Kestrel Web Application for Observations Data Management A

Kestrel Web Application for Observations Data Management A collaboration with Parks Canada West Region Natural Heritage Conference April 16, 2008 Tahoe City, California

Specific Objectives Parks Canada § Needs for Successfully Managing Biodiversity Information in Parks Canada include: §ability to integrate information from all Park Field Units & taxonomic groups §ability to integrate data across provinces and territories, and with other federal & international agencies §use of common database to manage and integrate observation records from Parks §ability to access, retrieve & analyze data at Field Units, Regional Service Centres, and National Office

Broader Objectives § Meet needs of a variety of clients (or client with variety of needs) with an affordable solution § Lay foundation for multiple uses and long term utility § Integrate with current systems and formats § Observation standards conformance § Enables data sharing (exchange and aggregation) § Enables shared investment in analysis, especially spatial § Build tool with potential for wide-spread adoption § Maximizes value of each use

Kestrel’s Solution 1. Support extensible observation data model through user authored observation templates 2. Web-based, hosted application 3. Users database (authentication information) 4. Make it easier to share data by letting users share and build on exiting templates (template repository)

§ Web-based data. Functionality entry § Supported by multiple online web services § On-line mapping via Arc. GIS Server § Kestrel application server (editingreporting) § Taxonomic web service (NS national/subnational, or completely different source) § § § Oracle/SDE backend Import from Excel (part of template creation) Basic reporting Export to CSV and GML Secure access (Security at multiple levels) § § Logon access Survey access Sensitive data access Specific user privileges § Multiple languages

More about templates § Support core and extended observation standards through use of authored observation templates § Must use: § Core observation attributes § Who, what, where, when § Can use: § Standard set of attributes § From recognized observation standards § From recognized authors § Custom attributes (specific to a survey, individual, organization, etc. )

Templates § Consists of a group of extended attributes § Strongly associated with observation or survey § Attributes work together to support a type of observation or survey § Can support establish protocol, e. g. § § Heritage Methodology Invasive species CI Rapid Assessment Citizen Bird Survey § Or be constructed for adhoc survey § Signed by author/organization § Enables tracking of usage, users and subsequent modifications

Enter observation data for survey

How it works Observation fields, their constraints and picklists are determined by template

Template Authoring Tool and Attribute Library -Proposed § Premise: no one wants to reinvent the wheel § Shared Community Resource § Attributes and Attribute Collections § Rich UI for defining and editing attributes and collections § Rich UI for search and browse of library holdings § “Open Source” social arrangements § § Roles: owner, contributor, user Bug and enhancement tracking Community forums Reporting on usage esteem authors § Benefits § Saves time: reuse over reinvention § Reuse directly enables aggregation and downstream analysis

Implications beyond observations § Concepts apply to other eco-informatics entities § Species, Ecosystems, Plots § Protected Areas § Directly supports other standardization and aggregation initiatives § TDWG data standards § Eco. Grid from NCEAS

Project Status Version 1. 0 § First release for Parks Canada - June 2007 § Pilot project now underway § Evaluate options for hosting environment § Test with local data from 4 pilot PCA sites and with multiple templates § Banff - Alberta § Bruce Peninsula - Ontario § Cape Breton Highlands - Nova Scotia § Terra Nova - Newfoundland Labrador § Implement priority requirements § Field test application and revise

Demo