Forest Metrix will be conducting a full day workshop on Friday, August 14, at Central Wisconsin Environmental Station in Amherst Junction, WI. See agenda below. If you’ve been considering moving into the 21st century to SAVE TIME in your cruising/reporting process, this is a good opportunity to learn how that transition could work. Attendees will get hands-on experience and learn about the following:
– Smart phones and tablets for foresters- how they work, what you can do with them, GPS accuracy, ruggedness, other forestry/ecology tools, etc
– The Forest Metrix timber cruise inventory system- setting up cruises, tallying and collecting data, processing analytics on the fly, automatically generating the Forest Metrix Excel reports.
– There will be plenty of opportunity for open discussion about other topics as well, such as how desktop GIS solutions can be dovetailed with iPad/iPhone GPS apps, alternative sampling protocols, etc.
– Donn will be available after the workshop concludes (3:30PM) to provide technical support on any computer/tablet/phone related issues.
Attendees should bring a laptop if they have one. A limited number of demo iPads will be available, but attendees can bring iPhones or iPads if they have their own and they will get a temporary license to use. Cost is $50 and lunch will be provided. Bunkroom lodging is available for $20/night, and CFE credit will be available. Please register with Donn Downey by Wednesday, August 6, 2015.
9:00 Intros
– Important iPad/iPhone settings that everyone must know. Will be review for some.
- Wifi connection
- Screen brightness
- Passcodes
- Battery strategy/management- Airplane Mode
- Screen orientation lock
- GPS functionality vs. Cellular service
9:10 Forest Metrix Intro
– FileMaker database software
– Overview of program- general structure and layouts
– Cruise file management
– Transferring files to others
9:30 Setting up your master cruise template
– Tree measurement methods
– Setting tree list and specifications
– Products, log rules, and units
– Dot tally page setup (if desired)
– Embedded functions- how they work
- Sampling error on the fly
- Hide completed plots
- Other plot sampling (regen, etc)
- Limiting distance calculator
10:00 Starting a new cruise
– Adding plots and stands
– Plot and stand management/stratification
– Importing plot tables and .kml files
– Considerations when merging multiple cruise files
– Setting sampling method at stand level
- Variable radius
- Fixed plot
- Double Plot / BigBAF
- 100% Tally
10:20 Data Collection
The Stand Data layout
– Navigating among stands/sales/tracts
– Collection stand (or sale, or tract) attributes and observations
The Pt Data layout
– Navigating among plots
– Collecting data – non-timber (if necessary)
- Plot level observations – non-timber related
- Geo-location, photos, notes, related portals
- CWD and Understory records at subplots
- Regen records at fixed nested plot
- Deleting values and records
– Collecting tree data
- Tallying, copying, and deleting trees
- Using other options
- Stratifying points
10:40 Analytics
– Selecting stands
– Calculating each stand volume and composition
– Interpreting results, tables, graphs
- Volume tables and graphs
- Species statistics, VBARs, Diameter Distribution
- Regen
– Stand sampling error – interpretation and limitations
11:00 Sample cruise #1- group exercise going through the motions.
12:00 LUNCH
12:30 Sample cruise #2 – individual exercise
1:00 “Cruise” exercise (indoors)
Start new cruise
Populate database with plots and stands
Collect plot data
Complete analytics
Send
1:30 Creating Excel Reports
Exporting Data
Review of raw data
– empty tree records
– no volume data
– species/prefs settings
Excel Report Template
– File management
– Functionality of macros
- Setting conversions and preferences
- Alternate confidence intervals
Create reports
– Import raw data
– Selecting reports and stands to process
2:30 Flex time
This is the wild card time that is often used for one or more of the following threads, depending on what the audience wants-
– Recap of operation- some folks might still be shaky on a few points.
– Extended Q & A- sometimes folks like to get into the weeds of settings, advanced sampling methods, etc
– Other apps for mapping (GIS), navigation (GPS) , business tools (DropBox, Microsoft Office, etc.)
3:30 Adjourn
Contact Information:
Donn Downey
802-785-4307 office
802-384-7755 cell
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