Sept. 19, 2007

SAN ANGELO – A geographic information system workshop is set for Oct. 18 at the Texas A&M University System Research and Extension Center at San Angelo.

The workshop is being sponsored by Texas Cooperative Extension and the Texas A&M University System's Institute of Renewable Natural Resources.

The workshop will last from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Dr. Dale Rollins, Extension wildlife specialist at San Angelo, said most people, even those with a global positioning system in their car or pocket, don't fully understand the technology.

"While an increasing number of landowners and recreationalists are aware of GPS, most don't appreciate the power and utility of what they have," Rollins said. "Whether you're interest is in recreational mapping or precision agriculture, you'll benefit from this training."

Rollins said much of the workshop will be hands-on training outside with various equipment. Participants will then move indoors for classroom instruction on incorporating and using data from the various morning exercises.

Equipment used during the workshop will include: Precision Ag fast-update global positioning systems, Lightbar Guidance Systems, Envisio Guidance Systems, Tablet Personal Computer and heads-up navigation, and Landitude Heavy Equipment Software for tracking heavy equipment efficiency.

"The workshop should be helpful to landowners, hunters, brush control contractors or anyone else interested in global positioning system technology," Rollins said.

Other topics will include: multimedia mapping, Garmin's newly released Astro tracking collar for bird dogs, using hand-held global positioning systems and a demonstration of global positioning system-enabled cameras.

The meeting is free and open to the public but limited to the first 30 participants.

For more information contact Rollins at 325-653-4576, d-rollins@tamu.edu .