devoted to the work of the all-volunteer Society for Conservation GIS. Founded in 1995, it is the primary source of support, help, guidance, and mentorship for hundreds of struggling nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations around the world. The map (above) shows the location of the current SCGIS members and projects, active in dozens of countries, with new chapters forming every year. Also featured here is a message from the SCGIS persident and an account of the scholarship grants program. Featured too is a list of the recipients in 2001, when the program doubled in size thanks to help from two new donors, the Infodev Program and the Ecology Center, Montana.

Message from the SCGIS President, 2001

Eric Treml, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationeric.treml@noaa.gov

Over the past three years, I have had the opportunity to experience the Society from several different levels: general member, member of the board of directors, and now as president of SCGIS. I am constantly and consistently reminded of the dedication to conservation, the enthusiasm in helping our global community, and the high quality conservation GIS work characteristic of our members. This book is a product of such efforts and I’d like to thank all of the contributors for making this, and future editions, a reality. Briefly, I’d like to share with you my thoughts on where SCGIS is headed this year. I believe this is a pivotal year for the Society, one which will be both challenging and rewarding. As the Society continues to grow, we need to remain focused on our mission and dedicated to accomplishing our goals as stated in the SCGIS Strategic Plan. Within the next several months, some of our highest priorities include the annual conference, development of the executive director position, completing a more robust long-term strategic plan, building a solid Society infrastructure, securing additional funding, and improving communication between the board, staff, and general membership. Undoubtedly, there will be plenty of opportunities for more members to join in and help shape SCGIS throughout this next year.

A Trip Around the World with the SCGIS International Community

Roberta Pickert, SCGIS International Committee RPickert@archbold-station.org

On Thanksgiving eve, SCGIS members Kai Snyder, Prashant Hedao, Peter Schlesinger and Roberta Pickert returned from a most successful trip to Khabarovsk, Russia where we attended and spoke at the first Russian Far East SCGIS conference. We were able to witness the birth of the formal Russian Chapter of SCGIS. It truly was a return to the same excitement, intensity, and clear focus of purpose we all experienced during the early 1990s when the SCGIS was first forming. Many hours of discussion and debate ensued while details were worked out, people were cajoled, begged, or bludgeoned into volunteering for the many roles necessary to get this embryonic Russian SCGIS birthed. Sasha Yumakaev, the bright shining star who pulled the far flung (literally from all over Siberia and the Russian Far East) Russians together, patiently kept the debates focused and the spirits high. At the end, thanks to all the participants’ (about sixty conservationists) intense efforts the rules were made and the gauntlet was thrown down for them to make this new Russian SCGIS work. The following points detail progress that was made at the conference itself:

¥ The SCGIS membership form has been translated, thanks to Sasha, into Russian. I am now receiving membership forms from a number of the Russian participants which have been filled out and re-translated into English. As decided by the board we are allowing the Russians free membership this first year and then they will pay if they can. If not they will, of course, still have membership in SCGIS.

¥ The 2001 scholarship announcement and form has been translated into Russian by Sasha and is being distributed among the conference participants. My talk was about SCGIS and about the scholarship program. So I hope we get a number of applications as a result.

¥ RSCGIS has begun a listserv of its own. I am on it though I have to go through this translation program, which is fine. This is also acting as a sort of online newsletter too.

¥ This year’s conference was put together by Mike Beltz and company at The Ecology Center, in Missoula, Montana, with a grant from the Trust for Mutual Understanding. RSCGIS is now looking for a similar grant to front next year’s conference which is already being planned for Kamchatka, Russia.

¥ Several of this year’s participants have already written their papers, had them translated to English, and have sent them to me. I will be forwarding these on to our communications chair for inclusion in a special section of this year’s newsmagazine.

¥ I was also able to bring home all the posters that were presented at the conference. Charles Convis and I will be creating a special section at the ESRI conservation arena for their display and I will be working with Steve Beckwitt to get many of them displayed at the ESRI poster session.

The SCGIS is very proud of this new Russian group. They have worked so hard to pull their first conference together and the coming years will see a lot of hard work and rewarding exchanges as we work together in this new collaboration.

The SCGIS 2001 International Program

Roberta Pickert, SCGIS InternationalCommitteeRPickert_@archbold-station.org

Through our International Scholarship Program we attract professionals involved in conservation around the world using GIS and digital mapping technology. The SCGIS training courses we offer are scheduled around the SCGIS and ESRI annual conferences. These activities have been carried out successfully over the past three years, training nearly a hundred students to date. Specialized training is conducted in collaboration with the ESRI Conservation Program, University of California James San Jacinto Mountains Biological Reserve, and University of Redlands, California. These organizations have supported us by providing the infrastructure including computer lab space and equipment, ESRI Users Conference registration fee waivers, by hosting the training programs, granting training fee waivers, and providing software and hardware to organizations that display exceptional capacity and have financial need. This year, thanks to new funding sources, we have expanded our scholarship program to include nearly thirty grantees from seventeen countries.

The following list includes the scholars accepted into our 2001 program:

Students sponsored directly by the SCGIS:

Lizz WandagPalawan NGO Network, Inc. Zanzibar Building Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City 5300, Palawan

Peter Potapov e-mail: p_potapov@rambler.ruGreenpeace RussiaNovaya Bashilovka Str., 6Moscow 101428, GSP-4Russia

Olga Hernandeze-mail: olhernandez@wwf.org.coWWF–ColombiaCarrera 35 #4A-25San Fernando, CaliValle del CaucaColombia

Lawrence Luhangae-mail: nature50@hotmail.comMalawi Ornithological SocietyMalawi

Alexander Yumakaeve-mail: yumakaev@ab.ruFund for 21st Century AltaiP.O. Box 845Barnaul, 656015Russia

Yolanda Wiersmae-mail: ywiersma@uoguelph.caUniversity of GuelphDepartment of Zoology50 Stone Rd. EastGuelph, ON N1G 2W1Canada

Luis Fernando Gomez-Naviae-mail: lfgomez@wwf.org.coWWF–Colombia Program OfficeCr 35 # 4A-25San FernandoCali, ValleColombia

Merin Anak Rayonge-mail: rinely20@yahoo.comSahabat Alam MalaysiaP.O. Box 216Marudi, Sarawak98058Malaysia

Ventzeslav Dimitrove-mail: vdimitrov@space.bas.bgCLEAN WATERSofia-1592P.O. Box #31Sofia 1592Bulgaria

Pascal Andriamanambinae-mail: rubis3@yahoo.comCentre Ecologique LibanonaBox 255Fort-dauphinFort-Dauphin 614Madagascar

Daniel Arancibiae-mail: daniel@wwfperu.org.peWWF–PeruP.O. Box 11-0205 Av. San Felipe 720Jesús MaríaLima 11Perú

Susanna Paisleye-mail: susy.paisley@ioz.ac.ukDurrel Institute of Conservation and EcologyUniversity of KentCanterbury, KentCT2 7NSUK

Andres Moreira-Muñoze-mail: mmunoz@mnhn.clTaller La EraMontana 7516, VitacuraSantiagoChile

Liliana Díaz Riverose-mail: sdiazriv@banrep.gov.coFundación PUIQUICalle 107A #13-75 Barrio Santa PaulaBogotáBogotá, D.C.Colombia

Trina Galido-Isorenae-mail: tgisorena@edsamail.com.phAnthropological Watch46-c Mahusay StreetUP Village, DilimanQuezon CityMetro Manila 1101Philippines

Students sponsored by the Infodev Program (www.infodev.org)

Herbert Tushabee-mail: htushabe@hotmail.com Makerere University Institute of Environment & Natural Resources,PO Box 7298, Kampala - UGANDAJob Title: Data Bank Manager

Jayanta Gangulyemail: joi@auroville.org.inPitchandikulam ForestAuroville, TN, 605101, IndiaJob Title: Systems Analyst

Sreekesh Sreedharan Naire-mail: sreekesh@teri.res.inTERIDarbari Seth Block, Habitat PlaceLodhi Road, New Delhi 110003, INDIAJob Title: Research Associate

Marius Paul Hubert Rakotondratsimae-mail: wcsmad@dts.mgc/o The Wildlife Conservation Society.BP 8500 Antananarivo 101, MadagascarJob Title: Conservation Biologist

Lovasoalalaina Razafimbololonaemail: lalaina_ra@hotmail.comCARE International - MadagascarBP 1677 , Antananarivo 101, MadagascarJob Title: : Design project, monitoring and evaluation in using the GIS.

Mr. Andry Razanajatovoe-mail: andry_raza @hotmail.comCAVEPI - MadagascarBP 816, Antananarivo 101, MadagascarJob Title: : GIS Analyst

Wycliffe Muteroe-mail: : muterow@kws.orgKenya Wildlife Service (KWS) P.O. Box 40241 , Nairobi , KENYA Job Title: : GIS Officer

Leonard K. Mubalamae-mail: radiorm.bukavu@wfp.or.ugCITES/MIKE (Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants)C/o PNKB/GTZ projectBP 86 Cyangugu, RwandaJob Title: : National Elephant Officer

Lucy Chegee-mail: lwaruingi@acc.or.keCountry: Kenya

Students sponsored by the Ecology Center, Missoula, Montana(www.wildrockies.org/teci)

Valery Sinukove-mail: valery@as.khb.ruRussia

Denissov Pavele-mail: siblarus@online.ruRussia

Trigoubovitch Alexeie-mail: siblarus@online.ruRussia

Anna Grocholeviche-mail: astranna@mail.ruRussia