Description

Abstract: Georeferencing generally refers to the process of assigning geographic coordinates to an image. In the context of museum specimens, it means assigning a location to the specimen that corresponds to where the specimen was collected. In this activity, students will learn about latitude/longitude and mapping through background reading. Through a written tutorial, optional guided lecture, and a tutorial video, they will then learn the process of georeferencing with the online tool GEOLocate according to a similar protocol used by the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. Finally, students will complete a practice assignment designed to develop their georeferencing skills and get them thinking about the advantages and drawbacks of museum specimen data.

This activity can be used as a standalone resource or as part of the implementation of a BCEENET CURE. 

Learning Objectives:

• Interpret verbatim locality data and transform it into GPS coordinates 
• Gather data using GEOLocate and other online mapping resources (e.g., Google maps) 
• Discuss uncertainty in locality data as it relates to accuracy and precision in data collection 
• Identify common issues in georeferencing 
• Implement a georeferencing protocol used by natural history collections 

Logistics:

Intended Audience: Undergraduate, all levels. Suitable for in-person, hybrid, or online courses in biology or environmental science. 

Learning Time: Flexible, 2-3 hours 

Required Resources: Access to computers and internet 

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