Home > Science Seminar > Spring 2005 Seminar Schedule > Geospatial Technologies
The Science Seminar Series: March 24, 2005
Geospatial Technologies for Waterfowl and Wetland Conservation in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean
Dawn M. Browne
GIS Manager, Ducks Unlimited National Headquarters
Memphis, TNRoom 1011 Biology/Chemistry Building
Time: 4:00 -5:00pm
Ducks Unlimited’s conservation mission to protect, enhance, restore, and manage important wetlands and associated uplands for North American waterfowl is supported by advanced Geographic Informations Systems and Remote Sensing technology. DU started its GIS program in 1984 and it has become a major component of waterfowl habitat conservation, providing staff with the primary data and tools needed to evaluate, implement, and monitor conservation at multiple scales. DU first utilized GIS to produce a wetland inventory of the prairie pothole region in north-central US and Canada using Landsat Thematic Mapper. This program was funded by NASA and initiated because there was a need for a comprehensive inventory of the waterfowl breeding grounds. Resulting maps were shared with DU Canada, DU's Great Plains regional office, and government partners to assist with Conservation programs. Soon after, DU’s offices began to deliver GIS and Remote Sensing applications to support conservation programs within their priority areas. Additionally, DU’s Latin America and Caribbean program use GIS for a variety of applications including waterfowl surveys, habitat inventories, change detection and landcover mapping. GIS and remote sensing provide the tools for effective and efficient delivery of waterfowl habitat and the means to monitor and model the impact of conservation and restoration on the landscape.