Gis?

[ChrisJB]

Dear folks,

In lots of advertised conservation/countryside jobs, I frequently see, 'knowledge of GIS systems required'. What is GIS? All I have been able to find out thus far is that it stands for 'Geographical Information Systems'. What are these systems and how can I gain knowledge in them to improve any job applications? Am I just being a dimwit?

When I worked as a ranger a few years ago I never came across them.

Regards, Chris

[helen253]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geograp...rmation_system

just until someone who knows more about it comes online...sounds devilishly complex...

[thunder]

GIS systems are computer programmes based on maps, where you can overlay, for (a very simple) example, the contour maps and maps of the houses and then make predictions on who is at risk of flooding from river level rises or from sea level rises. You can map distributions of species (assuming you have good distribution data) with soil maps and see what grows where, and predict where you might find new localities. Anything you can put on a map you can put into GIS, and make very complex models. I've never used them in anger (life is too short!), but that's a simple description. No doubt someone will come on and explain them much better than I can!

henrya

[ChrisJB]

Blimey, perhaps I should pursue a different career change!

Regards, Chris

[almostnormal]

whilst i am giving my wrists a break from playing at samurai on the wii (and whilst we refuel with pepsi), i'll give you a quick low down. GIS or Geographical Information Systems to those of who want to sound posh, are fantastic little programs that use OS digital maps as a base for all kinds of useful applications, as thunder said. the basics are that each system has a series of layers which are overlayed to create a complete picture. you can use GIS to map individual records, outline areas of importance, show flooding (as already mentioned) etc. in some of the more complicated ones you can upload layers which show aerial photo's, sssi's, locally designated sites, limestone paving orders, sac's, spa's, bap habitats, bap species records etc. you can also get LIDAR data from EA to upload. but thats all beside the point. basic layers are a coastal outline, the maptiles (each OS map has a unique code,eg sd44), a 10km grid and a cosmetic layer. the one i use most regularly is called mapinfo and it is super user friendly does lots of stuff and is really easy to get the hang off (i managed it, and i'm not the brightest spark out there ). best way to get some experience is to find a conservation organisation that needs a GIS volunteer, and believe me there will be lots of those, because its generally disliked quite a lot, as one of those tedious little things that has to be done. i on the other hand am an oddball and find the whole mapping process quite cathartic. but don't panic, i promise its not nearly as complex as it sounds! any hoo, my apologies about the rambling, hope this helps, sarah.

[svenrufus]

My way of understanding/explaining GIS is that it is in fact just a database -the only difference from the usual ones we are more familiar with is the way in which it presents the data searched for.

There is nothing particularly complex about them if you are reasonably confident with IT in general. In the same way with all software, you can get to grips with the basics pretty quickly, but it takes longer, practice, and experience to be really good at it.

Depending on where you want your career to go, I wouldn't be to worried about it - people I have seen using it seem never to get out of the office. That is not why I work in the conservation sector.

[Dan Salter]

Had my first experience of GIS today printing off boundary maps of the Kent Wildlife trust reserves....Everyone assures me its fairly easy (when you know how)..but i havent really had a proper session yet.

[ChrisJB]

Thanks everyone,

I feel better now! It sounds great as I love maps, but I'm only used to paper ones. I've seen OS map software in outdoor shops like Cotswold. Would it be worth my while buying any of these to help and for my own personal use for that matter?

Regards, Chris

[svenrufus]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

Thanks everyone,

I feel better now! It sounds great as I love maps, but I'm only used to paper ones. I've seen OS map software in outdoor shops like Cotswold. Would it be worth my while buying any of these to help and for my own personal use for that matter?

Regards, Chris

The OS Map Software won't prepare you for GIS in anyway shape or form. I haven't bothered with buying any of that stuff - I find that the trusty paper map is good enough, occasionally combined with the GPS to be sure that I am where I expect to be.

[eeyore]

i'd second that - for the first time in my career (15 years or so) my job includes using CAMS (countryside access managemt system - which is very similar to gis but runs off map info) and nothing prepares you for it except for getting stuck in and doing it

its a great package when it works and a total pigs nest when it doesnt - which is often. but you just have to get into it and do what you can.

as far as jobs go knowledge of these systems isnt generally a make or break anyway - for my current role it was a desirable but when asked at interview I said i had no experience of GIS or CAMS but was good with computers and a fast learner (citing my photoshop experience as an example) and they gave me the job anyway.

[CamDiver]

A lot of things sound daunting when we know nothing about them. If anyone applies themself they can learn. The human brain is an amazing thing. We are so able to do so much more than we think. It just takes drive, determination and willpower.

Best of luck with that career change,
Mark.

[namisan]

Hello

for a starter guide try this link http://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/its/i...ides/61GIS.pdf it gives you a basic guide on how to make a simple map.

[ChrisJB]

Thanks everyone. I also found a kind of numpties tutorial thing on the O.S site as well. Unfortunately it went to 1+1 kind of stuff into differential calculus mode in the blink of an eye!

Regards, Chris

[Chiltern Chris]

Hi Chris,

It really depends what you want to do in Conservation. If you want to be a Countryside Ranger or field ecologist then GIS may not be too important but if you want to join an ecological consultancy, an ecological records centre or a government agency like Defra, Regional Assemblies, Natural England or the Environment Agency then it’s far more important. GIS systems are now obsessively used by these organisations for report writing and strategies, which although boring to many, are the only way to justify public expenditure or to influence important plans like the Regional Development Strategies or Local Development Documents e.g. I’m presently writing a BAP habitat creation strategy to ensure that the Agency I work for can secure funds over the next 10 years for major conservation projects and the strategy is very GIS dependant.

So if you want to get into Conservation planning GIS is an important skill but just as important the data for GIS will always rely on good field ecologists who may have no GIS skills at all. This isn’t an either or situation anyway, I’m only a half decent (my opinion) conservation bureaucrat because I spent my first 15 years after graduating in the field everyday, so I thought I understood what I was talking about. I’d always employ a good ecologist and send them on a GIS training course rather than someone with lots of training with little experience in the field.

Cheers, Chris

[ChrisJB]

To be honest Chris, I'm not entirely sure which direction I want to take as yet. I just seemed to see G.I.S mentioned a fair bit when browsing through jobs. When I worked as a ranger previously, I was mainly in the field and enjoyed that aspect of the job, so perhaps if I aim to spend more time in the field, like you say, G.I.S might not be of the greatest importance to me.

My current career change investigations are focussing on Public Rights of Way and access. Before (and if) I take the plunge and leave teaching, I want to be as informed as possible on which direction to take and whether or not I need to undertake a postgraduate distance learning course. And, as a teacher, I need to explore the sphere of Environmental Education as well.

Anyway, thanks for your input, it's been really helpful.

Regards, Chris

[JonSadler]

A GIS is a spatially referenced database. It is really just a computer programme and if you are happy with computers and like playing around you'll be able to sort out the basics pretty easily. For more training you'll need a course. Try the OU or even log into the ESRI website - they run on-line tutorials for a fee. Also the OS website is worth a look. Or as suggested by others do some voluntary work at a wildlife trust or something similar. If you go it alone you'll need the software and access to digital data (not cheap). The software is very cheap for education users but I don't know about individual licenses.
Good luck
Jon