Keatings Lagoon shows extensive feral pig damage
Jason comes to grips with the GPS/GIS training and will take the knowledge to apply in the field
Cape York Peninsula Development Association
Satellite technology brings on the ground benefits for mapping Cape York’s environment
Cape York Peninsula Development Association (CYPDA) staff Aaron Crosbie and Tegan Koster, from the Cape York Fire Management Program, travelled to Cooktown in mid-March to deliver training in the use of satellite technology and ArcGIS 9 software as mapping tools for environmental projects.
Christina Howley from the Cape York Marine Advisory Group (CYMAG), and Jason Carroll and Kim Stephan from Annan-Endeavour Catchment Management Group, attended the training and are now applying their newly acquired skills into the field.
CYMAG will use the technology to map seagrass beds in the Cooktown region.
Christina Howley said that the new techniques will allow for greater accuracy in monitoring seagrass beds.
"The training provided has greatly improved the quality of the maps I can produce and this will save us time and allow us to more clearly present the information we are gathering to the community, funding bodies and management organisations."
Jason Carroll is using the technology to plot a pig exclusion fence at Keatings Lagoon (five kilometers south of Cooktown), which is known as 'Mulbabidgee' to the local Gungarde people, for whom it was an important site for hunting and gathering. The important cultural and environmental site is under extreme pressure from feral pigs which are impacting heavily on both animal and plant species.
Working from a map, Jason has taken GPS points around the perimeter of the proposed pig fence and uploaded it into the GIS program. The GPS points are joined in a grown up game of dot-to-dot to create a map for the actual fence line. This data was transferred back to the GPS and taken into the field for 'ground truthing' to ensure that the fence line would have minimal impact on the environment.
Aaron Crosbie said, "This technology saves time and effort in the field and provides a permanent record of projects. As soon as people are shown the benefits and practicality of the technology they quickly learn to apply it in their own context."
The training program was offered to the participants as a part of the service delivery for natural resource management contracts with CYPDA and is available to other interested people on a very reasonable fee for service basis.
Contact Aaron Crosbie on 4031 4312 for more information.
Back to the VoiceLast updated 05 April 2007