Map software demo up and running
After months of work behind the scenes, the Whistler Community Habitat Resources Project, better known as CHiRP, is now online with an active demonstration of how the habitat mapping component of the project will work.
The site is up and running at its regular Web address, www.chirpwhistler.info as of Monday, and many of the partners involved in the project are submitting data for map layers within weeks.
"So far we’re really impressed by it, it’s working out well," said Stephane Perron, the facilitator for the CHiRP project.
The CHiRP project was made possible with a $75,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Whistler, and thousands of hours of volunteer work by partner organizations in the community.
The goal is to create an interactive map for Whistler with different layers that show everything from the locations of bike trails to the locations of native flora and fauna. Once layers are complete, users will be able to select different layers and see how they relate to one another.
The personalized maps can be used to show trends and conflicts, research issues, encourage conservation, and plan for the future. It also has an educational element, teaching people about different habitats in Whistler and the species of plants and animals that can be found there.
There is also a local stories function that allows people to share their stories about different areas on the map. These stories can range from the cultural history of an area to sightings of a rare bird.
"The next stage is to actually add the layers, and we’re pretty far along with that as well," said Perron.
"The Whistler Fisheries Stewardship Group has stream classification information that they could get to us in a matter of weeks, we’re getting the bird list from the Whistler Naturalists which we’ll be able to map.
"Whistler-Blackcomb told us they need 10 days to get permission to provide us with map information on the watershed. They also have done some mapping of the whitebark pine in the area, which is of interest because they are endangered.
"WORCA is working to get us information on bike trails. Jenny Jones Black Bear Foundation is providing us with a map of bear conflict areas," said Perron.
"Once all that data is in and the maps are online, we’ll be able to start seeing how things overlap. For example you could correlate bear conflict areas with the Valley Trail and mountain bike trails, and look at ways to resolve those conflicts. Who knows, maybe there is an easy way to minimize our impact on bears in the area, we just never saw it before because nobody has ever mapped it.
"That’s just one of the ways we can use this project."
The CHiRP also allows groups to organize and share the data they collect, such as bird counts and glacier measurements, with one another and the public with the goal of creating more awareness and stewardship in the community.
"I’m happy with the way it’s all coming together. I’m working with some of the top voices in the environmental movement in Whistler, all the most dedicated volunteers and the people who have the most knowledge, so it’s an amazing group that took this on. I’m pretty keen to see what comes out of this," said Perron.
The online demo of the MapServer software used for CHiRP shows a general map of the municipality of Whistler with lakes and waterways in the background. The first layers, provided by the municipality, show different roads, the Valley Trail, buildings, building lots, hydro lines, the B.C. Rail line, park land, golf courses, 10 metre contour lines, and the intersecting boundaries of Garibaldi Provincial Park.
The map will become more detailed as more information is added, and as satellite mapping data is used to enrich the basic layers of the mapping program. You can zoom in, zoom out and move around the maps directionally.
Tracy Howlett, the developer building the site and adapting the WebServer software to Whistler, says anything is possible.
"When I started my big concern was that we had didn’t go with ARC IMS, a mapping program that I was familiar with in favour of WebServer. After working with the developers at Natural Resources Canada, I see that it can do everything we want it to do and more. We’re really only limited by imagination."
Because WebServer is open source software, which means that it is free to use and develop as long as you share your changes with other users, the capability of the software is growing each day. If there’s a problem or an issue, there is a network of WebServer developers around the world that are happy to help out.
Different components of the site, including the local stories capability and a tool that allows people to search for information contained in the different layers, should be available when the first phase is completed. The target date for the main site is Dec. 15, giving partners the opportunity to review the content over Christmas.
As the layers come in, Howlett will also have to organize them in a way that makes the maps and information easy to navigate. For example, one set of layers could deal with plants while another deals with wildlife. You will still be able to mix and match layers from different categories, but with potentially hundreds of different layers in play, it’s easier to start with groupings.
"The more we put into this, the better it will be," said Howlett. "Our first priority is habitat, but down the road we know it can do a lot more. The amount of data you can put on the site is unlimited.
"People can look for their houses, or find out where their hotel is located before they come here to visit. It has a lot of practical uses, too, but it’s a pretty cool thing to use as well. People will come to this site to play around, and maybe they’ll learn something, or come to appreciate Whistler that much more."
CHiRP partners include Natural Resources Canada, the Whistler Naturalists Society, the Whistler Fisheries Stewardship Group, the Whistler Forum for Dialogue, AWARE, the JJ Whistler Bear Society, the Whistler Museum and Archives Society, WORCA, the Whistler Centre for Sustainability, Cascade Environmental Resource Group, and the RMOW.
