Members: Jesse Cogan, Mallory Atack, Luke Pegram
Project Definition & Objectives
For our project, we hope to create a set of georeferenced maps of the arboretum which help us document change over time across the landscape. It would be great to digitize features of interest, whether that be trail networks or land cover to see how they have shifted. Additionally, we hope to incorporate some archival evidence into the map to deepen readers’ understanding of place. This could take the form of small pop-ups within a web map, or integrating our georeferenced maps into an interactive StoryMap. We had also discussed potentially adding in Polycam models at points of interest, but we will see if time allows.
Methodology
Sources: A number of Arboretum maps already exist within Carleton’s ArcGIS system. You can find them here. While these can serve as the basis for our exploration, it would be worth seeing if we could find older maps, either in the archives or online, such as these plats maps of the Northfield area, to show what the area looked like before the creation of the arboretum. Additional maps/source material can be found in the Carleton Archives. The college has a dedicated Cowling Arboretum collection accessible here. Of particular interest is Series 3 (Technical Maps).
Processes: The maps listed above will need to be georeferenced using either AllMaps or ArcGIS Pro. We can use ArcGIS online to digitize features of interest by creating our own feature layers and tracing the georeferenced maps.
Analyses & Transformations:
We are hoping to georeference the older maps alongside the newer maps. Additionally, we hope to add points of interest, such as the trail system throughout time. Including archival information such as photographs or media references will be helpful to immerse the user in the history of the Arb. We also discussed possibly adding Polycam 360s, or other 3D models to the map, so that it becomes more interactive. Overall, we’ll be analyzing the Arboretum and its geographical features through the lens of the Arb’s centennial, pointing out how it has changed over those 100 years and hoping to spread knowledge and appreciation for this campus resource.
Timeline:
Theoretically, we will begin with researching and searching the archives for maps of the Arb first, and work towards creating a combined map in AllMaps and/or ArcGIS. The next step would be adding in the extra details to our map, such as text-based descriptions, 360 panoramas, 3D models, and other such information that might add interest and information to our project. In terms of specifics, we will focus on adding archival information such as photographs and historical accounts of the Arb to the georeferenced map, but if time allows, adding additional interactive details from Polycam or other sources could be helpful.
Project Example:
This project, Imagine Rio, details the evolution of Rio from the 14th to the 20th centuries. It combines historical maps across time as well as pop-up features displaying artistic renderings and photographs for specific locations. We hope to employ a similar approach to this project.
Personal Notes:
Jesse: I am particularly interested in the ways that maps can help us understand how environments have changed over time. This becomes more salient when we can begin to attach stories to places and see how the physical changes to a place also change personal relationships to it. I hope that this project will allow visitors to gain a deeper perspective on the arboretum, not just understanding how it has been physically altered but also the various ways that visitors have made sense of specific places of importance within the arb.
Mallory: Throughout this class, I’ve been the most interested in digital mapping and georeferencing, so working with this technology for our final project is very ideal to me. I want to become more familiar with ArcGIS and mapping generally, and doing so through a historical lens is the most interesting way to do so, in my opinion. Additionally, the arboretum is a perfect basis for this project, as it has gone through lots of development and change over the years and it’s crucial to Carleton’s history in many ways. I hope our project shines some light on how it has been mapped historically, and physically changed throughout time. I also hope I’m able to learn more about the Arb by doing this project.
Luke: I am personally interested in using mapping software to illuminate how the arb has changed (and stayed the same) over time. I also think it would be specifically be really cool to be able to visualize how the trail system has evolved, and to digitize this. I hope to be able to firstly accomplish whatever Nancy needs as far as arb projects go, and secondly to produce a compelling, interactive visual narrative of the development of the arb, perhaps to accompany the books which have been written on the subject.