Learn to Map
Why do I insist that modern maps are more interesting than antiques? Because making maps is easier than ever before. You don’t need a ship or a royal charter or the funding from an insurance company. You can start making professional, accurate, useful and fun maps today with free software.
Open Source GIS
To the extent that people know about Geographic Information Systems (GIS), it’s often because of ArcGISPro, the flagship software by ESRI. It’s incredible software and it’s very good at what it does. But it’s also very expensive, only operates on Windows and locks users into a software ecosystem that is difficult to get out of. Fortunately, there are open source alternatives that are just as capable of doing the many jobs that were once the sole domain of ESRI.
Network Analysis, routing and logistics
Remote sensing
Webmapping
Print map exports
Learn to Use a Compass
Magnetic compasses have been around for over a thousand years but do you know how to do more than just make the little needle wiggle? This is a three hour field program that takes place IN THE WOODS and after it you’ll be able to successfully draw a course on the map, follow the bearings through uneven terrain and get back home safely.
Andrew Middleton has been teaching GIS for 8 years, having taught classes in Cartography, QGIS, Webmapping, 3D Mapping, ArcGISPro and Webmapping for the GIS Education Center in San Francisco California in coordination with the University of San Francisco and City College of San Francisco.
Andrew has presented his work at FOSS4GNA in 2019 and FOSS4G in 2023 and will be speaking at SOTMUS this summer.
In 2022 Andrew taught an introduction to open source mapping as a guest of FLOSSK at the University of Pristina in the Republic of Kosovo.