Over the week of December 16, 2024, the Wisconsin State Cartographer’s Office (SCO) hosted a group of Conservation Academy crew members from Operation Fresh Start for classroom and field-based training in GIS and mapping principles and practices. This event, held in three half-day sessions, was led by SCO staff member Mike Hasinoff, who exposed the crew to the basics of geospatial data, led a field-based data collection exercise using Esri’s Survey123 tool, and trained crew members to produce online maps in ArcGIS Online.
The training effort is part of a community-based water research grant provided by Water@UW-Madison and the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Office of the Provost. The project focuses on establishing a chloride monitoring program in Starkweather Creek on Madison’s east side. The goals of the project include continuous chloride monitoring along the creek, engaging with stakeholders and community members to educate them about the creek and sources of chloride contamination, beginning to establish a model for cooperation to ensure the long-term health of the creek, and expanding on partnerships with Operation Fresh Start (OFS).
In addition to OFS, project partners include the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC) and Friends of Starkweather Creek. Staff from the US Geological Survey and City of Madison are advisors on the project.
OFS is a regional leader in providing alternative pathways for young individuals from disadvantaged communities. Through OFS, these individuals complete high school and achieve real-world training opportunities to become prepared to enter the workforce. OFS’s Conservation Academy Program aims to provide young adults an opportunity to gain experience in an environmental career, mainly through restoration efforts such as tree planting, invasive plant removal, pesticide application and prescribed burning. Through the Starkweather Creek project, OFS crews received additional training in water quality monitoring and the basic principles of modern GIS-based mapping for environmental applications. An earlier blog posting described experiences with the OFS crew installing monitors in the creek.
Two undergraduate students in the SCO have also been trained on the project in chloride monitor setup and installation. One is a student in Geography at UW-Madison (Jean Traudt) and one is a student at Madison College (Param Bhandare). Both students have worked with the SCO as student hourly assistants for several years, and added the Starkweather project to their portfolio.
OFS crew members in the classroom at Science Hall on 12/17/24. From left to right are:
Kai (OFS crew), Alec (OFS crew), Matt Noone (CARPC), Don (OFS crew), Jake Norman
(OFS Conservation Academy Supervisor), Kaylee (OFS crew), and Mike Hasinoff (SCO)
OFS crew members in the field on 12/18/24 at Prairie Moraine County Park, collecting information
on trees and human-created features using Survey123
