![\"Great](\"http:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ceat\/files\/2013\/01\/Great-Pond-Samples-sites-790x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For my aspect of the Colby Environmental Assessment Team
\nproject, I make maps! Here at Colby we have access to a
\nGeographic Information Systems (GIS) laboratory, where we
\nutilize state of the art software and computers, along with a
\nsemesters worth of class training to make pretty yet informative
\nmaps.<\/p>\n
This process can be fun, exciting, rewarding, or the most
\nfrustrating five hour block of your week. I have been building
\na map that contains a computer based model, which factors in
\nmany variables regarding the local landscape, to determine the
\npotential for nitrogen and phosphorous to enter Great Pond. I
\nwas doing quite well, and built the model fairly quickly, but when
\nI went to test it, it failed miserably. Now every time I to run it,
\nthe program shuts down on the computer. Needless to say I have
\na lot more work to do!<\/p>\n
An hour or two of pure frustration ultimately turned into a
\nlesson: when you hit a speed bump, in life or in the GIS lab, it’s
\nusually best to take a step back, breathe deeply, and relax before
\nmaking your next move.<\/p>\n
I have since refocused my efforts, spent the afternoon making a
\nfew more less complicated map, gotten over the speed bump!<\/p>\n
——<\/p>\n
Matt LaPine<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For my aspect of the Colby Environmental Assessment Team project, I make maps! Here at Colby we have access to a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) laboratory, where we utilize state of the art software and computers, along with a semesters … Continue reading