My web presence

Wednesday 21 April 2021

Tree planting survey - Part II

[ In the news: ‘Amazing success’ as community group plants 165 trees by banks of river Cam ]

The previous Tree planting survey 1-2-3 showed what3words used to located and post on a web map rough surveyed locations for tree planting directed by a tree surgeon, to help restore tree rows along the River Cam towpath immediately north of Cambridge UK. The beauty of turning out a web map the same day as the survey, is that shortly after, printing out the same map for tree-planting volunteers to take into the field was feasible almost as quickly. So after a 'high tech' Part I, here's a 'low tech' Part II.

Sunday 28 March 2021

Tree planting survey 1-2-3

[ Update: see next the fieldwork preparations that went on as a follow-up to this project 

Update 2: See also other prior actions & concerns by same group here ]

New Flamingos, my Extinction Rebellion group in Cambridge decided to do a little outreach - not unlike my other group On the Edge that engages with my village around flood preparedness - we work with the community to replant trees along the left bank of the River Cam immediately North of Cambridge UK. This afternoon, a tree surgeon accompanied our survey along the river bank and suggested tree location and density as we walked.

Sunday 7 February 2021

Adventures in AR (augmented reality)

[ Update 2: see Mars in 3D web view here for the latest imagery from NASA / USGS

Update 1: see "Explore Mars with GIS", the app and the story HT @PhilipMielke ]

And now for something completely different... Lockdown gave me plenty of time to be armchair explorer, and my latest story map Mars revisited open with: 

As NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover prepares to land on the Red Planet, let's extend what started on #30DayMapCallenge Day 24 bonus images displaying tantalising pictures of what looked like solifluction and rock glaciers.

Sunday 10 January 2021

Poster catalogue

[ Update 2: Anaglyph 3D pops up Central Cambridge halfway down under Other Areas

Update 1: added four effects to enhance relief maps on mountain areas at the bottom ]

Last month's Story-in-a-map reminded me I created a number of map posters, as a mean to reach out to the community, where prints are better in town hall or small group presentations, as well as wall art.

Sunday 27 December 2020

Coronavirus update - Part XII

[ Update: ONS deaths still rise slightly, NHSx cases resurgence continues topping 6.5M ]

Since our previous update, a third national lockdown resulted from the numbers that just keep increasing, as well as a second strain of the virus appearing but not split out in NHSx stats. That is patent in the comparative graphs below, updated as per above:

Friday 18 December 2020

Digital Nomads and Digital Divide

 Here is the Parliament   f i n a l l y    addressing the challenges posed by the pandemic, with a fairly comprehensive review of the facts they gathered.

Sunday 13 December 2020

Story-in-a-map

[ Update: see Update #7 in this story map on how to address topo inversion (#6 is this) ]


 While I have written a few story maps, the #30DayMapChallenge last month has taught me to tell a story in a single map. The amazingly detailed DEFRA digital terrain model has already been used here (go to Update 1) in the Cambridge area of East Anglia. So here is a synoptic view of South Cambridgeshire, with its story in the box. 

Thursday 19 November 2020

Coronavirus update - Part XI

[ Update 1: Still no sign of the second wave abating and deaths on the increase again
  Update 2 : next installment shows how the second wave numbers just keep growing ]

Further to our last blogpost, the second lockdown resulted from / is reflected in both sharp increases in cases passing 1.5M, and marked ones in deaths passing 70,000 and on the increase again

Thursday 29 October 2020

Flood preparedness in East Anglia as a Story map

[ Update: here is a final version for finer-grained subdivision of the same data ]

This is the third in a series of Story Maps after Sea Level Rise models in Cambridge, East Anglia and on Local Flooding in Cottenham immediately north. Full page here.

Monday 19 October 2020

Another Story Map on local flooding this time

[ Update: the next blog post expands on building situational awareness for flood response in East Anglia ]

Following my second-last post on a story map about flooding and sea level rise in Cambridge, here is another one about surface effects of flooding in my home village just north of there. Enjoy!