Spatial Datasets

Protected areas are important to each person in their own way.  Be it a special spot, a rare habitat or unique ecosystem, we all have our reasons for caring.  While I care deeply about the intrinsic value of protected areas, I also care about the data that helps us catalog these places.  One of CBI’s recent projects is PAD-US 1.1 (CBI Edition) dataset, a national inventory of protected areas.

Conservation is all about place, so it is not surprising that mapping plays an integral part in successfully addressing today's conservation challenges. A couple of years ago, the Wilburforce Foundation asked me if our organization (Conservation Biology Institute or CBI) would be interested in helping develop a new website that would address the common disconnect observed between conservation science and conservation practice paying particular attention to mapping solutions. Their original vision and support has allowed for the creation of this important new website - Data Basin.

We're now part of the way through the 2009 ESRI User Conference in San Diego, presenting our redesign of Data Basin (more info on this later). So far we've had several great meetings with folks to show them Data Basin and get new ideas of things to build to better address their needs.

See us in the Conservation Hall (ballroom 20d) until Thurs at 1:30 PM. Lots of exciting new developments to show off!