Field Notes

Welcome to the Field Notes podcast, where we engage with customers and Esri staff to understand mobile GIS, share stories from the field, and explore all things Field Operations. On this season, we’re focusing on designing better field workflows—so get ready for exciting stories and top tips to help improve your own work.

The Fieldwork Handbook is a new book from Esri Press that includes tips, best practices, and activities for creating successful and productive field workflows. The author, Marika Vertzonis, is a long-time friend (and former guest) of the Field Notes podcast. In our latest field snack episode, we sit down with Marika once again to talk all about this new book which releases on March 5th, 2024. Additional resources The Fieldwork HandbookIntroducing the Fieldwork HandbookCensus, cola, and crocodiles, oh my!

Aryn Musgrave does just about everything related to GIS for the Desert Botanical Garden located in Phoenix, AZ. Maintaining land that contains over 4000 plant species is no small feat, especially since the garden doubles as a museum for researchers across the country. With ArcGIS paired with high-accuracy data collection, Aryn and her team maintain a variety of maps that include horticulture, irrigation, and other critical information related to the garden’s operations. Highlights of this episode include the following:

In this episode of Field Notes, we chat with Andrea Pecharich and Andrew Bartshire, who work with the Russian River Salmon and Steelhead Monitoring program. The data they collect with Esri Field Apps helps conservationists monitor fish populations, analyze patterns, and ultimately recover California's endangered fish species. Highlights from this episode include:

African People & Wildlife is an organization dedicated to creating a world where Africa’s people and wildlife coexist and thrive in vibrant, healthy landscapes. In this episode, we sit down with two folks who help achieve this vision in Tanzania. Elizabeth Naro and Ramadhani Omary use GIS in all aspects of their work—from managing business operations to monitoring rangelands and resources with local communities in the field. In this episode, learn how GIS helps them accomplish their goals.

Shane Bradt is an extension professor at the University of New Hampshire and a member of the team responsible for creating the bloomWatch app. The app allows community members to report cases of cyanobacteria, a form of algae that’s harmful to human health, in their local lakes. In this episode of Field Notes, we talk with Shane about the importance of monitoring cyanobacteria, considerations for designing the app, and where his team will take it next. For more information about Shane’s UC presentation, check out the Crowdsourcing Cyanobacteria with bloomWatch presentation slides.

Atlanta, Georgia is often called the city of trees, however increased development over the past several years has threatened the natural landscape the city is known for. Trees Atlanta is one organization working to restore the city's tree population by raising awareness and developing a variety of initiatives to plant trees across the city. One of these initiatives is the Front Yard Tree Program, which allows Atlanta residents to request that trees be planted right outside of their home. In this episode, we talk with Angela McTigue and James Moy, members of Trees Atlanta who use surveys and mobile maps to drive their conservation efforts.

Amber Kuehn is the director of the Sea Turtle Patrol on Hilton Head Island. During nesting season, her and her team of volunteers wake up before the sun to look for one thing: sea turtle nests. On this episode of Field Notes, learn how ArcGIS Field Maps and EOS receivers are used to map sea turtle nests, listen to first-hand accounts of sea turtle encounters, and understand the importance of protecting this endangered species.

Welcome to the Field Notes podcast, where we engage with customers and Esri staff to understand mobile GIS, share stories from the field, and explore all things Field Operations. On this season, we're focusing on how field apps are used across a variety of environmental efforts.

Another year flies by and with it another season of the Field Notes podcast. On this short, final episode, Josh and D’Maia reflect on the past year of podcasting about Esri Field Apps and mobile GIS. We hope you have a happy holiday season and a fantastic new year! We have so many exciting things in store for season three of Field Notes, and can’t wait to see you then. In the meantime, be sure to fill out the feedback survey so we create the content you want to listen to.

Kenny Ratliff is the GIS Manager at the Oldham County Water District, where they manage 370 miles of water main and treat 1.2 billion gallons of water annually. On this episode of Field Notes, Kenny discusses how Esri Field Apps and EOS Positioning Systems helped transform their mobile operations from paper mapping to robust, high-accuracy data management. Check out the full episode announcement blog post. Oldham County Water District would like to dedicate this episode to Board Commissioner Mel Milburn. A Surveyor and Professional Engineer, he was a strong advocate for GIS use by the utility. His unexpected passing just prior to this release is a loss for the organization. Additional resources EOS Positioning SystemsPrepare for high-accuracy data collectionPrepare for high-accuracy data collectionUse a high-accuracy receiverPrepare for high-accuracy data collection

On this episode, we’re joined by Dan Colbert and Jeff Ryan from Trimble. They talk about the value of high-accuracy data collection and share best practices for using GNSS receivers—covering everything from preparing a data collection project to practical tips while working with receivers in the field. Timestamps Additional resources Trimble PositioningTrimble CatalystPrepare for high-accuracy data collectionPrepare for high-accuracy data collectionUse a high-accuracy receiverPrepare for high-accuracy data collection

High-accuracy data collection is often a requirement when adding and inspecting assets on a map. While your phone can provide a location accuracy of a few meters, high-accuracy GNSS receivers can ensure submeter, or even centimeter level accuracy when collecting data. On this Field Snack, we break down the basics of high-accuracy data collection—covering basic definitions and terminology, the ArcGIS data model for GPS metadata, and how GNSS receivers can be paired with Esri field apps. Additional resources To the Sea, SafelyPrepare for high-accuracy data collectionPrepare for high-accuracy data collectionUse a high-accuracy receiverPrepare for high-accuracy data collection

David Webb is a GIS Solutions Developer for the engineering firm, Meshek & Associates. We first met David at the User Conference, where he stopped by our booth every day to discuss the latest features and capabilities of Esri Field Apps. In David’s role, he is tasked with developing mobile solutions for clients that help integrate modern GIS capabilities into their city workflows. It was a pleasure to sit down with him and talk about his experiences and passion for GIS. Check out the announcement blog post: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/field-notes/from-the-ground-level-streamlining-city-workflows-with-field-apps/

In this episode of Field Notes, we dive into creating and using maps for mobile navigation. We sit down with Katherine Fuller to learn how her team at San Diego Gas and Electric uses mobile map packages (MMPKs), route layers, and custom locators in ArcGIS Navigator to route to assets, view attribute information, and respond to emergencies in the field. Additional Resources: ArcGIS NavigatorPrepare NavigatorManage hydrant inspections

Another Esri User Conference is in the books, and it was a whirlwind to say the least! It was wonderful spending a week devoted to GIS in sunny San Diego, and it was fantastic talking to so many customers about Esri Field Apps. Hear from some of those voices on the latest episode of Field Notes. The following are additional resources mentioned in this episode of Field Notes: Esri User Conference WebsitePlenary recordingsWhat's new in ArcGIS Mobile apps

The Chicago Field Museum partners with the community on a variety of science projects, including an effort to restore the Eastern Monarch Butterfly population (which has declined 80% in the past two decades). We sit down with Mark Johnston and Karen Klinger, GIS analysts for the museum, and discuss how they employ community science to gather data, restore habitats, and raise awareness of conservation issues in Chicago and beyond. Additional resources Monarch Community Science HubChicago Wilderness HubField Museum homepageRights-of-way as Habitat working groupRights-of-way as Habitat Geospatial DatabaseTo Save the Monarch Butterfly: Taking Action with Maps

Welcome to our first Field Snack: a short form episode that delivers bite-sized information. On this inaugural episode, we talk about the biggest Esri event of the year: the User Conference (UC). There is so much going on with Field Operations at UC 2022, and we break it all down in this episode. Hear from the presenters themselves, find out about different events taking place throughout the week, and learn how you can share your story with Esri staff (including the hosts of Field Notes). Additional resources Esri User ConferenceDetailed agendaWhere to find Field Maps at the 2022 Esri User ConferenceArcGIS Survey 123 at the Esri User Conference 2022ArcGIS QuickCapture at the Esri User Conference 2022App Builders at the 2022 Esri User Conference

In this episode of Field Notes, we sit down with Levi Cecil, GIS Specialist for Portland Public Schools, and discuss how he and his team use floor-aware mapping, ArcGIS Survey123, and ArcGIS Field Maps to prioritize and maintain school sanitation during these unprecedented times. The following are additional resources relevant to this episode of Field Notes: Create a floor-aware mapFloor-aware map and floor filterCreate surveys For more information about the episode, see the blog post announcement.

Last month we packed up our podcasting gear and traveled to Palm Springs, CA for the Esri Developer Summit. It was a jam-packed week filled with informative tech sessions, inspiring demos, and incredible conversations with Esri customers (some of which you’ll hear on this episode!). We also met for the first-time in person! Listen to our live experience of the 2022 Dev Summit and hear firsthand from users of Esri Field Operations. The following are additional resources mentioned in this episode of Field Notes: Dev Summit Plenary SessionsMap Viewer introduces animated flow rendererField Operations sessions at the 2022 Esri Developer Summit Conference