DTM Consulting, Inc.

Mapping the Restoration Ecology Team in Mongolia

Bryan — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:21:31 +0000

The Tributary Fund has sent a team of ecological scientists to Mongolia, with the goal of helping local citizens create a restoration vision for landscapes that are overgrazed and degraded by mining. As is true in parts of the American West, the challenging geologic and climatic conditions make it difficult for revegetation projects to thrive, as drying winds are abundant and water is in short supply. The trip serves as a great opportunity to share restoration knowledge and experiences.

The team is sending frequent updates on their travels, including sets of beautiful photos from the heart of Mongolia. We wanted to find an easy, inexpensive way to share their photos, and to provide spatial context so folks not familiar with Mongolian geography could trace the team’s progress. We settled on a nifty third-party application called iMapFlickr that places geolocated photos (coordinates are embedded in the EXIF information) from a Flickr account onto a Google basemap. The map can be embeded into a website or left as a direct link to an iMapFlickr account. The Tributary Fund office in Bozeman, Montana can then drag-and-drop the photos into their Flickr photoset as they come in from the field, and the map will automatically update. The workflow is beautifully simple, does not require any customized coding, and is free of charge. Enjoy the photos!

Mongolia Restoration Ecology Photos

Our favorite kind of shop in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Bozeman Trailhead Maps

Bryan — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 17:32:33 +0000

It’s not very often that we get to work on a project that is as collaborative, technically challenging, and high-visibility as this one. In 2011 DTM started working with the Gallatin Valley Land Trust in Bozeman to revamp their pocket-sized parks and trails map. The goal was to combine the locations of trails, parks, playgrounds, landmarks, and conservation easements with a road map that could be used by locals and visitors alike. That map came out this past Spring. GVLT then wanted to revamp the information kiosks they have installed around town. Each kiosk contains a map and assorted information about the Bozeman trail system. The fun part of making these maps was working with a local graphic artist, Molly Stratton, to come up with a design that not only communicates clearly but also supports the branding efforts of GVLT and the City of Bozeman. Being an active, recreation-as-a-brand kind of town, the displays needed to be fresh, organic, and effective in various types of outdoor installations. We tend to choose earthy, neutral versions of color in our work, while Molly likes vibrancy and personality. We think her choices elevated what would otherwise have been fairly understated maps to a level that will instead encourage engagement by viewers as they explore the trail system. These will start popping up all over town, and we can’t wait to see folks checking them out with their friends and families. They have incorporated a lot of thought and feedback, on both the content and design sides, and we couldn’t be happier.

DTM Map Featured in Montana Conservation Corps Annual Report

Tony — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:06:12 +0000

The Montana Conservation Corps recently released their 2011 annual report where a DTM map highlighting our publication-quality cartography was featured prominently with a two-page spread. This map leveraged existing base-mapping datasets for the roads, rivers and boundaries, but required a custom color ramp and hillshade background to match the client’s requested color palette. DTM was provided a listing of communities-served that were geolocated using open-source tools. The map was then exported to Adobe Illustrator for final styling. The resulting Illustrator file was then integrated directly into the client’s internal Adobe InDesign layouts.

Feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss custom cartography for your project (tony@dtmgis.com).

Gallatin Valley Land Trust Trails Map

Tony — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:02:42 +0000

The new Gallatin Valley Parks and Trails Map is hot off the press and in stores around Bozeman. Bryan worked with GVLT over the winter to develop the latest version of the map. While the core data sets were initially edited within ArcMap, this sort of ‘for-the-press’ map production is best done outside the GIS environment. We used Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to stylize the maps and add associated text and graphics. The final product is 18 by 24 inches and is printed on heavy paper. Several local businesses chipped in to help fund the effort, so be sure to support them when you get the chance! The following graphics will appear in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle to announce the new map:

…and here’s the map printed on its final paper:

Bryan Swindell at 2012 Intermountain GIS Conference

Bryan — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:29:31 +0000

Bryan attended the 2012 Intermountain GIS Conference in Kalispell, Montana, from April 17th to 19th. He gave a talk on GIS-based channel migration zone and inundation modeling, using examples of the work we have been doing with Applied Geomorphology, Inc. He also entered his latest map project, the Gallatin Valley Parks and Trails map, into the conference map contest, and won 2nd place!

Yellowstone River Channel Migration Zone Press

Tony — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:09:35 +0000

This article was published in the August 17, 2010 Billings Gazette. It highlights work performed by DTM and Applied Geomorphology where we developed Channel Migration Zone maps for the entire Yellowstone River.

“Yellowstone River channel migration maps available to help with planning”

Bryan Swindell Earns Master’s Degree

Bryan — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:55:18 +0000

We are pleased to announce that Bryan Swindell has earned a Master of Science degree from the Earth Sciences department at Montana State University, Bozeman. Combining an interest in hydrology and climate science, he developed a suite of 800-year-long reconstructions of plausible streamflow for six subwatersheds of the Bighorn River Basin in Wyoming. The reconstructions are based on a network of long-lived conifers that are highly sensitive to the annual moisture budget, thereby recording wet and dry years in their ring patterns. Insights into the natural, long-term hydrologic variability in the Bighorn Basin can be used to better manage water supplies and mitigate the effects of drought.

2011 Aerial Photography Now Available

Bryan — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:45:41 +0000

The US Department of Agriculture has released natural color, 1-meter resolution imagery for the state of Montana. The imagery was acquired during the summer of 2011 through a partnership of federal and state agencies. Previous statewide NAIP products were created in 2009 and 2005. The NAIP imagery will find many uses in our work, especially river studies that require up-to-date images of the floodplain. This year’s runoff season makes the imagery particularly valuable as communities assess property damage from flooding and channel migration.

Bryan Swindell at AWRA

Bryan — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:26:37 +0000

On October 6^th, Bryan presented the results of his Master’s work at the annual Montana chapter of the American Water Resources Association (AWRA). He received 3^rd place among all Master’s student presenters at the conference, and generated a lot of interest in the science of using dendrochronology to study past hydroclimate. More information about dendrohydrology can be found at the Western Water Assessment website.

Tony Thatcher Awarded Esri ArcGIS Desktop Developer Certification

Tony — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 06:53:02 +0000

DTM Consulting is proud to announce that Tony Thatcher has recently been awarded Esri Technical Certification which recognizes superior skill levels utilizing Esri’s software for geographic information systems (GIS). Tony was awarded the ArcGIS Desktop Developer Associate Certification.

To earn Esri Technical Certification, candidates have to successfully pass an examination that assesses knowledge and skills cultivated through their years of GIS experience.
Find out more about Esri Technical Certification at www.esri.com/certification.