Category: Program Meetings

Please join us for our Fall Program at the Henrietta Town Library. Justin Cole, GISP from the University of Wisconsin GIS Professional Programs will be presenting a workshop on how to utilize Census Data in GIS.

When: Wednesday, October 18^th, 2023, 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM

Where: Henrietta Town Library Community Room 625 Calkins Rd, Rochester, NY 14623

Cost: $5 (Pay at the door)

Registration: https://bit.ly/GISSIGFall2023

“QUICK AND EASY” CENSUS DATA IN GIS

Justin D. Cole, GISP – University of Wisconsin Madison GIS Professional Programs

Census data is a great resource for any GIS project, but it can be very overwhelming, and using it can be tricky at times. The data are in many forms on the Census.gov website but I have found that using the TIGER/Line with Selected Demographic and Economic Data is by far the easiest method of getting a lot out of it. This data comes in a prepackaged Geodatabase with the spatial data, a metadata table, and then many other tables with numerous attributes. Using this geodatabase is easy, but finding your story can be a little hard. In this workshop, we will go through these steps from loading the data to creating custom fields, and then prepping the data for publishing on ArcGIS Online.  While most of the presentation will be ArcGIS Pro driven, I will also be showing parts that can be done using QGIS.  So bring your laptop and follow along and I hope that this presentation gives you the confidence to utilize the Census data.  

If you want to follow along, please download the census tracts geodatabase from https://www.census.gov/geographies/mapping-files/time-series/geo/tiger-data.html before the meeting.  If you cannot attend or would like the walkthroughs and presentation, you can go to https://justincolegis.com/.

Please join us for our June Program at Monroe County Emergency Operations Center. Sean O’Connell the NYS GIS Clearinghouse Coordinator, will discuss the recent redesign of the NYS GIS Clearinghouse.

When: Tuesday, June 13^th, 2023, 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM

Where: Monroe County Emergency Operations Center – 1190 Scottsville Rd, Rochester, NY 14624

Cost: $5 (Pay at the door)

NYS GIS Clearinghouse Update

Sean O’Connell
Information Technology Specialist 3 with NYS ITS
NYS GIS Clearinghouse Coordinator

The NYS GIS Clearinghouse has had a redesign which launched in late March. The old site was on an old and outdated system which was limited for changes. Customers and contributors have a new system and site to use which has better connected the data with live web services, and a better search catalog. Contributors now have to worry less about sending flat file updates on a regular basis. End users are better equipped to not only download the data, but also to view/explore it, find it as a web service, view associated metadata, and search for what they are looking for. This presentation will go over these changes and demo how the site can be used.

Photos taken by Dan Allen

We are happy to announce the Annual Conference. It will be on April 11, 2023, at the RIT Inn and Conference Center. Click here for more information.

Please join us for our Summer Program. Brett Carlock from UAV4Geo and Corey Snipes from Twomile Heavy Industries will present on sUAS Photogrammetry and how you can use it.

When: Wednesday, November 9, 2022, from 12 PM to 1:00 PM EST

Where: Online

Abstract: Brett Carlock (UAV4Geo) and Corey Snipes (Twomile Heavy Industries) discuss the OpenDroneMap ecosystem and Community, sUAS-based Photogrammetry workflows, and best practices, demo functionality and features of WebODM, and reveal exciting new functionality and a look into the future of the OpenDroneMap ecosystem.

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Presentation Slides

Click Here to Get the Latest Infomation on the 2022 Conference

Please join us for our Summer Program. Alex Wolf from Scenic Hudson and Heather Ferrero from Livingston County will present on their work with Solar Development

When: Tuesday, June 8, 2021, from 12 PM to 1:00 PM EST

Where: Online

Cost: Free

Registration: http://bit.ly/GISSIGSu21Solar

Abstract:

Through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection
Act, New York State has set a mandated goal of a zero-emissions electricity
sector by 2040, including 70% renewable energy generation by 2030. In
this virtual session, Heather Ferrero of Livingston County will be giving a
short overview of solar development’s geographic spread in our region –
special focus on Livingston County. In addition, Alex Wolf of Scenic
Hudson will be demonstrating the new Solar Mapping Tool developed for the
Hudson River Valley region (and usable in our region,
too!).

Alex Wolf, Conservation Scientist at Scenic Hudson, conducts research and
analyses pertaining to Hudson Valley natural resources, with a focus on
climate change adaptation, mitigation, and resilience, as well as the
ecology and conservation of local flora and fauna. Prior to joining Scenic
Hudson, he was a researcher at several institutions including the Cary
Institute for Ecosystem Studies and the Missouri Department of
Conservation. Alex has co-authored more than 10 scientific publications. He
earned a Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavioral Biology
and a Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology.

Heather Ferrero, Deputy Planning Director for Livingston County, has been
involved with local land use and GIS in Livingston County for 23 years. An
avid mapping enthusiast, she earned Bachelors and Masters of Arts degrees
in Geography. When not at work, she tends to her family’s treehouse
village – including a car and a plane in the trees – in their backyard.

Please join us for our Spring Program. Gerry Aiken and Mackenzie O’Brien from Esri will present on the Redistricting Online tools

When: Wednesday, May 12, 2021, from 12 PM to 1:00 PM EST

Where: Online

Cost: Free

Registration: http://bit.ly/GISSIGMay2021Reg

Abstract:

Redistricting is a constitutionally mandated activity that occurs every 10 years following a Census that determines the districts for the House of Representatives. As such, Redistricting is a governmental effort that isn’t talked about much until we get around the time to take a Census. The 2020 Census has concluded, and Redistricting efforts are heating up already as State and Local Governments prepare to redraw boundaries starting in the Summer of 2021.
Esri Redistricting is offered as either SaaS or a Managed Services or On-Prem deployment, that enables governments, advocates, and citizens to complete and securely share compliant redistricting plans. It is important to note that Redistricting is a GIS activity done by non-GIS professionals. Often the end users are lawyers, consultants, and activists or advocates who have no formal training in GIS or exposure to our software. Wizard-driven workflows help users who would otherwise not be aware of typical GIS tools or processes.

Recording – https://youtu.be/zjTYQ9tFj40