GWG Second Train the Trainers Workshop

Digitizing the Past and Present for the Future
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Quick Links for GWG Second Train the Trainers Workshop
GWG Second Train the Trainers Workshop Agenda
GWG Second Train the Trainers Workshop Biblio Entries

GWG Second Train the Trainers Workshop Biblio Entries

GWG Second Train the Trainers Workshop Report

Wiki URLs

  1. TTT2 Report - Read all about it
  2. TTT#2 Agenda (this page): http://tinyurl.com/idbTTT2
  3. TTT#2 Logistics: http://tinyurl.com/idbTTT2log
  4. Useful Links
  5. Scenes from TTT2 photos on facebook. Photos by Joanna McCaffrey, Deborah Paul, and Bryan Cody (workshop participant).

iDigBio GWG second Train the Trainers Workshop:
Expanding the Biodiversity Natural History Collections Georeferencing Community

August 12 - 16, 2013 Gainesville, Florida
iDigBio Offices, 105 Classroom Building

The Georeferencing Working Group at iDigBio is pleased to welcome you to the second "Train-the-Trainers" Georeferencing Workshop for Thematic Collections Networks (TCNs), PENs and others in engaged in the digitization of biological collections in the United States. The workshop will cover tools and techniques used to correctly interpret textual location data into spatial descriptions that can be used in mapping and analyses. Participants will learn the fundamentals of georeferencing best practices through a combination of lectures and hands-on exercises, including paper maps, the MaNIS Georeferencing Calculator, GEOLocate, BioGeomancer and online exercises. Special attention will be paid to the specific and unique georeferencing needs of the TCNs and their workflows, protocols and digitization activities.

The Second Train the Trainers Workshop is organized by the iDigBio Georeferencing Working Group (GWG) and hosted by the Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio) HUB, a National Resource Center at the University of Florida and Florida State University. The workshop is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections (ADBC) Programs.

Logistics:

Meet the Participants:

Remote Participation:

Reading Materials and Resources:

  1. Georeferencing Quick Reference Guide
    version 2012-10-08. John Wieczorek, David Bloom, Heather Constable, Janet Fang, Michelle Koo, Carol Spencer, Kristina Yamamoto
  2. Guide to Best Practices for Georeferencing - Chapman, A.D. and J. Wieczorek (eds). 2006
  3. Georeferencing Working Group Training Videos
  4. Georeferencing Incidents from Locality Descriptions and its Applications: a Case Study from Yosemite National Park Search and Rescue Transactions in GIS, 2011, 15(6): 775–793 Authors: Doherty, Guo, Liu, Wieczorek, Doke
  5. iDigBio Georeferencing Wiki http://tinyurl.com/idbgeowiki
  6. HerpNET Georeferencing Resources
  7. Pre Workshop Survey Questions and Summary Results
  8. Group Notes - Take Workshop Notes Together Here
    1. short url to group notes http://tinyurl.com/ttt2notes
  9. [Post - Workshop Survey Questions]
  10. Got a Georeferencing Question? Post it at the iDigBio Georeferencing Forum
  11. TTT2 Course Topics Summary List with participant presenters listed.

Bring your Datasets and Laptops:


Participants are strongly encouraged to bring representative datasets from their collections that need georeferencing to expose everyone to the variety of locality data georeferencing issues and give the experts and participants a chance to work together to address any challenges.

Participants must bring their own laptops and everyone will have wired access to facilitate the best possible workshop experience.

Wireless / Wired Access Issues:

Both wired and wireless access provided to workshop participants. Connectivity instructions will be provided at the workshop. Kevin Love, iDigBio IT, will be on hand to help us with all our communication needs. Thanks Kevin!

  1. UF Guest Wireless Network: All users need to connect is a mobile number that can receive text messages.
  2. About 20 wired connections will be available.
  3. A GatorLink account will be a 3rd option.

Wireless_System

Overview:

Biological specimens vouchered in natural history collections document the historical and modern occurrence of plant and animal species--and most of what we know about the diversity and distribution of life on earth. This workshop addresses a need in the natural history collections community to expand the number of individuals available and able to train natural history collections students, volunteers and staff how to turn text-based locality data into the best georeference possible.

Teaching those with georeferencing experience to teach others begins with the recognition of differences in locality data that exist between specimen preparation types due to their physical properties and discipline-specific handling, collecting and preservation methods, curatorial and conservation practice, storage environments, data conceptualizations, and data label techniques. Georeferencing locality data recorded on tags tied to vertebrate skins, on labels encircling snakes submerged in solutions of alcohol, on the lilliputian labels of pinned insects, and on the large, verbose labels glued on flat sheets of plant specimens, presents specific constraints and opportunities in each case for efficient georeferencing.

Goals of the Workshop:

  1. To teach the best effective practices for georeferencing biological specimens for the purpose of creating georeferenced digital database records for publication and for new research applications of the biological, geospatial, and temporal information associated with specimens.
  2. To discuss and dissect the dimensions of specific georeferencing needs based on the discipline involved and how to teach others the georeferencing nuances for a given collection type.This is to include an exercise for participants to put together a detailed georeferencing workflow.
  3. To engage the community in further dissemination of georeferencing skills and best practices.
  4. To teach the participants about data standards and effective methods for data merging, data cleaning, and web services to facilitate fit-for-use georeferenced digital data records using such tools as Google Fusion and Open Refine.
  5. To use and evaluate use of the newly developed online GWG training materials.
  6. To involve those trained at the last TTT as trainers at this workshop – where possible.

Workshop Objectives:

  1. To train a group of professionals from the biological sciences to become georeferencing trainers, via:
    a. Exploration of and experience with the key concepts and best practices of georeferencing using paper maps, online resources, semi-automated, and collaborative tools.
    b. Training in workflows, processes, and techniques needed to prepare data sets for georeferencing and improving data quality and fitness for use.
    c. Discussion and insight into how to plan and prepare for the presentation of a georeferencing workshop for others in the biodiversity and digitization communities.
  2. To provide georeferencing support to Thematic Collections Networks involved in the digitization of data for the Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections program of the National Science Foundation through:
    a. Identification and examination of potential roadblocks and impediments to the the georeferencing process.
    b. Provision of solutions and recommended workflows, processes, and tools to meet the goals of the TCNs.
    c. Discussion of the inputs and costs necessary to create successful and efficient georeferencing projects at scale.
  3. To establish an updating resource for the TCNs and the broad community within the biodiversity sciences, via:
    a.Creation of a roster of georeferencing “experts” able and willing to provide to support to individuals and groups within their geographic region and professional discipline.
    b. A resource for said “experts” to share their experiences (successes, failures, and recommendations) for the benefit of the broad community.

Desired Outcomes:

  1. Participants’ georeferencing skills are expanded and enhanced after the workshop and evidenced by self-reporting via post-worskhop survey.
  2. Each participant presents a georeferenced data set at the end of the workshop to the group.
  3. Participants provide feedback - for the further development of this course.
  4. Participants put together a detailed workflow for georeferencing at their institution/for their project.
  5. Participants plan / outline a georeferencing workshop - share the plan with the group.
  6. Participants share their future plans for when and where they will conduct their first training.(post to iDigBio)
  7. Participants fill out a post-workshop survey to assist in evaluating the workshop and contribute suggestions for the next workshop.
  8. iDigBio Georeferencing Working Group utilizes outcomes / survey results to help shape future efforts and the next Train the Trainers Georeferencing Workshop.
  9. Report back to NSF about survey results and workshop outcomes for future planning.


Informal Dinner on Sunday August 11th at The Swamp for any participants who've arrived and any iDigBio Staff wishing to attend. Time: 630 - 830 PM. Map to the Swamp

Schedule of Events

Breakfast every day is on our own. It's available at the hotel and there's a place near the hotel called "Bagels and Noodles" that also has breakfast. You'll be reimbursed at the standard per diem rates.

Day 1, Monday August 12th

Time
Activity
Presenter
8:45
Pick up Name Tags, Wireless Log-In, Wired Setup

9:00
Welcome, Overview and Introduction to iDigBio
iDigBio PI - Pam Soltis and Debbie Paul - Informatics Analyst / User Services
9:15
Trainer Introductions
David Bloom

Participants Introductions -LBCC TCN
John Brinda, Missouri Botanical Garden

Participants Introductions - SCAN TCN
Edward Riley,
Texas A & M

Participants Introductions - TTD TCN
Danielle Pace, AMNH

Participants Introductions - InvertNet TCN
Katrina Menard, Sam Noble Museum

Participants Introductions - Paleoniches TCN
Michelle Casey, University of Kansas

Participants Introductions - Georeferencing at the Field Museum
Sharon Grant, Field Museum

Participants Introductions - Magnolia grandiFLORA
Lisa Wallace, Mississippi State University

Participants Introductions - FishNet2
Diego Barroso, University of Michigan

Participants Introductions - Arkansas State University & SERNEC
Kari Harris, Arkansas State University

Participants Introductions - Macroalgal Herbarium Consortium TCN
Hannah Traggis, University of New Hampshire

Participants Introductions - All other projects

Cathy Bester, iDigBio
Mark Uhen, Paleobiology Database - PaleoDB
Marcia Revelez, Angelo State Natural History Collections
Benjamin Frable, Oregon State Ichthyology Collection
J Ryan Allen, University of Colorado Museum of Natural History
Rebecca Johansen, Austin Peay State University
Ellen Stevens, New York State Museum
Bryan Cody, North Carolina State University
Jennifer Thomas, University of Kansas
Lunide Orleus, University of Florida
Mary Barkworth, Utah State University
Lawrence Weru, Florida State University
Grant Godden, University of Florida
Elana Benamy, ANSP at Drexel

Everyone
10:00
Workshop Overview, Introduction to Georeferencing, and Thinking like a Trainer
David Bloom
10:20
Selected Survey Results, Train-the-Trainers Second Georeferencing Pre-workshop Survey Report and Update from TTT1 Participants Pay-It-Forward Efforts
Shari Ellis
10:35
Break

11:00
Georeferencing Introduction: Collaboration to Automation
Dave Bloom
11:30
Geographical Concepts
Nelson Rios
11:50
Point-Radius Method and Best Practices
Jessica Utrup
12:10
Darwin Core Standard, Key Terminology
iDigBio Recommended fields
Dave Bloom
12:30
Lunch (Provided)

13:30
Georeferencing Quick Reference Guide, Locality Types, and Georeferencing Template
Una Farrell
14:40
Georeferencing Calculator, Calculator Manual
Dave Bloom
15:30
Break

16:00
Georeferencing Calculator Example and Exercises, MaNIS/HerpNET/ORNIS Georeferencing Guidelines
Dave Bloom
17:00
Day in Review and Considerations for Trainers-to-be
Trivia Question of the Day
A.M. Recording: Start-10:30
A.M. Recording: 10:40-12:30

P.M. Recording: 1:30-3:30
P.M. Recording 3:30-5:15

David Bloom
Debbie Paul
17:30
End


Dinner on our own - See list of local restaurants. You'll be reimbursed at the standard per diem rates.

Optional Evening Activity is: TBA

Day 2, Tuesday August 13th

Time
Activity
Presenter
9:00
Review and Questions
All
9:10
Group Photo
All, Joanna McCaffrey, photographer
9:30
Internet Resources - Where to Begin?
Una Farrell
10:00
Exercises: Internet Resources
All
10:30
Break

11:00
Exercises: Internet Resources (continued)
All
12:15
More Online Resources (resources used by/requested by participants)
David Bloom
12:30
Lunch (Provided)

13:30
GPS Exercise Introduction
Dave Bloom
13:45
GPS Exercises (outside)
All
15:15
Break
All
15:30
Online Exercises
Review of known answers
Una Farrell
16:15
Georeferencing Using Paper Maps, Paper Maps Handout
Jessica Utrup
16:45
Day in Review and Considerations for Trainers-to-be

Your Input Needed - Mapping Functions in the iDigBio Portal
Trivia Question of the Day
Hotelwork: create/document your project workflow(s) for discussion on Wednesday
A.M. Recording: Start-10:30
A.M. Recording: 10:30-12:30
P.M. Recording: 4:30-5:30

David Bloom
Joanna McCaffrey
Debbie Paul
17:30
END

Dinner on our own - See list of local restaurants. You'll be reimbursed at the standard per diem rates.

Optional Evening Activities are: TBA

Day 3, Wednesday August 14th

Time
Activity
Presenter
9:00
Review and Questions
All
9:15
GPS Exercise - Review (.kmz), Summary Spreadsheet, Field Worksheet
Dave Bloom
9:35
Exercises: Using Paper Maps
All
10:30
Break

11:00
Exercises: Using Paper Maps (continued)
All
12:30
Lunch on our own. See local restaurant map

13:30
Exercises: Using Paper Maps (continued)
All
14:30
Online Exercises - Participant Georeferences Review

Group Results and Answers available upon request

All
14:45
Examples and Discussion: Process, Workflows, Priorities, and Collaborations

EMu, KUMIP and Specify
FishNet2
ORNIS Workflow and Repatriation
Workflows and Expert or Novice: an Experiment in Progress

Jessica Utrup, Una Farrell, Nelson Rios, Deb Paul, Dave Bloom
15:30
Break

16:00
Process, Workflows, Priorities, and Collaborations (continued)
Discuss Hotelwork: Participant Project workflow(s)
  • Danielle Pace, AMNH, Arthropod Easy Capture
  • Katrina Menard, Sam Noble Museum
  • Mark Uhen, Paleodb.org
Jessica Utrup, Una Farrell, Nelson Rios, Deb Paul, Dave Bloom
17:00
Day in Review and Considerations for Trainers-to-be,

Volunteers for Training Demos

  • Kari Harris, Arkansas State University
  • Edward Riley, Texas A & M
  • Sharon Grant, The Field Museum
  • Marcia Revelez, Angelo State Natural History Collections

Trivia Question of the Day
A.M. Recording: Start-9:30
P.M. Recording: 2:30-4
P.M. Recording: 4:15-Finish

David Bloom
Debbie Paul
17:30
End

Evening Activity is: Group Dinner, Leonardo's 706, 7PM - 9PM, short walk due east of the hotel, on the north side of the street.

Today in Gainesville:
Downtown Gainesville, Union Street Farmers Market, 4 - 7 PM. Food and live music.
http://unionstreetfarmersmkt.com/index.php/vendors

Day 4, Thursday August 15th

Time
Activity
Presenter
9:00
Questions and Review
David Bloom
9:10
Paper Maps Review
Jessica Utrup
9:40
Results: Paper Maps

Group Results and Answers available upon request

Dave Bloom
10:30
Break

11:00
Good and Bad Localities, Field Locality Handout, Review of GPS Locality Descriptions
David Bloom
11:30
Introduction to GEOLocate
What To Do
Nelson Rios
Michelle Vanderwel
12:15
Lunch on our own. See local restaurant map

13:15
Using GEOLocate: Basics (Web Application)
Nelson Rios
13:45
Using GEOLocate: Batch Processing (Web App and Excel)
Nelson Rios
14:25
Using GEOLocate: Collaborative Georeferencing Administrative Portal
Nelson Rios
15:30
Break

16:00
Using GEOLocate: Collaborative Georeferencing Web Client
Nelson Rios
16:20
Advanced GEOLocate: Taxon validation, Web services & integration, Building end-to-end georeferencing workflows
Note this topic was covered in a remote recorded session after TTT2.
Nelson Rios
17:00
Day in Review and Considerations for Trainers-to-be

Trivia Question of the Day
A.M. Recording: Start-10:20
A.M. Recording: 11-12:30
P.M. Recording: 1:30-5

David Bloom
Debbie Paul
17:30
End

Dinner on our own - See list of local restaurants. You'll be reimbursed at the standard per diem rates.

Day 5, Friday August 16th

Time
Activity
Presenter
9:00
Review and Questions
David Bloom
9:10
Data Cleaning, Processing, and Analysis

Cleaning, Validating, and Enhancing Data with Open Refine
sample CSV and sample script to use with this presentation
(GPS Vizualizer, Google Refine which is now Open Refine, Example of a Refine Call to GEOLocate, r-project, RStudio, QuantumGIS, QGIS Basic Operations)

Debbie Paul, Nelson Rios, Dave Bloom
10:30
Break

11:00
Open Work Session - Participant/TCN Georeferencing Projects (use those data sets)
All
12:00
Open Work Session (continued)
All
12:30
Lunch on our own. See local restaurant map

13:30
Open Work Session (continued)
All
14:15
Batch Georeferencing in Symbiota
John Brinda, Missouri Botanical Garden
14:30
Volunteer Training Demos -
  • Kari Harris, Arkansas State University (.ppt)
  • Edward Riley, Texas A & M (.ppt)
  • Sharon Grant, The Field Museum (.ppt)
  • Marcia Revelez, Angelo State Natural History Collections (.ppt)
Trainees
15:30
Break

16:00
Post-Workshop Survey
All
16:30
Day in Review and Considerations for Trainers-you-now-be

Your Input Needed - Mapping Functions in the iDigBio Portal - Part 2
Trivia Question of the Day

David Bloom
Joanna McCaffrey
Debbie Paul
17:00
Workshop Summary and Certificates

A.M. Recording: 9:30-11
P.M. Recording: 2:15-3:45

All Instructors
17:30
End

Dinner on our own - See list of local restaurants. You'll be reimbursed at the standard per diem rates. Leaving tomorrow? Want to get together for dinner or hang out at the hotel pool?

Optional Friday night activities:
free concerts downtown (same location as the wed night farmers mkt) - http://www.gvlculturalaffairs.org/website/programs_events/plaza_series/plaza.html