IMW Australia trains female rangers in Google Earth Pro
From the 22nd to the 23rd of November team members from Winyama, Merindah Bairnsfather-Scott, Khia Emslie-O’Brien, and Cassie Catley travelled to Brisbane Queensland to facilitate Google Earth Pro Training at the Queensland Indigenous Women’s Ranger Network (QIWRN) Forum. 21 ranger groups from multiple States gathered at the Forum and alongside IMW Australia training, learned from the teams at the Department of Environment and Science, The Nature Conservancy, and Wombat Creative.
The Queensland Indigenous Women’s Ranger Network (QIWRN) was established in 2018 to provide a space for women rangers to share their experiences, ideas, and information; offer support and advice, and enable connections in remote and isolated communities.
Over the two days, ranger groups split their teams in two, to ensure they were able to attend all workshops and leave with as much knowledge as they could. Sessions running in tandem with IMW Australia’s Google Earth Pro training included: Biodiscovery, Traditional Knowledge Code of Practice, Introduction to the Gender Equity Program at the Nature Conservancy, Threatened Species Discussion, Grant Writing, and Social Media training.
Across IMW Australia’s sessions, GIS Analyst Merindah taught attendees how to download and install Google Earth Pro, provided a run-through of its navigation tools, showed learners how to add images, video, and custom icons to their map, save and share their project and how to create an image of the map and draw on the images.
What is Google Earth Pro?
Google Earth Pro is a free geospatial desktop application that displays the world as it is in real life. A powerful, effective tool, Google Earth Pro is great for mapping beginners. Some of its best features include; 3D visualisation capability means to look back in time with historical imagery, possibility to create a compelling story maps.
Do you want to learn more about these topics? Apply for IMW Australia - On Demand.
At the end of the training, Merindah and Khia took attendees through the registration process for IMW Australia - On Demand so that they could continue their learning online. The women also heard about the upcoming National IMW Australia event that will be held in Narrm (Melbourne) in 2023.
About IMW Australia’s Regional Workshop Program
Queensland Indigenous Women’s Ranger Network Group Photo
IMW Australia’s Regional Indigenous Mapping Workshop program provides opportunities for Indigenous organisations to host our team and train their staff on technical mapping software that their organisation may not have previously had the chance to upskill their employees in.
Each year along with our National IMW, IMW Australia can provide four in-person workshops in any State across Australia. This includes forums, conferences or events that wish to host us.
"There’s something really special about being in a room full of strong women who have come together to learn and share knowledge about taking care of country. I think the workshop was a huge success, it’s very rewarding seeing all the “ah ha” moments and being able to share them with others." - Khia Emslie-O’Brien
“I hope to inspire my traditional owners and pass on the knowledge I learn to my children, community, and rangers.” - Angelina Williams
Do you work for an Indigenous Ranger Group or a Prescribed Body Corporate? The IMW Australia team would love to hear about the type of mapping you are currently undertaking in your workplace.