GIS FOR POLICY & DECISION-MAKERS IN CONSERVATION COURSE

GIS FOR POLICY & DECISION-MAKERS IN CONSERVATION!

June 14-15, 2006 at Smithsonian's Conservation & Research Center in
Front Royal, VA

Registration Deadline:  May 28, 2006

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Researchers at Smithsonian's National Zoo have developed a new training
course tailored to the needs of senior staff working in leading
positions in local, state, and national government or in environmental
organizations.  CEOs, policymakers and decision-makers often rely on
maps and spatial data created with Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
for their analysis and decision making.  While leaders don't have to be
GIS specialists, they do need a good understanding of the strengths and
limitations of the technology and what it can do for their respective
agencies or organizations. 


Our course allows policy- and decision-makers to:


* gain a comprehensive overview of the current state of GIS, satellite
and aerial monitoring technology;
* learn how these basic but powerful tools allow us to address resource
issues across different scales ranging from local to global;
* understand basic mapping and GIS concepts required to read GIS data
correctly;
* learn how to ask the "right" questions with GIS to get the most out of
these tools;

* find out how maps can lie, and how to avoid being fooled by "lying"
maps;
* learn about the strengths and limitations of these technologies to
assess, monitor, and model resource distribution and use.

TUITION

Tuition for the course is $800, and includes instruction, a training
manual, use of the laboratory and equipment. 

FOR INQUIRIES WRITE TO: giscourse@gmail.com or giscourse@si.edu

For more information visit:
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/ConservationGIS/GIS_tra
ining/Policy/

Source: marine@list.conbio.org

Best,

Jorge Brenner