McDowell Sonoran Field Institute

Returning to MSFI in 2015, I began an internship to assist with their GIS needs.  I independently migrated their GIS data to the ArcGIS online platform learning the basic components to set up the cloud based system.  In addition, I was curious about the temporal changes of the Preserve alongside the urban sprawl of Scottsdale.  I developed an idea to visualize the parcel acquisition history of the Preserve and Scottsdale’s urban sprawl by using a time aware Story Map.  In October 2015, I submitted this idea for the MSFI symposium as a “digital poster”, a large television monitor, to display alongside traditional research posters to actively engage participants in the Preserve’s history. The City of Scottsdale Preserve Manager, Scott Hamilton, and I discussed the history of the Preserve alongside the “digital” poster, emphasizing the importance of creating, expanding and enjoying Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve has been a community wide, grassroots movement since day one.  Watching the preserve unfold in this animated map visually enhances the parcel acquisitions as it occurs through time.

For my MAS-GIS capstone, I developed a project to bring the Preserve to the 21^st century utilizing ESRI’s mobile applications for field data collection and to incorporate a dynamic web based map for McDowell Mountain visitors to plan their next adventure in the Preserve.  I recruited a team of master’s students to tackle ambitious endeavor with me.  I work directly with the MSFI’s Manager, Melanie Tluczek, and Lead Stewards to provide a more efficient field data collection process for their citizen science programs and patroller group. MSFI’s Citizen Science group actively engages trained citizens to help collect data on flora and fauna within the Preserve, while the Patroller group monitors trail conditions ensuring the safety of the visitors by altering the construction and maintenance group where hazardous areas need attention.

Officially became a steward in October 2015

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