Learn about GIS at the Missouri Botanical Gardens

There’s more than flowers and sunshine at the Missouri Botanical Gardens — there’s GIS and other technology that aids the gardens in research, maintenance, education and more. Come see how this technology is being put to use with a special (free) tour just for NICAR attendees Saturday, Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. Space is limited so you’ll need to sign up. As this is an off-site event, you’ll need to arrange for transportation (leave the hotel no later than 9:30 a.m.).

Contact Jennifer LaFleur for more details and to sign up at Jennifer.lafleur@propublica.org.

Rebecca Sucher, Coordinator of Plant Records and Applications at the Missouri Botanical Garden will be giving the presentation Mapping a Garden: Using GIS Technology to Manage a Living Museum.

 Botanical Gardens have been using maps to aid in the documentation of living collections for centuries. Until recently, these maps were often paper-based and static in nature.  Through the advent of GIS technology, or Geographic Information Systems, botanical garden maps have evolved into a comprehensive tool that can be used at all levels of institutional operation. Rebecca and her team have mapped over 30,000 plants, as well as donor items, utilities, irrigation systems, and more. This data is put to use on a daily basis for various purposes, including landscape design and planning, collections assessment, and inventory management. By using the latest web-aware technologies, these maps can be delivered to any internet-enabled device, aiding in day-to-day management of the Garden’s properties, enhancing visitor engagement opportunities, modernizing educational outreach, and facilitating nationwide conservation efforts. Rebecca will take us on a virtual tour of the Garden, showcasing the capabilities and uses of GIS technology in a botanical garden.