Team Led by CNS’ Bowlick Launches MassView to Strengthen Massachusetts’ Geospatial Resources

A team led by Forrest J. Bowlick, senior lecturer of GIS and geography education in the College of Natural Sciences' Department of Environmental Conservation, has created Massachusetts View (MassView), a new member of AmericaView, a nationwide network that aims to advance "Earth observation education through remote-sensing science, applied research, workforce development, technology transfer and community outreach."

"MassView will benefit the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by building up the state's existing geospatial resources, with a primary focus on expanding and strengthening offerings in remote-sensing data, science and applications," says Bowlick, director of the Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) concentration within the geography master's program and co-director of the Regional GIS Hub at UMass Amherst.

MassView will serve educational institutions, towns, cities, community organizations, industry and beyond, by targeting four overarching goals:

• Building a coordinated network that directly connects institutions of higher education with the state's remote-sensing user communities;
• Developing workflows and tools to better organize resources;
• Assessing community needs for remote-sensing data and analysis; and
• Educating the public about remotely sensed imagery.

"Earth observation and remote-sensing data are things like satellite images or aerial photos-pictures and other products taken from the sky or from space," Bowlick explains. "This data is incredibly valuable for understanding the planet, how it changes, and what we can do to best steward our environment and natural resources. Massachusetts has never been part of this organization until now, so it is very exciting to have MassView based at UMass Amherst."

More information on MassView can be found on the CNS website.