The BC Eelgrass atlas is upgraded.  It is now available to both PCs and MACs.  In addition,  the database is upgraded to use spatial oracle.  There are a many new tools for viewing, querying, and generating reports.

A new Aquatic Information Partnership (AIP) launches on CMN. There will be new AIP developments over the coming months – with new links to other components soon.
The AIP aims to provide a decision-making platform to create and maintain healthy ecosystems, to make information easily accessible, to provide a collaborative framework and to create knowledge that will facilitate the building of healthy ecosystems. Follow the link to the right to view the new AIP Atlas.

A new on-line system through the Community Mapping Network allows volunteers to enter and manage the data they collect, as well as allowing others access to the data.  This will help volunteers to be able to detect changes over time in the intertidal areas they’re monitoring.

A new Draft Atlas is underway entitled “North Thompson Sustainable Watershed Atlas” “Sharing information and resources to improve the capacity of decision makers within the context of achieving a healthy and sustainable life in the North Thompson Valley.” “We are the North Thompson Sustainable Watershed Mapping Group (NTSWMG), composed of a cross-section of North Thompson Valley organizations and individuals that work together to foster the sharing of information and the development of new types of Internet-based local maps. These interactive maps provide valuable information and help individuals, governments, businesses, and groups within the communities of the North Thompson Valley make sound decisions. The members of the North Thompson Sustainable Watershed Mapping Group include the North Thompson Communities Foundation, the North Thompson Food Coalition, and the Community Resource Centre for the North Thompson. We are working in collaboration with members of the Community Mapping Network, the Fraser Basin Council and the Kamloops South-Thompson Mapping and Capacity Partnership towards creating a sustainable future for the North Thompson valley. The North Thompson Sustainable Watershed Atlas is the Group’s initial effort to map our valley’s social, environmental, cultural, economic and infrastructure assets, resources and values.

New colour orthophotography has just been captured for the entire perimeter of Shuswap, Little Shuswap, and Mara Lakes. In addition several rivers were also photographed. The new imagery will be added to the CSRD Watershed Atlas over the winter.

The FREMP atlas is an interactive on-line map hosted by the Community Mapping Network (CMN). This is the link to the Atlas: http://cmnmaps.ca/FREMP/intro%20disclaimer.html The FREMP Atlas contains the following data layers: • Orthophotos of the FREMP area (2004) • Habitat Classification (Colour Coding) • Habitat Inventory of the Fraser River Estuary, • Other information layers (e.g. watercourses) (Note that the habitat classifications (colour codes) apply to the area on the wetted side of the dyke, and may not line up correctly with cadastral (property boundary) data. Mismatches between these data layers may be caused by errors in either data set. See the metadata in the Atlas for more details on each data layer.)

Using the Sensitive Habitat Inventory and Mapping atlas, workshop participants are encouraged to map where there is a conservation or enhancement issue for coho salmon and indicate what action could be taken to address the problem. A separate data entry sheet for each challenge or issue must be filled in. Multiple entries will be accepted and are encouraged  http://www.cmnmaps.ca/SHIM/

Check out the new Kamloops – South Thompson Sustainable Community Atlas developed by the Kamloops South-Thompson Mapping and Capacity Partnership–a group of area organizations who have collaborated on the project.

A Shim training curriculum was completed by Langley Environmental Partners (LEPS) through the Real Estate Foundation of BC and the City of Surrey. Training opportunities will be available through LEPS and the University College of the Fraser Valley in the future.

The Cowichan Valley Regional District Habitat Atlas is the most up to date source of fish distribution information for urban and agricultural areas. The Atlas incorporates the federal and provincial government Fisheries Information Summary System information, is built on 1:20,000 topographical maps and has 2005 colour orthophotography. The Atlas will strengthen the community’s awareness and connection to its urban ecology and social resources through locally created maps. The Atlas is a work in progress and needs to be updated and ground truthed.