Group Project #1

The UNESCO World Heritage List is comprised of sites considered to have outstanding universal value.  The sites are chosen due to their cultural and natural heritage.  The following map gallery was created to share some of the World Heritage sites for the Asia/Oceania zone.  There are ten sites mapped including: archaeological sites, marine protected areas, diverse landscapes, protected wildlife zones, and unique geological formations.  The maps were created using ArcGIS online.  Included with the maps, visitors will find links to additional interesting information about the sites. This map gallery can be accessed at: http://goo.gl/fl0JN

Sample view of map gallery

This map gallery should not be considered a comprehensive review of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Oceania. Rather, it should be viewed as a compilation of some of the interesting sites within that area. For more detailed and expansive information, one should view the UNESCO World Heritage list: one of the main resources used in building this map gallery. We sincerely hope you enjoy it.

Resource List

There are two internet sites which were commonly used to research location and information related to each of the World Heritage sites in this exercise.

1. Wikipedia; World Heritage Site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Site
   World Heritage Site is a place (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance.
2. UNESCO; World Heritage List: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/
   The World Heritage List includes 962 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value.

The following sites/resources were valuable in locating and gathering information on each of the individual site.

1. World Heritage Site: Tongariro National Park
• New Zealand Department of Conservation; Tongariro National Park: http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/national-parks/tongariro/ 
• Established in 1887, Tongariro was the first national park in New Zealand and the fourth in the world.
2. World Heritage Site Macquarie Island - Tasmania - Australia
• Australian Antarctic Division: www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=7151
• This site provides location and historical information about Marquarie Island
3. World Heritage Site: East Rennell
• UNESCO: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/854/
• This site provides information including maps, description, documents and a gallery of photos 
4. World Heritage Site: Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA)
• UNESCO: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1325/
• This site provides information including maps, description, documents and a gallery of photos 
5. World Heritage Site: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park - Ayers Rock
• UNESCO: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/447
• This site provides information including maps, description, documents and a gallery of photos
6. World Heritage Site: The Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
• Museum Victoria; Royal Exhibition Building: http://museumvictoria.com.au/reb
• This site provides a description, directions, scheduled upcoming events for the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Garden
7. World Heritage Site: Tasmanian Wilderness/Mount Field National Park
• Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service; Mount Field:
  http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=3589
• Tasmanian Parks and wildlife service site providing an overview of the park its animal and plant life, as well as access information.
8. World Heritage site:  Kuk Early Agricultural Site
• UNESCO: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/887
• This site provides information including maps, description, documents and a gallery of photos
9. World Heritage Site: Te Wahipounamu
• UNESCO: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/551
• This site provides information including maps, description, documents and a gallery of photos
10. World Heritage Site: Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test site; Marshall Islands
• UNESCO: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1339
• This site provides information including maps, description, documents and a gallery of photos

Typography

Week six has us covering the basics of typography.  As map makers we want to make sure that our end user is drawn to the main focal point of the maps intended purpose and that our text does not overpower, but rather is a supplemental compliment to the map being made.  This lab would have been easier had I been familiar with the Florida Keys, but, as map makers we won't always have an expanse knowledge of our subject matter.

Typography

Projections Part II

What a week! OMG there was a lot covered and if you missed one tiny little step, boy did you know it.  This week we were tasked with downloading various bits of data, raster and vector files, from the labins.org and FGDL.org websites.  These two sites are a wealth of GIS resources if you need data for the state of Florida. Georgia, where I live has a GIS Clearinghouse that I have visited in the past. However, with the knowledge that I have gained this past week concerning data files and data projections, the next time I visit the GIS Clearinghouse it will be a whole new experience.

Projections Part II

My map this week shows the locations of SCTM sites in Escambia county.  I think as map makers, we may not always know the subject matter we are creating, but rather we create for the end user.  I don't know the first thing about SCTM sites, but undoubtedly, my end user would.

Florida Hispanic Population

Using Adobe Illustrator, this week we were tasked with displaying a map of southern Florida's Hispanic population as surveyed by the 2000 US Census.  I wanted to make sure that the population ranges were distinct, but not garish.  I made sure to include all the required map elements, which I now have in a convenient sticky note on my Windows desktop, while keeping in mind the hierarchy of thematic map design (also a sticky note on my Windows desktop).

Important lesson learned this week:   Ctrl-Z is one of my all time favorite keyboard shortcuts.  You can try something and if it doesn't work you can Ctrl-Z and undo it.  Sometime I get a little Z happy and do one too many undos, so I use the handy dandy Ctrl-Y. or redo, keyboard shortcut.  Ctrl-Y does not work the same in Adobe Illustrator as it does in other Windows based programs.  Ctrl-Y makes ALL the color disappear and Ctrl-Z does not bring it back. Luckily, I had just saved my file so the damage was minimal.  (Note to self: save often!)  I’m still not sure what command Ctrl-Y executes, but did discover that Ctrl-Shift-Z will execute a redo in AI. 

I also picked up a couple of new shortcuts using the scroll wheel. 

1.      Shift-scroll moves the art board up and down quickly.  
2.      Ctrl-scroll moves the art board left and right.  
3.      Alt-scroll zooms in and out – this was my favorite find.

Projections Part 1

This weeks assignment shows the side by side comparisons of three different projections of the same geographical area, the state of Florida.

Initially, only minor differences may be noticeable,  however, when comparing the square mile area of a few counties, you can see where the differences occur.  When choosing a projection, be aware of the area that you are mapping.  In the case of our Florida map, the State Plane projection is most commonly used by federal, state, and local large-scale mapping projects in the United States. 

ArcGIS Online and Map Packages

This week we learned how to create map packages using ArcGIS Online.  ArcGIS Online enables an Arc user to share data easily with other users. Shown below are my map packages as they exist on ArcGIS Online.

Introduction to Illustrator

This weeks map was created using a combination of ArcGIS and Adobe Illustrator.  The legend, scale bar, north arrow, Florida county polygon layer and city point layer were created in ArcMap.  The map was exported from ArcMap as a .AI (Adobe Illustrator) file.  The new .AI file was opened in Adobe Illustrator and the title of the map, my name, date, and data source were all added.  The map was then exported from Adobe Illustrator via the File, Save for Web & Devices... option.