Instructor: Paul Lowrey
Barb Rademacher
Joan Reynolds
Brina Smith
David Walker
Tall Grass Prairie
Bison Wallows
Nature Area found
to be desert:
•
•
•
•
Dumping.
Bulldozing.
Drying pond.
Dying life.
NWACC Environmental
Physical Science
students
• Assess and document
boundaries of habitat
with GPS.
• Study water and soil
samples.
Daniel Lowe documents life in the Nature
Area over a 12-month period.
Students return to
NWACC Living
Laboratory.
• Re-assess boundaries
with GPS.
• Re-sample water and
soil.
Students use cutting-edge
digital mapping technology.
THE
RESEARCH
CONTINUES.
PLANT BIOLOGY:
students will document plant
life in the NWACC Living
Laboratory.
INDEPENDENT STUDY:
students will reformat GPS
data for ArcGIS, modern digital
spacial analysis software.
INTRODUCTORY GIS:
students will create digitized
basemap with current
information layers that can be
altered and appended as
necessary by future
researchers
Community Aspect
1. Expansion Planning Committee
2. Future Phase III Reclamation Projects
Science Classes
EAST/EMPACTS Classes
Independent Study
3. Future GIS Classes
4. Increase Overall Knowledge Base
COURSE CONTENT
INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCE I
(MPAX 2943)
 Fields of study include environmental and regulatory, landscape
design, land use planning, mapping and others.
 Introduces students to the basic spatial data manipulation skill
set necessary for utilizing GIS in the workplace.
 Course Objectives will be reached by:
 Study of case histories of data acquisition and interpretation;
 Hands-on manipulation and analysis of spatial data in the computer
lab; and
 Apply learned principles to developing a final group field project
using public domain metadata.
METHODS

Collaborated with botany students to collect GPS
data of new planter boxes and Living Laboratory
in Spring, 2008.



Verify previously-collected data through
reproduction of selected GPS points.
Convert GPS data into usable format for ArcGIS
mapping.
Create an ArcGIS map of the Phase III
Reclamation area with various layers displaying
data collected.
COMMUNITY CONTACTS
MARVIN GALLLOWAY, Ph.D.
Dean of Science & Mathematics, Northwest Arkansas Community College
C. DIANNE PHILLIPS
EAST/EMPACTS Facilitator, Math & Science Faculty, Northwest Arkansas Community College
PAUL LOWREY
Math & Science Faculty, Northwest Arkansas Community College
BURNETTA HINTERTHUER
Life & Physical Science Instructor, Northwest Arkansas Community College
DANIEL LOWE
EAST/EMPACTS Student, Phase III Reclamation Project, Northwest Arkansas Community College
DIEGO RIOJA
EAST/EMPACTS Student, Phase III Reclamation Project, Northwest Arkansas Community College
KEVIN EADS
Chief of Resource Management, Pea Ridge National Military Park, US National Park Service
ELIZABETH A. BOWEN
GIS Coordinator, Benton County Information Systems
February 19th:
Plant Biology students will began collecting data from
reclamation site.
March 6th:
Plant Biology students will present the project proposal.
April 22th:
Data collected and made available to GIS students.
April 29th:
GIS students projected data into ArcMap to produce a multi-
layered map of the Reclamation area.
May 1st:
GIS Map completed and submitted for review.
ArcGIS 9.2
Digital Camera
Digital Voice Recorder
Trimble and Garmin GPS Units
Microsoft PowerPoint and Front Page
Google Earth
Current Aerial Photo of Reclamation Area
www.pbWiki.com
Skills Developed
1.
Oral and Written Communication
2.
Working with Peers
1. Team Building
2. Cooperation
3. Responsibility
3.
Time Management and Organization
4.
Networking
1. Within and Outside the NWACC Community
5.
Overall Professional Enrichment
1. Academia
2. Technology
3. Service to the Community
Created a base map with multiple layers
for use by:
 future researchers
 planners
 architects.
From data supplied by current and previous classes.
Walking path.
Planter boxes.
Fire hydrants.
Oak-Hickory Woodland Area.
New Buildings (Polygons).
Post Oak Savannah.
And others.

Using new base map:
 Find data and create layers showing mima mounds.
 Find data and create layers showing additional post
oaks.
 Find data and create layers showing indigenous and
invasive fauna and flora.
 Create topological and hydrological map layers.
 Update map to correspond to new interchange
proposal.