A Game of Cat and Mouse Turned Upside Down

LA's Famous Mountain Lion Becomes a Poster Child for Rat Poison

You may have already heard of the famed mountain lion in Griffith Park, near central Los Angeles. Dubbed "P-22,"(Puma number 22) by researchers who are tracking the young male. This internationally-known wild cat has become an icon for the plight of urban wildlife, and the issues facing wildlife managers along the urban fringe.

The media's love affair with P-22 began when a snapshot of the lone lion was taken by a remote camera set up for the Griffith Park Natural History Survey's (GPNHS) Wildlife Connectivity Study. The picture was the first solid evidence of a mountain lion in the Park. Now, this Park is not a grandiose part of the National Park System, but rather its the kind of park that contains merry-go-rounds, a museum, a concert venue, 5 golf courses, and of course the iconic Hollywood sign. 

When compared to the size of a "normal" mountain lion range (roughly 250 square miles), the park comes up short. Its a small island of open space measuring about 8 square miles (merry-go-rounds included) that is situated in the 2nd largest city in the U.S, Los Angeles. Given its size, proximity to mass urbanity, and the roughly 10 million visitors to the park annually, all the odds were against this park being host to mountain lions, that is, until P-22 made it his home.

Less than two months after the initial photos were taken, biologists with the National Park Service captured P-22 and fitted him with a favored modern wildlife tracking device, the GPS collar. These researchers have been tracking lions for well over a decade, documenting the dramatic saga of the remnant population of mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. They didn't expect P-22 to stay in Griffith Park long, and assumed he would "disperse," or in layman's terms, head out in search of bigger, better, more suitable habitat, even a mate. Perhaps he would be better off if he had....

Three chances to catch #gistribe live at the 2016 Esri UC

If you'll be attending the Esri UC in San Diego this year, you'll have a few opportunities to connect with #gistribe while you're there.

Option 1: Find #gistribe in the Map Gallery

We'll have a #gistribe poster exhibit in the Map Gallery, Monday June 27th 3:30 -7:30 pm. Stop by and say hi.

Option 2: Join the 2nd annual #gistribe tweetup  

Its official. #gistribe on the schedule. We're conveniently meeting during the usual weekly #gistribe chat time. Get ready to challenge your social networking skills- We'll be tweeting live from the meeting, watching the chat in real time on the big screen, and chatting in person all at the same time...cuz that's how we roll. Stop by to meet the tribe in person, enjoy a refreshing beverage, and possibly walk away with prizes. Come late, come early, stragglers are welcome any time. Feel free to grab some lunch and bring it into the room with you as we won't be serving food. Tweetup details are below:

• Wednesday, June 29
• 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
• Room 17 A 

Option 3: Tweet from the event live using the hashtag #gistribe

Not everyone gets to attend the conference, but people at home can still find out about all the latest news, gadgets, and opportunities you discover when you tweet about it. Don't forget to use the#gistribe hashtag so the entire tribe can follow along.

Passing the #gistribe Torch

Today marks two years since the very first #gistribe chat- the one that we didn't even archive because we had no idea that the #gistribe chat would take off the way that is has, bringing together geospatial professionals, newbies, and students from around the world, and serving as a great resource and professional gis network.


Many of you know that all along the way I've been trying to make this a leaderless movement, one that's inclusive, organic, and not in any way mine, but ours. And now that the tribe has become so well established, I'd like to make that official.

Sure, I'd still like to participate in the chat and other events as my schedule allows, but I'll no longer be promoting the chat, sending out reminders, preparing topics for discussion, inviting special guests, or orchestrating related events. Its up to you, the members of the tribe, to carry on the traditions, bring questions or topics for discussion, and decide where you want to take the #gistribe next. After all, you're the new leaders of #gistribe.

Thanks for a great 2 years! 

Mountain Lions of LA: The True Hollywood Story

One of my family members called me up this weekend to say that he'd just seen this expose on 60 minutes about the mountain lions living outside of L.A. He was excited to get a little glimpse of my old haunts. You see, before I got a deskjob mapping important wildlife habitats, I used to actually track them in the field.

5 Tips for Leveraging Social Media to Build Your Professional Network

We all know that having an online presence can boost your sales, profits, and visibility. But what if I told you it could boost your endorphins? That you can be part of a professional network that is truly supportive, engaging, and fun to be a part of? That's exactly what happens every week at the #gistribe chat, hosted by yours truly. The #gistribe is an ever evolving, 100% organic network that's continually gaining more and more recognition within the geospatial community. Which must be why I get contacted occasionally by people looking to leverage its popularity to promote their own businesses, products, or campaigns.

They ask questions like, Can I/We/My pet project join or be featured on the #gistribe chat? Can you help to spread the word?...And the short answer is, Yes, but. But don't expect miracles to happen just because you joined an online chat one time. You see, the beauty of the weekly chat is that it allows like-minded people to connect with one another week after week, slowly forming relationships. Those connections grow deeper over time, and as we continue to engage with one another, we cultivate not only friendships, but trust. As a business owner, consultant, job seeker, or anyone looking to expand or dive into the industry, having relationships built on trust can make all the difference in the world. So how do you create those kinds of connections? Here are 5 tips to get you started:

1. Be Real. Engage with people as though they are real live people. Because they are. Just as you

Five Great Resources for Getting Started with GeoServer

If you're a geospatial professional or student who is not familiar with Geoserver, a free downloadable, opensource application for serving and editing maps and data, here are 5 sites with plenty of information to get you started, no matter what your favorite learning style is:

1. For those of you who love to dig right in to the online user manuals (you know who you are), there's both the GeoServer User Manual and Quickstart guide that take you step by step all the way.