The Capital Area Greenbelt GIS Project
This project is funded in part by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through the Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Program
, Grant Number 00-042-032.
Geo
Decisions, a GIS Division of
Gannett Fleming Engineers, Camp Hill, PA ; MapQuest.com,
and Penn State University Data Center, Harrisburg, PA.
Director:
Mary Pat Evans
Londonderry Students collecting GPS data and photograph
identification flags placed in the Paxton Creek by Harrisburg City School
students earlier in the day. The
photographs will be “hot linked” to the GPS point on the Greenbelt map.
Purpose: The Capital Area Greenbelt Association Geographic Information Systems Program (CAG GIS) will introduce a groundbreaking environmental education model designed to promote understanding of the critical role of watersheds and the need to protect all water resources, including the Chesapeake Bay. Focused on the Susquehanna River watershed in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, this project has great potential for replication in other communities. GIS is a powerful technological tool never before used for environmental education in Pennsylvania. The CAG GIS project will provide a new educational prototype for both adults and children. In this new and exciting context, students, teachers and the community will develop increased respect, awareness and knowledge of local watershed issues and their impact on the Chesapeake Bay.
Demonstration and Education About Chesapeake Bay
Protection: School-based
and community-wide education will be provided. The project will also encourage
active, ongoing participation of various community
partners (schools, businesses, and civic organizations) in local watershed
initiatives. Middle school
children, the future managers of our natural resources, and other community
members of all ages will participate. They will use GIS technology as a unique
visual/spatial tool for investigating the complex interrelationships between the
natural environment and the influence of man. The CAG GIS Project will provide a
valuable resource that will include a wealth of information, compiled by project
participants, about the Susquehanna River watershed. GIS users will be able to
ask and answer questions related to the local watershed. Chesapeake Bay Program
priorities addressed include: 1) encouraging community-based activities; 2)
educating the public about actions needed to protect and restore the bay; 3)
encouraging businesses, communities and local governments to practice pollution
prevention; and 4) developing monitoring and data management systems that
produce useful, accessible information.
Londonderry student uses GPS (Global Positioning Systems) to collect latitude and Longitude data about the Capital Area Greenbelt trail.