August 2003
Volume 41 Number 4

Ideas at Work

GIS and GPS Emergency Response Lessons Learned from the Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster

Stephen C. Brown
Assistant Professor
Internet Address: scbrown@ksu.edu

Shannon Crum
Assistant Professor
Internet Address: scrum@utsa.edu

V. Stuart Foote
GIS/GPS Systems Manager
Internet Address: vsfoote@utsa.edu

University of Texas at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas

Introduction

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Global Positioning System (GPS) have transformed local, state, and federal responses to emergencies and disasters. GIS and GPS increasingly enable agencies to efficiently allocate resources, model risk, and direct emergency response and recovery personnel. However, with these impressive technologies come new and sometimes unforeseen challenges in implementation and coordination. The disastrous February 1st, 2003 loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia over Texas reveals some of these challenges. Emergency response lessons learned from this tragedy present a new outreach opportunity for Extension educators nationwide.

Background

Immediately following the Columbia disaster, local law enforcement agencies began receiving reports of Shuttle debris across north-central and eastern Texas. NASA, EPA, and the FBI needed very rapid and accurate mapping of this debris for several reasons. Of first concern was identifying debris that was toxic and/or explosive and represented a significant public health risk. Second was the rapid recovery and preservation of dignity for the astronauts' remains. Third was the need for the debris field to be mapped to predict the location of undiscovered Shuttle pieces for overall forensic engineering purposes. Fourth was the fact that rainy conditions threatened to hide debris in mud and leaf litter.

The University of Texas at San Antonio was asked to assist with the GIS and GPS mapping of the central part of Columbia's debris field, focused at Hemphill, Texas, as Figures 1 and 2 illustrate. For the most part, debris location data was collected using recreational GPS receivers. In many instances, individuals who had little or no knowledge of GPS, coordinate systems, or map projections operated these GPS receivers. Compounding this problem was the fact there were no previously agreed upon mapping standards between the different local, state, and federal agencies involved in the recovery effort.

Figure 1.
Space Shuttle Columbia debris recovered through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System technology. Photo by Stephen C. Brown.

Figure 2.
One of the right-side tires of the Space Shuttle Columbia recovered near Hemphill, Texas. Shuttle debris locations were mapped using GPS. Maps were then developed to guide debris recovery efforts and assess hazardous material. Photo by Stephen C. Brown.

Three Important Lessons Learned

Need for Training

While low-cost recreational GPS receivers are relatively easy to operate, many users are not aware of the technology's complexities. An important lesson learned in the Columbia recovery effort was the need to train personnel in the appropriate use of GPS. Many of the GPS users were not aware that most receivers could easily be toggled between different coordinate system formats. Even a simple 1-hour instruction on how to use a GPS receiver for data collection, navigation, and coordinate system configuration would have saved countless hours in data conversion.

Need for Uniform Mapping Standard

The many different agencies and organizations involved in the recovery often used different mapping standards, which greatly slowed the production of response maps while data conversions were completed. For example, the Texas National Guard uses the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system, while data available from the Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS) is frequently in state plane coordinates. The U.S. Forest Service generally preferred geographic coordinates for its data collection and navigation. Even within the Forest Service, some preferred coordinates in decimal degrees, while others wanted decimal minutes or even degrees, minutes, seconds.

Varying mapping standards are employed by different agencies and organizations to meet their specific needs. However, during emergencies requiring multi-agency cooperation and collaboration, a previously agreed upon uniform mapping standard establishing map projections, coordinate system formats and map datum can greatly streamline efforts.

Need for Capacity to Print Maps Quickly

Perhaps the most important lesson learned was being prepared with sufficient plotters, network capacity, and memory to print large maps quickly. In the Hemphill section of the recovery effort, approximately 4,000 personnel mobilized each morning to search for debris or recover mapped pieces of the Shuttle. Behind the movements of all these individuals were GIS maps developed from the previous day's data. At any given time, there were 3 to 4 GIS personnel making needed maps to support the recovery efforts.

Unfortunately, for the orthophotographic maps most desired by the search teams, printing was excruciatingly slow. Procurement of the highest speed postscript plotters with expanded memory and onboard print spooling is critical to a successful effort.

Opportunities for Extension

While the Columbia disaster was unique in nature and scope, the lessons learned in the experience reveal a unique opportunity for Extension educators to better prepare state and local agencies for emergency response. These opportunities are as follows.

• Conduct workshops for local law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, and volunteers in the fundamentals of Global Positioning System receivers.

• Establish uniform mapping standards among all possible collaborating/cooperating agencies for use during times of emergency. Once these standards are agreed upon, conduct workshops for agency personnel explaining the standards and their importance. Prepare fliers outlining these standards for rapid duplication and distribution during emergency response.

• Determine organizations willing to provide crucial response equipment such as GPS receivers, computers with GIS software/capability, and high-quality large format printers.

These Extension opportunities are relatively inexpensive to implement, but they could prove invaluable in greatly improving emergency response times. Considering the new emphasis on homeland security, there will likely be significant federal funding available to support such Extension projects. It is currently unknown how many Extension educators have extensive knowledge of GIS/GPS technology. However, this number is likely to be relatively high considering programs such as Integrated Pest Management, precision agriculture, and the National 4-H GIS/GPS Team.

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of Stephen F. Austin University for providing GIS resources and analysis that supported the entire recovery effort.

Hooks and Anchors in Youth Development Program Delivery

Kathy Wolfe
Larimer County 4-H Youth Development Agent
Internet Address: kwolfe@larimer.org

Jan B. Carroll
4-H Youth Development Specialist
Internet Address: jan.carroll@colostate.edu

Colorado State University Cooperative Extension
Fort Collins, Colorado

As a part of a learner-centered model, Extension educators can think of their lessons in terms of a "hooks and anchors" analogy. The hook is a technique, framework, or model of engagement. It is something that brings people in to an event or into the content. The anchor is the value that makes the learning experience sink in and become relevant for the participant. It may be obvious or deeply embedded in the lesson.

Hooks Engage Learners

Timpson, Burgoyne, Jones, & Jones (1997) point out that engagement is "somewhat slippery to identify and measure as a researchable construct [but] students can certainly tell you whether or not they were absorbed in a particular lecture. They can describe what gets their attention, what sustains it, what allows them to drift off, and what turns them off completely." (p. 46) The engagement, or hook, overcomes resistance to attendance or a particular subject. The more clever or valuable to the learner the hook is, the more effective it is in engaging the learner.

Anchors Set the Content

The anchor in 4-H educational experiences is the "weight" of the lesson. Based on learner objectives, the anchor is the knowledge base the learner needs to have. Facts, statistics, vocabulary, and research-based evidence are examples of anchors that help participants learn more about a subject. Anchors can be the preliminary information needed for performing a task or creating a product.

The use of analogies for teaching has been described by experts in the field of literacy as a very powerful teaching tool (Stahl, Duffy-Hester, & Stahl, 1998). Analogy-based approaches have been used in the acquisition and mastery of language skills and focus of anchor words. Students use anchor words to learn the meaning of yet more words.

Youth programs must remember the anchor when planning programming, so that presentations have outcomes that can be measured. Life skills (Hendricks, 1998) are all anchor subjects. Similar to anchor words, they build upon one another.

Examples of Hooks to Engage Learners and Anchors to Set Learning

Youth

• For a 4-H foods and nutrition project for youth ages eight to 18, preparing and eating the food studied is the hook. Food in general is an effective hook for all ages and is especially successful with adolescents. Trying new foods is fun and exciting. Wise use of resources, social skills, and/or sharing could be anchors for a 4-H foods and nutrition project exploring new foods.

• For a junior camp counseling train-the-trainer session, a large number of recreational activities are the hook to cover the anchor topics of normal adolescent development and risk management. Extension educators know the importance of a general understanding of adolescent development in order to be effective. (Wolfe, 1997). There are many subject areas that are not necessarily appealing to junior camp counselors but are essential knowledge for them in working with younger youth. When hooked with experiential lessons on camping activities, the necessary content sinks in.

Adults

• In a Cloverbuds leader program on developmental stages for youth ages five to eight, the hooks are the introduction and the availability of literacy kits containing a book and activities that directly relate to the learning about appropriate developmental tasks. These kits, essentially a lesson in a box, can be checked out and used by 4-H leaders at regular club meetings. Because the kits save the leaders time, energy, and money, they are valuable resources for leaders and can be powerful incentives to attend a lesson on child development.

• Leader and member training on composing a great photograph with the use of digital cameras (hook) provide an opportunity to include the introduction of the need for parental signatures on photo release forms (anchor).

• Access to information or resources is a hook for many adults. Volunteer leaders can be encouraged to attend a 4-H policies and procedures workshop with an organizational leader notebook that provides in-depth descriptions of county activities and events. In addition to the knowledge gained by reviewing such a resource, the leader notebook saves time by having all of the information at the leaders' fingertips.

• 4-H leaders need to have important information on legal aspects of fund raising and tax-exempt status, which is definitely "anchor" material. When the details are presented in the form of a fast-paced quiz show, leaders are more likely to participate in the learning process. Adaptations of Jeopardy, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and other television shows have been successful.

• In a lesson on the 4-H name and emblem, a 4-H educator might incorporate a game on the history of the name and emblem as a hook for getting to the less exciting rules and regulations on the use of the 4-H name and emblem. A Trivial Pursuit or Pictionary question on "hustle" as one of the four H's is certainly a more interesting way of approaching basic information about authorization of use of the clover for club leaders.

Learning is more effective when it is attractive, fun, exciting, and engaging. Incorporating both hooks and anchors into the learning process facilitates mastery of important but potentially dull material in a more palatable learning environment. See Table 1. Specialists, agents, and volunteers can benefit in program planning when they remember to design hooks and anchors into their presentations.

References

Hendricks, P. A. (1998). Targeting life skills. (4-H-137A). Ames, IA: Iowa State University.

Stahl, S., Duffy-Hester, A., & Stahl, K. (1998) Everything you wanted to know about phonics (but were afraid to ask). Reading Research Quarterly. 33, (3). 338-352.

Timpson, W. M., Burgoyne, S., Jones, C. S., & Jones, W. (1997). Teaching and performing: Ideas for energizing your classes. Madison, WI: Magna Publications.

Wolfe, K. (1997). Influence of knowledge of adolescent development on self-efficacy of youth educators. Unpublished master's thesis. Colorado State University, Fort Collins.

Motivating Change in Horse Owners: The Horse Farm of Environmental Distinction Awards Program

Jenifer Nadeau
Equine Extension Specialist
Storrs, Connecticut
Internet Address: jnadeau@canr.uconn.edu

Joyce Meader
Assistant Educator
Brooklyn, Connecticut
Internet Address: jmeader@canr.uconn.edu

University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System

Background

The Connecticut Horse Farm of Environmental Distinction Awards program is an innovative and effective way to improve environmental stewardship of horse owners. The Connecticut Horse Environmental Awareness Program (HEAP) and a $15,000 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) educational grant, first received in 1998, currently support this program.

The Connecticut Horse Environmental Awareness Program is a coalition of federal, state, and local agencies and horse owners and businesses interested in educating horse owners about how to protect the environment. The program has accomplished many goals since its formation, including the production and filming of a video about managing manure to protect the environment, organizing and teaching three workshops, administering the awards program, and improving best management practices on a demonstration farm.

The Horse Farm of Environmental Distinction Awards Program was designed to enable awardees to take pride in their farm and hopefully share their ideas with others. The program awards those horse owners who are using best management practice on their farms. The first year, a packet was sent to 1,500 horse owners in Connecticut that included a glossy brochure complete with score card to be used in judging, a schematic of pollutants' destinies in the water cycle, and the image of the handsome sign to be awarded to the winners. Reading this information was the educational equivalent of a 2-hour workshop for these horse owners. This packet was sent in subsequent years of the program as well.

Approach and Outcome

There were 23 applicants over a 3-year period (1999-2001). The brochure with an application inside was sent to 1,500 horse owners. Interested horse owners sent back an application, indicating that they would like their farm to be judged. No application fees were charged. In 2003, the application was reformatted to allow horse owners to indicate that they was not interested in being judged, but would like either more information on best management practices to be sent or an on-farm visit to determine where improvements could be made if needed.

The chair of the committee made arrangements for a farm visit to judge the facilities. These visits occurred in April. Three judges were selected from the committee for each day of judging, and judges visited a maximum of four farms per day. Once on site, judges completed an evaluation of the farm, toured the farm with a manager or owner, asked questions, and awarded points to each area. A score sheet was given to each judge (Figure 1). Results were averaged from all three judges, and the result was the final score of the farm.

A minimum score of 70 or greater was required in order for the farm to receive the award. Fifteen (65%) received awards. Award winners were allowed to reapply and be evaluated in subsequent years. Six (40%) were repeat applicants. The award given was a colorful, aluminum 18-inch by 24-inch Horse Farm of Environmental Distinction sign with an aluminum year placard attached by chains.

A simple questionnaire was mailed to all award applicants in 2002. The instrument was determined to be valid and reliable by random visits to past participants during 2003. Participants were asked if and how they changed practices as a result of the awards program in each of the following categories:

• Location or management of manure handling,
• Location or management of exercise lot,
• New grazing system in pasture,
• New buffer width from streams and ponds,
• Site of waste accumulation from wells, and
• Soil type of the farmstead studied for risks.

A follow up telephone call to non-respondents yielded an overall 65% return rate from award applicants. Telephone calls tended to last from 15 to 45 minutes. Fifteen of the 23 award applicants responded.

Ten (67%) had changed their practice as a result of the awards program. Four (27%) changed more than one practice. Table 1 presents the changes in practices made as a result of attending a workshop.

For manure storage removal, changes mentioned included:

• Buying a small manure spreader (1),
• Building a portable structure over the manure (1),
• Covering the manure (2), and
• Moving a manure compost heap further from a wetland (1).

For exercise lot location/management, changes mentioned included:

• Changing the footing and putting in sand (1) and
• Adding an exercise lot (1).

For using a new grazing system in the pasture, changes mentioned included:

• Adding fence for another pasture (2),
• Clipping the field (1),
• Fertilizing (1), and
• Refining the rotational grazing system (1).

For new buffer width from streams/ponds, changes mentioned included:

• Moving manure further from streams/ponds (1), and
• Placing a horse-safe wire across the stream (1).

For distance of waste accumulation from wells, changes mentioned included:

• Moving manure back 150 feet and to a higher elevation (1).

Four (27%) did not change their practices as a result of the awards program. Winners tended to make more changes (8 out of 11) than non-winners (1 out of 4). This is an interesting observation. We speculate that this might be due to the desire of these individuals for continued improvement. It often seems that Extension programs that focus on motivating change tend to attract individuals who have often already begun to bring about positive change.

Eight horse owners attended a workshop and also applied for the awards program. Of these, six (75%) changed their practices. This shows that a combination of attending a workshop and participating in the awards program may be the most effective approach to encouraging horse owners to improve management techniques.

Conclusion and Implications

The Horse Farm of Environmental Distinction Awards Program has been found to be an effective way to encourage horse owners to adopt changes in practices. Despite low participation in the early years of this program, it is expected that the program will continue to grow as more horse owners find out about the program, ask for advice about their farms, or read the information provided about best management practices.

In the case of environmental awareness, it might also be suggested that even a small number of changes could have significant long-term effects on the environment. For example, if only 10 horse owners improve their practices, this could result in 10 water bodies having better water quality!

A combination of attending a workshop and participating in an awards program may be even more effective. More long-term research will need to be gathered to see if this trend and these changes in practice continue.

The Horse Farm of Environmental Distinction Awards Program may serve as a model for other states and is an effective and innovative way to improve environmental stewardship of horse owners.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the cooperating partners of the Horse Environmental Awareness Program for all of their efforts and support of the program. Members include the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, Connecticut Farm Bureau, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Connecticut Horse Council, Connecticut Water Company--Clinton, King's Mark Resource Conservation and Development, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System, and the University of Connecticut Department of Animal Science.

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