Latest Contributions by LisaBerry

Hi! My name is Lisa Berry and I am a Principal GIS Engineer and Evangelist on the ArcGIS Living Atlas team at Esri. I specialize in all things Living Atlas, ArcGIS Online, Instant Apps, Python, ArcGIS Arcade, and cartography. I have an ArcGIS Blogs page if you ever want to learn more about these topics: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/author/lisa_berry I help manage the Living Atlas space within Esri Community, so please feel free to drop your questions and suggestions so that I can help guide you to a Living Atlas expert. Also check out the blogs within the Living Atlas space to stay up-to-date on the latest Living Atlas content! ... View more

Humans are fundamentally social creatures. Our reliance on social interaction is deeply rooted in aspects like sharing resources and building communities for the sake of health and cognitive growth. Not surprisingly, these same fundamental concepts exist in the modern-day workplace because it is advantageous to build on each other’s strengths, and work with a symbiotic approach for us to all be successful alongside each other. This is a strong reason why working with others through mentorship can not only enhance our career growth but also allow us to build a strong network and expand our skill sets. My name is Lisa Berry, and I am a Principal GIS Engineer and Evangelist for the ArcGIS Living Atlas team at Esri. In this blog I will share with you 5 tips on how to approach mentorship within your GIS career so that you can boost your interpersonal network. Career and Mentorship   As soon as I found GIS during a random college course, I knew I wanted to dive into mapping and analytics with all of my energy, but I didn’t know where to start or where to go next. But thanks to the mentors I found along the way, I have been able to navigate an every-growing industry of technology and changes and found my place within it, described in the graphic below: I have now been at Esri for 12 years, and huge part of my personal and career growth has been a direct result of the mentorship I’ve received over the years. Without the advice, knowledge, and insight that others have brought to me, I wouldn’t have known how to approach the changes and obstacles I’ve faced over the years. I have been grateful to have found successful, inspiring GIS professionals who have shared their wisdom with me over the years. In my early career, I was only seeking mentorship, but over the years I have also begun to mentor others using the things I have learned. HOWEVER, I will always continue to seek out my existing mentors and find new mentors, because life is unpredictable and always brings new challenges. Just because I now mentor others, doesn’t mean that I suddenly know everything. The technology within the field of GIS is always changing/growing, so we as GIS professionals often need to do the same to keep up. This is yet another reason mentorship is so critical. Anywhere along your career path or schooling, you can run into challenges, big or small. A few examples of some of my own challenges that you might relate to: How can I find a job? I need help with a difficult situation/person I don’t know how to achieve a goal I have, or how to acquire the skills I need   Explore the 5 Tips   To help you as you consider your own place within the mentorship cycle, I offer these 5 tips for navigating your journey: Let’s dive into these a bit. Explore each tip and some extra thoughts for approaching each one: 1. Find the right mentor(s) Don’t be afraid to ask! People are usually honored when asked to mentor, but be aware that sometimes people might just be too busy. Cast a wide net when looking for mentors        Connect with people inside of your immediate circle like your teachers, teammates, manager, or fellow students.         Connect with people outside of your team. Even if their path is different than yours, you can still learn new skills or perspectives. Ask potential mentors what motivates them. Find someone with your shared level of passion. Be clear about expectations/commitment (are you looking for a lot of their time or just casual monthly meetups to chat and talk about career path and ask advice?) Find multiple mentors 2. Create consistency Set up regular meetups/chats to stay on the same page Show initiative by following up and thanking them for their time Touch base often – don’t go a year without reaching out Conversations don’t have to be formal every time. Sometimes a casual chat over coffee can go a long way to build a relationship Show up to your conversations with at least one question about career path or advice you’re looking for Be respectful of their time. People are busy! Don’t bombard someone with constant messages or expect immediate responses. 3. Establish interdependence Ask questions:        Have you faced a similar situation?         What was your personal experience?         Can you share any advice on XYZ topic? While communicating your situation and goals is important, make sure to spend a majority of the time listening. Evaluate how their advice or experience can help you with your path Build trust through shared vulnerability. Share what you’re comfortable sharing, but provide enough context for them to help truly understand where you’re coming from. Learn and grow from critique. Don’t take criticism personally, but as a chance to grow from the advice. It is coming from a place of experience, not an attack. 4. Build your network Find people with related skills outside of your expertise and offer to help others on projects. And don’t be afraid to ask them for help in the future. When working with mentors (or anyone!), build rapport. Do so by meeting deadlines, showing up with a positive attitude, and  do good work that speaks for itself. Say yes! Join projects and initiatives that are outside of your comfort zone but teach you new skills. You will meet new people that may be critical to your career path down the line. Expand your influence. Participate on LinkedIn, publish articles or blogs, try giving presentations about your subject matter, keep your resume up to date, and join communities that resonate with you. 5. Become a mentor! The best way to learn, is to teach! Once you find yourself being asked questions by someone, ask if you can help them in any other ways. This can be a great way to start a mentorship. Use your own experiences but learn how to listen. Identify what they need in their situation and align this with what you’ve learned without making the conversation about yourself. As Esri’s CEO Jack Dangermond suggests: “be interested, not interesting” Note: bonus tip # 6 – repeat the process! Think of this as a cyclical process, since we are always gaining new skills, meeting new people with different experiences, and changing our daily lives. Part of the fun is that just because you become a mentor doesn’t mean you stop learning! To help us wrap up, this graphic helps summarize the entire process a cycle: Final Thoughts   To summarize, remember that your network is your strength. Your image is self-created, self-established, and self-built. Every project, every interaction (no matter how big or small) could make the difference between stalled progress and a jumpstart to your career. And ultimately, never stop learning and looking for mentorship.    Use Your Resources There are many ways to find mentors and build your network! Check out these resources to kickstart your journey today: Join your local YPN chapter Find your local user group Attend GIS events Get involved on LinkedIn Keep up with the latest updates in ArcGIS Get hands on experience - Learn ArcGIS Plan for lifelong learning - Esri Academy ... View more

Oil spills from ships, tanker accidents, and offshore platforms have been a global concern for marine ecosystems, coastal communities, and fisheries. Early identification of oil spills is essential for guiding effective response efforts, minimizing environmental damage, and reducing economic losses. This tutorial helps step you through how to use ready-to-use ArcGIS Living Atlas Sentinel-1 imagery to detect and map oil spills. Read the blog by @SamiraDaneshgar here.  ... View more

Do you have a layer that’s rich with attribute information, but you are conflicted about which one to display, or maybe you want to show two of them together? If you are in this situation, a bivariate map may be the answer for you. Check out this quick blog by @EmilyMeriam1 and @AndrewSkinner to learn more about how these maps can be built using ArcGIS Living Atlas in ArcGIS Pro. ... View more

Each decade after the new Census is released, Esri rebuilds Tapestry from the ground up to capture a decade’s worth of sociodemographic shifts. A comparison between the last iteration of Tapestry and the current system is made to help understand the contributions of previous segments to the formation of new segments. This article is here to help you transition smoothly so you can easily identify the new segments and make the most of the new ArcGIS Tapestry for your organizational strategies.  For the full article by @SangitaVashi, click here.   ... View more

For all those who have asked for more specific language data in Living Atlas, we heard you! Thank you for bringing this up at the booth at the user conferences, in questions during webinars, and in other channels. We are proud to announce that one of the newest items available in Living Atlas is a feature layer of over 100 languages spoken across the United States. To learn more about the layer, maps, and apps that can be used as-is or customized for your needs, visit this blog by @DianaLavery1 for more information. If you are interested in having this item updated on an annual basis when new ACS PUMS data is available, let us know! ... View more

This blog article introduces a new ArcGIS Living Atlas layer that visualizes U.S. electricity rates from 2000–2024 to show how rising demand from data centers and AI intersects with broader rate trends. It highlights nominal and inflation-adjusted changes, regional variations, and uses hexagon grids for clearer mapping, helping planners, policymakers, and researchers understand evolving electricity cost patterns. To learn more about the methodology and how to access the layer and pre-configured maps, visit this blog by Steven Aviles.  ... View more

The Aqueduct 4.0 Global Water Risk dataset from the World Resources Institute (WRI) is now available in ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World. Map with color coding. Aqueduct 4.0 translates complex hydrological model outputs from PCR-GLOBWB 2 into intuitive water risk indicators at HydroSHEDS v1 level 6, with aggregations at provincial, state, and national levels. This comprehensive framework assesses both current conditions and future projections of water resources to inform decision-making. For more information about this dataset and how to map it within ArcGIS, visit the full blog by @EmilyMeriam1 and @GonzaloEspinoza-Davalos here.  ... View more

How the next Census could reshape the Congressional Landscape Every decade, the U.S. Census provides updated population counts that directly impact the allocation of political representation. Following the 2030 Census, the fixed total of 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives will be redistributed among the 50 states through a process known as apportionment.  Over the last 20 years, Esri has leveraged its Esri Updated Demographics population estimates to forecast congressional seat allocations in anticipation of the decennial U.S. Census. To learn more about Esri Demographics' projections and how they coincide with the upcoming Census, visit this blog by Esri's Chief Demographer @KyleRCassal, @JimHerries, and @AlexHenesy.  ... View more

The CHELSA bioclimate projections in the Living Atlas have been incredibly popular with the GIS community, and now we have enhanced the collection to include Growing Degree Days above 10 °C, Net Primary Productivity, Snow Cover Days, and Snow Water Equivalent. The new layers provide crucial insights into the future impact of climate change on ecosystems and human wellbeing. The new layers include projections for the early, mid, and late 21st century under several greenhouse gas scenarios (SSPs). As we continue to expand and refine our data collection, we invite everyone to leverage this resource for their work in climate science and environmental management. To learn more about accessing the layer and to see change over time examples, check out this blog by @EmilyMeriam1 and Raf Antwerpen.  ... View more

A new climate projection layer is now available in ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World: Global Seasonal Change Projections. This dataset offers a new look at how the timing of spring, summer, fall, and winter is expected to change across the globe through the end of the 21st century. To learn more about accessing the layer and to see change over time examples, check out this blog by @EmilyMeriam1 and Raf Antwerpen.  ... View more

Did you know that Living Atlas Elevation Layers are updated quarterly with high-resolution elevation data from federal agencies, open sources, and the Community Maps Program? These updates are used within the Terrain, TopoBathy, and Basemap items, which improve your maps and visualizations of elevation across ArcGIS. To see some of the newest lidar-derived updates for this release, check out this blog  by @RajinderNagi. ... View more

The National Land Cover Database (NLCD) has long been the standard for land cover mapping in the United States. This year, the USGS announced a major advancement in land cover mapping with the release of the Annual NLCD products. Harnessing the full Landsat data record, Annual NLCD provides a scientific suite of land cover data from 1985 to present. The data products are the result of a confluence of methodologies from past land cover projects together with modern innovations in geospatial deep learning technologies to create the next generation of land cover and land change information. Esri and the ArcGIS Living Atlas team are providing accessibility to this data in the form of a ready-to-use imagery layer and a web mapping application, the NLCD Land Cover Explorer. Change analysis is essential to deriving information from a land cover time series. One of the foremost capabilities of this app is dynamic change analysis, providing dynamic visual and statistical change across annual slices of the NLCD Land Cover data archive. To read the full guide, visit this blog by @RobertWaterman. ... View more