SCGIS Conference: next week!

[Janet Nackoney]

Hello SCGIS-DC,

I hope that everyone is having a great (and healthy) end to their summer!

I'd like to remind you that we'll be hosting our SCGIS in-person Annual Conference next week, Sept 4-6 at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. 

I will be there and I hope that you will consider attending as well!

During the conference, we will have the great privilege of hearing from our keynote speaker, Breece Robertson, who will share her experiences and perspectives on Conservation for Action. 

Breece combines geospatial technology and storytelling to inspire, activate, educate, and engage people to protect our planet. She is a noteworthy leader in the conservation and restoration field with over two decades of experience. She created and led the GIS, research and planning unit at The Trust for Public Land for 18 years where she implemented strategic initiatives like ParkScore®, ParkServe®, Climate Smart Cities and Greenprinting. She has also held roles with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and One Tree Planted to expand the use of geospatial technologies and earth observations for environmental justice, monitoring and evaluation. In 2006, she was awarded the Esri Special Achievement in GIS award and in 2012, the “Making a Difference” award. She authored a book called “Protecting the Places We Love” published in April 2021 by Esri Press. Breece serves on the National Park Service Advisory Board, the National Recreation and Park Association Board of Trustees and the National Geospatial Advisory Committee.

The conference will include a full day of pre-conference technical workshops and two days of sessions focused on conservation remote sensing, conservation prioritization and planning, and forest, wetland and watershed conservation, among other topics. The evenings will also feature social events for building connections and networking. In addition, I will co-lead a career and professional development panel and speed networking session on Thursday to share practical advice and explore career opportunities and trajectories in conservation GIS. 

We also have a carpooling tool for those who are either seeking rides or willing to host a ride (select "ADD" to add your car and projected timing). Thank you for being a help to others in our community!

I really look forward to the conference and hope to see you there next week!

Best,

Janet