From:     emiko@egret.org
    Subject:     Re: Doodle: "SF Commons Geo Initiative Discussion"
    Date:     October 21, 2008 3:50:56 PM PDT
    To:     deanne@sonomaecologycenter.org

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I'm especially interested how your non-profit collaborators can help--what role can we play, other than providing our data and project descriptions and otherwise making use of this resource as it develops?

I would love to see the development of a regional data portal though which all of the many available sources can be queried with One Search.  There is a lot out there--what is frustrating to me is that there is no one place where you can "get it all." Searching for data can eat up huge chunks of time.
I especially like the ideas in part 2 of your strategy.  As you know, in the non-profit world, especially in small groups, the GIS folks can be really isolated.  One of the things I miss most about a University environment is being able to turn around in my chair and ask a technical question.  Even overheard conversations that I wasn't really paying attention to have led me to great data resources, or helped me to anticipate problems.  If there was any way to create a virtual environment like this--I would love it.   The Conservation GIS listserv provides some of this...but I'm imagining something even more interactive...with more organized resources.

I also really look forward to the availability of trainings, and technical assistance, and the possibility of group purchases of data such as imagery.

That's all I can think of right now!  Thanks for spearheading this effort.
Cheers,
Emi