Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.3, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # GEOPORTER Communities Making a Difference with Geospatial Technologies ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://geoporter.net/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Blog](https://geoporter.net/blog/) - [Extending Geoporter's reach: A volunteer's view](https://geoporter.net/extending-geoporter-reach-voluntern/) - Geoporter recently expanded their work to the town of Piedras Blancas, Costa Rica. As a new Geoporter volunteer, this was an incredible opportunity for me to be part of the work Geoporter does. During my second week interning for Geoporter in Bahia Ballena we drove to the small community of Piedras Blancas to conduct a workshop. For the past three years Geoporter has based their projects in Bahia Ballena. However, their plan - [Mobile data collection to understand tourists during Whale Festival](https://geoporter.net/understandingtourists/) - Humpback whales are magnificent creatures. In the rural coastal community of Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica, humpback whales from both the northern and southern migrations visit to have their offspring and teach them how to swim. Each September since 2008, the community of Bahia Ballena has organized the Festival of Whales and Dolphins to celebrate these - [Ten things I learned volunterning with Geoporter…](https://geoporter.net/ten-things-learned-volunteering/) - Last year Lucy visited Bahia Ballena to get involved with Geoporter. She shares what she learned in her time with us. Costa Rica is one of the most incredible countries in the world. Don’t believe me? Browse Geoporter’s flickr for just a few moments to appreciate the incredible diversity of plant and animal life, the - [Dale un Sábado Cada Mes a Tu Comunidad: Sábados de Surf y Servicio](https://geoporter.net/sabadosdesurfyservicio/) - Dale un sábado a nuestra comunidad para que sea un lugar mejor. A partir de ahora hasta agosto de 2016, únase a al programa Sábados de Surf y Servicio en PNMB para hacer servicio comunitario. Para aquellos que participan en la actividad de servicio, se ofrecerán clases de surf, centrándose en la juventud. También tendremos - [Desechos y Reciclaje en Costa Ballena || Trash and Recycling in Costa Ballena](https://geoporter.net/basuracostaballena2015/) - ¿A dónde va basura de Costa Ballena? ¿Puedo reciclar? El Proyecto Calles Limpias, Aguas Limpias de Geoporter, ha estado mapeando la basura en las calles y las playas desde el año 2012. Con esta información, las acciones han sido tomadas por varios negocios y organizaciones comunitarias para prevenir la basura entren en nuestras calles y - [Where does Costa Ballena Trash End Up? Can I Recycle?](https://geoporter.net/costaballenatrashrecycling_2015/) - As part of our Clean Streets, Clean Waters Project, we wanted to find out more about where our garbage in Costa Ballena goes and what happens to recyclables if they are thrown out with the trash. We took a trip to the Municipality of Osa before the 2015 holidays to meet with Yanitza Rojas and - [Reforestation of 1,000 trees in the month of October](https://geoporter.net/reforestation-of-1000-trees-in-the-month-of-october/) - Where have all the birds gone? The sloths? What about the trees on the beach? Not to mention the beach? Semilla de Ballenas is a new project this year for Geoporter to reforest our town. We want to protect our beaches from erosion as it is already happening. We want to bring wildlife back to - [200 people in 7 months](https://geoporter.net/200-people-in-7-months/) - Since March of 2015, over 15 different groups, primarily from the United States, have visited Bahía and learned about Geoporter and how GIS and GPS are being used by the community. Some groups had the ability to participate in longer projects, but in total, 200 unique individuals, both students and adults, have participated in Geoporter projects - [Volunterns from around the world spend months with Geoporter](https://geoporter.net/volunterns-from-around-the-world-spend-months-with-geoporter/) - The impact a volunteer provides to an organization is difficult to measure. It is not the number of hours worked, but rather the values shared and lessons learned from both the organization and the volunteer that are so important. Geoporter has been extremely fortunate to collaborate with some incredible volunteers. Since our inception, Geoporter has had - [Changes in attitudes changes in latitude](https://geoporter.net/changes-in-attitudes-changes-in-latitude/) - What started as a student-led project to clean up the local soccer field and school grounds has led to a community wide effort in Bahia Ballena to keep the city clean. Local efforts have made a huge difference in managing trash, and in turn, helping to protect the waters of adjacent Marino Ballena National Park. - [No Act is Too Small When it Comes to Protecting The World’s Oceans](https://geoporter.net/ocean-guardian-journey/) - While we continue to work in Bahia Ballena, we want to make sure you are aware of what some of our community supporters are up to. They make a difference and we want to give back to those who are also making a difference around the world. Have you ever thought about your actions and - [Seeds of change are planted early!](https://geoporter.net/seeds-of-change-are-planted-early/) - As a grade-5 student, Maria Paula was one of the first Bahía Ballena community members we (Roger Palmer and Anita Palmer) met and worked with. This was in 2009, three years before we officially became Geoporter. One of our favorite workshops and activities in the community during that time was working with the local grade school, Escuela - [Mobile Mapping of Humpback Whales](https://geoporter.net/mobile-mapping-of-humpback-whales/) - This weekend marks the third and final weekend of the 7th Annual Festival of Whales and Dolphins. Each weekend over a thousand tourists have come to Bahia Ballena to venture out on a boat and watch these incredible creatures. These whales arrived mid-July from their home in the Antarctic waters. Southern humpback whales number around - [Geoporter and a Graduate: The Buzz About Christian](https://geoporter.net/geoporter-and-a-graduate-the-buzz-about-christian/) - I'm Christian Gehrke, a recent graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) from San Mateo, California. I am down here in Costa Rica to both be a sort of liason between Geoporter and OWU, but also volunteer for Geoporter and help the community of Bahia Ballena until the end of August. Now how did I get - [Standing Room Only: Impact Event San Diego](https://geoporter.net/sdimpactevent2015/) - So to say that the environment was just like Costa Rica, isn’t too far off the mark, thanks to the rain. The combined weekend total bumped the total July rainfall to 1.7 inches, a new record rainfall for July. The previous wettest July record was in 1902, with 0.92 inches of rain. But this is - [Impact Event: San Diego, CA](https://geoporter.net/impactevent_sandiego2015/) - Geoporter will be in San Diego, CA!! We invite you to join the Founders and Director for light appetizers and drinks Sunday, July 19, 2015, from 6:30pm - 9:00pm. Thanks to Boisset Collection for their wine donation. Come and learn more about our exciting non-profit that uses GIS to inspire community action. Suggested donation: $10-$20. We will - [Publication from investigating sources of polluted waters](https://geoporter.net/publication-from-investigating-sources-of-polluted-waters/) - Back in March as small group of Geoporters met with the Executive Director of the Central States Water Environment Association (CSWEA). Mohammad was down here on his way to get an update on other water projects he is involved with in the Osa Peninsula. He heard about Geoporter's recent project, working alongside the community's ASADA - [From Doing to Presenting: Our First Showcase at CACOBA Expo Fair](https://geoporter.net/cacoba-expo-fair-2015/) - Geoporter has taken the step towards sharing our work with others in the Costa Ballena Community. Mid-March, the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism (CACOBA) held an Expo Fair where various tourism companies, local businesses, artists, and projects could share with others their services, products or programs. Geoporter setup a table in the Expo Fair to - [Change is all around us](https://geoporter.net/change-is-all-around-us/) - Be the change you wish to see in this world! January, we celebrated World Environmental Education Day. We celebrated this day with our friends and colleagues from Bodhi Surf, Bahia Aventuras, Hotel Bahia Azul, ASOGUIBA and others. Youth and adults alike participated in a street cleanup, trashcan clean-out, and sign painting and placement. The signs - [A look at our year in 2014](https://geoporter.net/yearreview2014/) - We’ve closed the doors on 2014. Where has it gone? Geoporter has been busy in Bahía Ballena and beyond! Funds and support from our 2013 Indigogo campaign, from providing community-based geospatial education experiences to 230 students from 16 different groups, and from a new from a collaboration with the Woods Institute at Stanford University provided - [Trip of a Lifetime for one local Elementary School Teacher](https://geoporter.net/trip-lifetime-one-local-elementary-school-teacher/) - The adventure begins, and with this adventure comes knowledge and skills that will be brought back to Costa Rica to share with other teachers and students. Margarita Morales Gamboa, a teacher at Escuela Verde, a local bi-lingual elementary school that Geoporter works with, applied to and was accepted to attend the 2014 Esri Teachers Teaching - [Snorkeling at Caño and inquisitive tourists.](https://geoporter.net/snorkelling/) - My host father Rafa, let me go on another boat tour with Bahia Aventuras, this time a full day tour to Caño Island. After some cloudy skies, Thursday was sunny and clear – perfect weather for snorkeling and swimming at the island. On the boat I sat near the back next to our guide Reymer - [Hiking to La Suiza (Switzerland)!](https://geoporter.net/hiking/) - Hola! Over the last weekend, we went to visit my host grandparents house in La Suiza (about 1 hours drive away from San Isidro). No it's not really in Switzerland... just given that name because of its location high up in the mountains across the state border into the San Jose province. On Saturday afternoon - [The Aussie's Adventures.](https://geoporter.net/aussies-adventures/) - Hola! Como Esta? (How are you?) Moi Bien. Puda Vida (I’m very good. Pure Life in Costa Rica). Busy week at Geoporters trying to get the quebradas (streams) in the town mapped before the wet season starts and before Semana Santa celebrations (Holy Week) begins on Friday. On Tuesday morning, Amy, Luz, Jovino and I - [Aussie in Corcovado](https://geoporter.net/aussieincorcovado/) - On Friday, we collected GPS waypoints and observations along the local creeks and rivers around the Bahia community. There were 6 of us split into 2 teams: Amy, Christian, Wayner then Luz, Jovino and I. Each group had 2 GPS units and cameras to take photo’s and observe the proximity of vegetation and houses to - [The Aussie's View of Costa Rica!](https://geoporter.net/aussiesviewcr1/) - Hola! My name is Fiona (I come from Australia) and I am here volunteering with Amy and the Geoporter Project for one month. Already a week has flown by yet it only feels like yesterday that I arrived in Bahia Ballena! In my short time here I have experienced lots of action with an official tsunami - [Support through a Smile](https://geoporter.net/amazonsmile/) - If you purchase anything from Amazon, you can now donate 0.5% of the cost of each eligible purchase to Geoporter, at no additional cost to you. Recently, Amazon unveiled Amazon Smile, a simple and automatic way for you to support Geoporter, or your favorite non-profit organization, every time you shop. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices, - [Students help school earn Bandera Azul recognition](https://geoporter.net/studentsbanderaazul2013/) - Students from Escuela La Flor de Bahia help their school earn its first Bandera Azul (Blue Flag). Students is grades two through six (2-6) worked with Geoporter and community volunteers weekly for seven weeks to work on its waste management initiative. As such, students participated by mapping and collecting trash on school grounds, the adjoining - [Huffington Post: Making an Impact One Person at a Time](https://geoporter.net/huffington-post-making-impact-one-person-time/) - Back in March 2013, we received a seed grant from the Pollination Project for $1,000 to support the creation of our Geospatial Technology Lab. The lab enabled us to offer trainings to residents here in Bahia Ballena at different locations around town and into Escuela Verde and Escuela La Flor de Bahia. At the end - [Officially a 501(C)3 Non-Profit](https://geoporter.net/501c3nonprofit/) - What a year 2013 has been. We ended the year with news that Geoporter received official recognition from the U.S. Federal Government for our Non-Profit Status. That means we are officially a non-profit or a 501(C)3. This status is retroactive back to November 12, 2012. This is exciting news as we move Geoporter forward, making a difference in - [The Pura Vida of The Pollination Project: The Impact of $1K in Costa Rica](https://geoporter.net/puravidapollinationproject/) - Humpback whales from northern and southern migrations in the Pacific Ocean travel every winter to the breeding grounds near the equator. These humpback whales now have a breeding environment off the coast of Costa Rica that is less polluted than it was a year ago, before The Pollination Project seeded Bahia Ballena. Bahia Ballena is - [On your mark, get set.....Snap!](https://geoporter.net/on-your-mark-get-set-snap/) - Yep, you've got it. For more than a year now we've managed to build a collection of thousands of photos. We are going through these photos to find a few of our favorite photos (this is going to be really, really, really hard) and we want to share these photos with you or someone special. - [Geoporter Leverages Big Data and Technology to Empower Developing Communities](https://geoporter.net/geoporter-leverages-big-data-technology-empower-developing-communities/) - Press release out today! It was picked up by 11 different sites on the first day. Thanks to Brenda, Brooks and Lauren for helping pull this together. You can read the full version online here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/geospatial/mapping/prweb11403097.htm - [We have eight new trash and recycling centers!!](https://geoporter.net/wehaveeightnewtrashandrecyclingcenters/) - With a little creativity along the way, a lot of hard work by many, many individuals in town, what was one a vision has become a reality. Recently, Geoporter in conjunction with eleven other companies constructed, painted, and placed eight new trash and recycling centers in town. Next year around this time, we will have - [Connecting to Houston - Mission: Engaging 100+ students with GIS](https://geoporter.net/connecting-to-houston-sharing-gis-with-over-100-students/) - While Geography Awareness Week doesn't kick off officially until Monday, November 18, and GIS Day isn't until next Friday, we kicked it off early. By connecting with one of my colleagues from the first T3G Institute, he helped arrange for this mornings session with over 100 students in grades 9-12 in Houston. The idea: to - [Bahia needs your support - Basura de Bahia](https://geoporter.net/bahia-needs-your-support-basura-de-bahia/) - We've conducted trash (basura) collections using GPS to map the trash! The containers that will be used for trash and recycling have been purchased and painted by community residents! The community has identified the locations to place the trash cans using the trash maps they created! All we are missing is the materials to build - [Monitoring Whales on National TV in Costa Rica](https://geoporter.net/repretel/) - The Festival of Whales and Dolphins brings many people here to Bahia Ballena for two weekends in September, including many TV stations. This year, our second year here for the Festival, we connected with Repretel, a national Costa Rica news station. After watching the President of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla, speak at the opening festivities, - [We’re Celebrating!!! We are Officially One! A Year as Geoporter in Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica](https://geoporter.net/celebratingyearone/) - August 7, 2012, I was making my way to Bahia Ballena to spend 2 months training residents, youth and teachers how to use GIS and GPS to map the whale sightings, trash in the community and use in the classrooms. Here we are 12 months later celebrating our first year as Geoporter and 1 full - [Shifting from Trash Collections to Taking Action! What can we do to prevent trash from entering our streets?](https://geoporter.net/shifting-from-trash-collections-to-taking-action-what-can-we-do-to-prevent-trash-from-entering-our-streets/) - Since April, various individuals from Bahía-Uvita have been working together to understand a serious problem that impacts communities around the world: Trash. Every Friday, starting the first week in April, individuals have gathered to pick up trash from the streets. Each week a new location is selected for the cleanup. But, this isn't just any - [Perspectives of my first week volunteering with Geoporter](https://geoporter.net/perspectives-of-my-first-week-volunteering-with-geoporter/) - I arrived in the beautiful town of Bahía Ballena a week ago, and have witnessed Geoporter work in full swing. This week, I focused on trash and whale monitoring. However, it is clear that there is potential for GPS and Geoporter analysis in many corners of Bahía Ballena. One the trash front, we collected between - [Geoporter has it's first Volunteer!](https://geoporter.net/geoporter-has-its-first-volunteer/) - Geoporter has been lucky enough to have it's first volunteer. Margaret Wenzlau, from Stanford University, will be here in Bahia Ballena for 1 month. Arriving July 13 she will assist in the various Geoporter projects. These projects include Mapping for Trash Elimination, Monitoring Whales in Marino Ballena National Park, and helping to get a new - [Making headlines in La Nacion, a national newspaper in Costa Rica](https://geoporter.net/making-headlines-in-la-nacion-a-national-newspaper-in-costa-rica/) - Three weeks ago, 3 of us from Geoporter took a trip to San Jose, a 3.5 hour car ride to meet with a reporter from La Nación, a national newspaper in Costa Rica to talk about the Geoporter Program and the projects we are working on here. Saturday, June 8, (which happened to also be - [Geoporter in April](https://geoporter.net/geoporter-in-april/) - Since August of 2012, I have been living and working in Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica teaching and training educators, youth and community members how to use geospatial technologies, or GIS and GPS, to investigate their community resources or issues they think are important. I want to take just a few minutes to summarize some of - [Basura en las costas del mundo](https://geoporter.net/basura-en-las-costas-del-mundo/) - Les invitamos a leer este interesante articulo sobre la basura que es arrastrada o tirada en las costas del mundo. A todos esos que han colaborado con el proyecto del mapeo de basura de las calles de bahia ballena les decimos son unos valientes que merecen una medalla de honor porque ademas de evitar que - [Learning about Political Boundaries and Pueblos with Escuela Verde](https://geoporter.net/learning-about-political-boundaries-and-pueblos-with-escuela-verde/) - [Recoleccion de Basura // Trash Collection - April 5, 3013](https://geoporter.net/recoleccion-de-basura-trash-collection-april-5-3013/) - [Geoporter Map Gallery](https://geoporter.net/geoporter-map-gallery/) - [Geoporter Program Overview](https://geoporter.net/geoporter-program-overview/) - [Investigating Dengue](https://geoporter.net/investigating-dengue/) - [Inspecting for dengue](https://geoporter.net/inspecting-for-dengue/) - This year, 2013, marks the 20th year dengue fever has had a presence in Costa Rica. In 2012, Costa Rica doubled the number of dengue cases from 2011. Thankfully, there were no deaths. With more than one-third of the world’s population living in areas at risk for transmission, dengue infection is a leading cause of - [Basura de Playa Arco](https://geoporter.net/basura-de-playa-arco/) - View Larger Map - [Basura de Bahia Ballena](https://geoporter.net/basura-de-bahia-ballena-2/) - [Through the creation of art...will the amount of trash change?](https://geoporter.net/through-the-creation-of-art-will-the-amount-of-trash-change/) - This vast world we live in is filled with beauty in the smallest of corners. All one has to do is take a look at the recent community trash and recycling containers that were built and installed in Bahía Ballena. The first two containers were placed at two different sites where trash is found almost - [The best gift of all is sharing with others](https://geoporter.net/the-best-gift-of-all-is-sharing-with-others/) - One of the objectives of the Geoporter project is to share our knowledge of geospatial technologies, GIS, GPS and remote sensing, with others. But ultimately what we hope to achieve is that by sharing our knowledge with others, others will acquire the skills to not only use GPS they will have the skills and knowledge - [Escuela Verde Summer Training](https://geoporter.net/escuela-verde-summer-training/) - [The start of a new school year](https://geoporter.net/the-start-of-a-new-school-year/) - As the New Year begins, so too does a new school year for students in Costa Rica. Unlike the U.S. where summer vacation occurs during the months of June through August, students in Costa Rica graduate in December and go back to school in February. At Escuela Verde, the teachers decided to spend some of - [No electricity, No problem: Teachers in Costa Rica forge ahead integrating GIS and GPS in their classes](https://geoporter.net/no-electricity-no-problem-teachers-in-costa-rica-forge-ahead-integrating-gis-and-gps-in-their-classes/) - Teachers at one primary school in Costa Rica are changing students’ lives while having access to limited resources that one would think are essential for conducting geospatial investigations. Escuela Verde is a bi-lingual primary school located in Uvita - Bahia Ballena in the Osa Region on the southern Pacific Coast. During two months this summer, - [Avistamiento de Ballenas, Bahia Ballena, Osa](https://geoporter.net/avistamiento-de-ballenas-bahia-ballena-osa/) - View Larger Map - [Basura de Bahia Ballena](https://geoporter.net/basura-de-bahia-ballena/) - View Larger Map - [La basura recogida con los ninos](https://geoporter.net/la-basura-recogida-con-los-ninos/) - [Venturing through the forest with Escuela Verde](https://geoporter.net/venturing-through-the-forest-with-escuela-verde/) - Yesterday I spent the day with Margarita and her 3 grade class at Hacienda Barú. Hacienda Barú is a National Wildlife Refuge situated on the Southern Pacific Coast north of Uvita. Hacienda Barú has 330 hectares (815 acres) of different habitats, from wetlands and secondary rainforests in the lowlands to primary rainforest on the highland coastal - [Finding my way via Basura](https://geoporter.net/finding-my-way-via-basura/) - As mentioned earlier, one of the projects I’ll be working on while I’m here Uvita – Bahia Ballena is mapping the basura (trash). The first day I arrived, I wanted to get to know my way around town a little better. I figured what better way to get to know the town than to walk - [Pura Vida from Costa Rica](https://geoporter.net/pura-vida-from-costa-rica/) - You know it’s been a good couple of days when you lose track of exactly what day of the week it is. My trip down from San Jose to Uvita and Bahia Ballena was wonderful. I met two other travelers, Adam and Myrna, from D.C. who were planned to spend some time down in Drake - [Geoporter - One community...An educator...And maps that make a difference](https://geoporter.net/geoporter-one-community-an-educator-and-maps-that-make-a-difference/) - [A young girl and a motivated community](https://geoporter.net/a-young-girl-and-a-motivated-community/) - So who is that amazing young woman in the picture above? Her name is Maria Paula and she is a fourteen year old Costa Rican student who has been captivated by GIS, GPS and its uses in her community. She is the expert of her small tourist community in mapping the trash and is using - [Latin American GIS Conference – Maria Paula Presentation](https://geoporter.net/latin-american-gis-conference-maria-paula-presentation/) - [In a bilingual school, GIS and GPS are a common language](https://geoporter.net/in-a-bilingual-school-gis-and-gps-are-a-common-language/) - We had our first GPS and GIS training of the week at Escuela Verde. While the students were on their two week break, a few of the teachers came back to school to see what GPS is all about and get some ideas on how they can use it in their classes. Escuela Verde is a bilingual school, offering classes in both Spanish and English for students in K-6. Some teachers were very comfortable in English, while others were native Spanish speakers with limited English. But when teaching others to use GIS and GPS, its seems that it has its own language that is universal. - [El Parque Nacional Marino Ballena](https://geoporter.net/el-parque-nacional-marino-ballena/) - A brief stroll down the newly paved road in Bahia Ballena took us to the entrance to the Parque Nacional Marino Ballena. Stopping to pick up towels along the way, we were all set to head to the beach. I must say, it was simply amazing. The water was like bath water, the backdrop of the beach were palms and forest, and blue sky’s were plentiful. After some time at the beach, we made our way back to our hotel, La Fiore de Bahia, to cut up some piña, and make guacamole. This afternoon we met with a few people, Travis, Rafa, Ronald, y Ray, who we will be working with this time and when I come back in August. - [Crocs and Cows: An Adventurous Ride](https://geoporter.net/crocs-and-cows-an-adventurous-ride/) - I arrived on time with my luggage in hand! A much different story from India. After arriving at the hotel our group met up at the local chicken restaurant, which was past Denny’s and the beyond the entrance to the Casino. After a good night of sleep, a hearty breakfast of stuffed tortillas, huevos (eggs), and fresh pineapple and papaya, Roger and Anita picked up our van, or small autobus. We then started off on our ride to Bahia Ballena, a trip that would be full of adventures. It wasn’t long before we were heading North. We should have been heading West and Southwest. After about 40 minutes on driving, we turned around to head back to the airport, and then took the back roads through a few towns. Eventually we found the road we needed to travel down through the river valley and out to the Pacific. We eventually reached the Pacific Ocean and our first destination, a boat ride with Crocodile Man Tour. - [Costa Rica and Lake Michigan: What do they have in Common?](https://geoporter.net/costa-rica-and-lake-michigan-what-do-they-have-in-common/) - And I’m off! This time to Costa Rica. I’m traveling with Roger and Anita Palmer of GISetc for the initial trip of the GEOPORT program. During this trip, Roger and Anita will introduce me to the community they have been working with for the past 2 years. Bahia Ballena is a community of approximately 1,000 residents on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. During this time I will be working with a school and community membersof Bahia Ballena supporting them using GIS and GPS to examine local community issues. After this trip, I’ll head back down in August to continue working with the community for a month. ## Pages - [Welcome to Geoporter](https://geoporter.net/) - Geoporter is a program in which educators work hand-in-hand with a community, using geospatial technologies, to examine local resources and solve local issues. Geoporter launched in Bahia Ballena-Uvita, Costa Rica, a community of about 3000 people just north of the Osa Peninsula and home to Marino Ballena National Park. We have helped students and adults - [Ojos en la Calle | Eyes on the Street](https://geoporter.net/ojosenlacalle/) - Public link to access the Eyes on the Street Community Survey: Click Here Enlace público para acceder a la encuesta Ojos en la Calle para la comunidad: Clic aquí - [Connect](https://geoporter.net/connect/) - There are many different ways to connect and engage with Geoporter, whether you are in a country with a Geoporter program or not. Read and subscribe to the blog Sign up for periodic email Plan to join us at an upcoming event - in person or virtual Join a community on social media, like Facebook - [Semilla de Ballena](https://geoporter.net/semilladeballena/) - Where have all the birds gone? The sloths? What about the trees on the beach? Not to mention the beach? Semilla de Ballenas is a project to reforest Bahia-Uvita, Costa Rica. Residents want to protect beaches from eroding away as it is already happening. They want to bring wildlife back to town by providing suitable - [Reforest the rainforest this Giving Tuesday](https://geoporter.net/donate/givingtuesday2015/) - This past year the people of Bahia Ballena have worked hard to reforest their beaches to prevent coastal erosion and provide shelter for wildlife. Using seeds collected from local and native trees, over 80 residents contributed time on their weekends to plant 1,000 trees, mapping their locations to monitor their progress for years to - [Resources](https://geoporter.net/resources/) - As we start to get a collection of resources that we are using with Geoporter, we will share these resources here. We hope to be able to provide both English and Spanish versions, but the releases might not be at the same time. If you use these resources, let us know how they work for - [Newsletters](https://geoporter.net/newsletters/) - Access all our newsletters here. Maybe you missed one, or maybe you want to know what you will be receiving before you signup. Or maybe, you want quick access to one you've already received. Check out all our newsletters here. And sign up here to receive future mailings. October 1, 2015 - [History](https://geoporter.net/about-us/history/) - Costa Rica BRIDGING THE CONTINENTS WHILE SPANNING THE GEOSPATIAL DIVIDE The first project location of Bahia Ballena-Uvita, Costa Rica, fit perfectly the mission and vision of Geoporter. This project builds capacity to assist in the community transition the community from farming and fishing to tourism through support of managing its own sustainable growth. Bahia Ballena-Uvita - [Support from CSWEA affiliates](https://geoporter.net/cswea/) - Wondering what to do with some laptops or GPS units or water quality monitoring kits that are still in working condition but that you are no longer using? We at Geoporter are in need of reliable equipment to continue working in communities in Costa Rica. While Costa Rica seems like an idea place to work - [Impact Events](https://geoporter.net/impactevents/) - Geoporter as an organization relies heavily on individuals for support in helping us to achieve our goals of training communities to use geospatial technologies to investigate and solve problems and plan for the future. We want to make sure our supporters get a change to meet, share ideas, and hear more about what we are - [Coastal Escuelas](https://geoporter.net/projects/coastalescuelas/) - Youth are our key to a better future. Escuelas Costeras is focused on working with schools, high schools and youth programs to engage youth in learning GPS and GIS through integration with classroom content or applied to community projects. By engaging students young to use these technologies, they have the opportunity to make a difference - [Participatory Whale Monitoring Maps](https://geoporter.net/whale-maps/) - [Participatory Whale Monitoring](https://geoporter.net/projects/participatory-whale-monitoring/) - Bahía Ballena is home to the Marino Ballena National Park. The park, known for the natural sand formation of a whale’s tale that reveals itself during low tide, is home to a diverse plant and animal ecosystem. The park is one of the few locations in the world where whales from both the northern and - [Clean Streets, Clean Waters Maps](https://geoporter.net/gallery/cleanstreetscleanwatermaps/) - [Clean Streets, Clean Waters](https://geoporter.net/projects/trash/) - For many, Bahia Ballena is paradise - beautiful beaches, an abundance of wildlife and Costa Rica’s oldest marine national park. This area offers us so much, so what do we give it in return? For the past couple of years the answer has been trash. A walk down the streets or even along the beach - [Projects](https://geoporter.net/projects/) - Participatory Whale Monitoring Boat tour companies lead the way in monitoring whales by using GPS and GIS to record and map daily sightings in and around Marino Ballena National Park. Guides and captains from the different tour companies in the community use GPS to record type, number and species of whales observed during their daily boat - [Join our mailing list](https://geoporter.net/donate/join-our-mailing-list/) - We will never lease, distribute or sell your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or the law requires us to do so. Subscribe to our mailing list * indicates required Email Address * First Name Last Name Email Language Preference English Spanish - [Ways to Support Geoporter](https://geoporter.net/donate/) - We invite you to join our efforts in increasing the capacity of residents in communities to use geospatial technologies to better understand, manage, and establish practices for a sustainable community. Your contributions help support the continued existence of Geoporter and continue to allow us to make a difference through geospatial education. 1) Donate to Geoporter Geoporter - [Partners](https://geoporter.net/about-us/partners/) - The Geoporter Program is working in partnership with: - [Map Gallery](https://geoporter.net/gallery/) - [Leadership & Staff](https://geoporter.net/about-us/advisory-board/) - Geoporter Board of Directors Dr. Thomas Baker is an education manager, directing STEM initiatives and educational technology strategies for Esri. Tom is also an Adjunct Researcher in the University of Kansas Center for Science Education and is interested in geospatial tools and thinking to enhance student learning and teacher professional development. Geinier Alvarado Guzmán Born in the Osa Region - [Costa Rican Staff & Volunteers](https://geoporter.net/about-us/meet-the-team/) - Geoporter Program Director Amy Work is the first Program Director, with her placement in Bahia Ballena-Uvita, Costa Rica. She holds a Master’s degree in Geography from Syracuse University with a concentration in GIS and remote sensing. Prior to Geoporter she was a GIS Analyst and the Education Coordinator for IAGT in Auburn, NY where she - [About Us](https://geoporter.net/about-us/) - What is Geoporter? Geospatial Educators Opportunities for Partnership Outreach Research and Training is a program where professional geospatial educators will travel to communities around the world for extended periods to work hand-in-hand with community members to use and apply geospatial technologies to solve local issues and investigate community resources. Why Are Geospatial Technologies Essential in - [Location](https://geoporter.net/location/) - Geoporter address: U.S. 333 E. Greenbriar Lane #1429 Dallas, TX 75203 Costa Rica Bahia Ballena, Osa Puntarenas, Costa Rica - [Contact Us](https://geoporter.net/contact/) - [contact-form-7 id="3" title="Contact form 1"] ## Categories - [Uncategorized](https://geoporter.net/category/uncategorized/) - [Ballenas](https://geoporter.net/category/ballenas/) - [Basura](https://geoporter.net/category/basura/) - [Blog](https://geoporter.net/category/blog/) - [community](https://geoporter.net/category/community/) - [Escuela La Flor de Bahia](https://geoporter.net/category/escuela-la-flor-de-bahia/) - [Escuela Verde](https://geoporter.net/category/escuela-verde/) - [Events](https://geoporter.net/category/events/) - [Featured](https://geoporter.net/category/featured/) - [GEOPORT](https://geoporter.net/category/geoport/) - [Geoporter](https://geoporter.net/category/geoporter/) - [GIS Day](https://geoporter.net/category/gis-day/) - [Ministry of Health](https://geoporter.net/category/ministry-of-health/) - [Outreach](https://geoporter.net/category/outreach/) - 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