FRIENDS OF EDGEWOOD NATURAL PRESERVE
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FRIENDS OF EDGEWOOD NATURAL PRESERVE
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EDGEWOOD MAPPING PROJECT By Bill Korbholz The Friends of Edgewood, in conjunction with Parks Staff and the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of CNPS, have launched a project to map the natural and physical resources of Edgewood. The stated objective of the project is “to produce a resource mapping system to enhance the ability of Edgewood’s managers and stakeholders to manage Edgewood’s resources effectively.” Why a Mapping Project Edgewood’s Master Plan calls for “evaluation and selection of a resource management strategy” and we believe that the definition and implementation of such a strategy cannot be done effectively without an integrated database of site resources that relates those resources to a mapping system. Such a system is commonly referred to as a Geographic Information System, or GIS. Benefits of Producing an Edgewood GIS We believe that a GIS will enable Parks Staff to plan their management activities more effectively: timing trail brushing to minimize damage to native habitats while reducing the spread of non-native seeds; managing erosion control and trail maintenance activities to avoid sensitive habitats; and coordinating resource management activities among various stakeholders (e.g. weed management, bird monitoring, grassland restoration). How You Can Help We think it will take about a year to produce an operational prototype. One of the tasks that we intend to start soon is field data collection, which involves mapping Edgewood’s resources using GPS tracking units (handheld devices that utilize the Global Positioning System of satellites to determine mapping coordinates). We will be forming teams to be trained on and then use these GPS units at Edgewood. If you would like to be involved, contact me. |
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