Sprague’s Pipit Habitat Suitability Analysis

for Priority Area 1 in BBA Region 2

Project Diary
Callista Hall
November 16 to December 13, 2021
Callista Hall

Table of Contents
Project Overview .......................................................................................................................................... 1
The company or client: .............................................................................................................................. 1
Key problem you’re solving or project goal: ............................................................................................. 1
Stakeholders Internal ........................................................................................................................... 1
External ................................................................................................................................................. 1
Team members ......................................................................................................................................... 1
Timeline ..................................................................................................................................................... 1
Constraints or interesting limitations ....................................................................................................... 2
Project Notes, Assignment 1 ........................................................................................................................ 3
Steps .......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Results ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
Challenges, Limitations, and Constraints .................................................................................................. 3
Time to Complete: ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Project Notes, Assignment 2 ........................................................................................................................ 4
Steps .......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Results ....................................................................................................................................................... 4
Challenges, Limitations, and Constraints .................................................................................................. 4
Things to Think About ............................................................................................................................... 4
Time to Complete: ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Project Notes, Assignment 3 ........................................................................................................................ 5
Steps .......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Results ....................................................................................................................................................... 7
Challenges, Limitations, and Constraints .................................................................................................. 7
Things to Think About ............................................................................................................................... 7
Time to Complete: ..................................................................................................................................... 7
Project Notes, Assignment 4 ........................................................................................................................ 8
Steps .......................................................................................................................................................... 8
Results ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
Challenges, Limitations, and Constraints .................................................................................................. 9
Time to Complete: ..................................................................................................................................... 9
Callista Hall

Reflection.................................................................................................................................................... 10
What worked well? ................................................................................................................................. 10
What would I do differently? .................................................................................................................. 10
If I Had More Time…................................................................................................................................ 10
If I Had a Larger Budget… ....................................................................................................................... 10
Final Product ........................................................................................................................................... 11
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................... 11
Callista Hall

Project Overview
The company or client:
Save Our Sprague’s Pipit (SOSP), Mr. David Sibley, SOSP’s Special Project Coordinator

Key problem you’re solving or project goal:

Review REP for the SOSP project and complete the bid
Creating a map of areas the pipit prefers to live/nest in unprotected areas in the RM of Victoria, North &
South Norfolk, and North & South Cypress
Submit all data named properly

Stakeholders
Internal
Senior Management: Save Our Sprague’s Pipit (SOSP), Mr. David Sibley, SOSP’s Special Project
Coordinator
Project Manager: Callista Hall
Project Team: Company X
Support staff:
• Administrative assistant, Mr. John Audubon;
• IT staff member, Mr. Louis Fuertes;
• Geotechnical/environmental engineer, Ms. Heather Williams;
• Manager, Monica Turner
External
Project Sponsor / Client: Save Our Sprague’s Pipit (SOSP)

Suppliers: Save Our Sprague’s Pipit (SOSP) data, MLI data, ESRI ArcGIS Programs, Microsoft Programs,
Printer, and data collector of choice

Opponents: Central Assiniboine Watershed District, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Manitoba Habitat Heritage
Corporation, and Matrix Solutions Inc.

Team members
• ACC
• Administrative assistant, Mr. John Audubon;
• IT staff member, Mr. Louis Fuertes;
• Geotechnical/environmental engineer, Ms. Heather Williams;
• Manager, Monica Turner
Timeline
Took 4 hours to complete Part 1 and Part 2

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Constraints or interesting limitations

• One problem that may arise when working on the project is that the metadata may be mixed up
or missing information. The meta data is very important in the final project of this project. This
may cause the need to contact the data collector.
• Another problem that may arise is complications with the data source of the data provided and
keeping the data source consistent to what is require in the project (NAD 83 UTM zone 14). This
is not a problem that is very hard to fix, it is just something to constantly keep note of.
• The final problem that can foresee before staring this project is error with the data collection
such as poor PDOP which can cause higher error in the data collected. Some data may have such
a high error that it will be too off to include in the final project which limits the outcome. There
is also the question on how accurate of data that they will be providing and wanting. what kind
of equipment was used to get this accuracy? These are things that can affect the accuracy of the
final product.
• Limited information on the data that will be provided
• Is there going to be more data to be collected
• More background knowledge?
• How long will it take to fix data?
• How will I balance this project and other projects at the same time?

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Project Notes, Assignment 1

Steps
November 16, 2021

1. Read through the Projects REP

2. Fill in the information on
a. Internal stakeholders
b. External stakeholders
c. Define the scope
d. Come up with questions
e. Think about some problems that may arise
f. Fill out bid
3. Come up with a rough draft for a work break down structure

Results
I found out all the information needed to understand the bid. I also came up with all the steps I will need
to do to succeed in completing the bid if I get it. I also wrote up the application for the bid and feel
qualified to complete to their satisfaction.

Challenges, Limitations, and Constraints

• It was challenging to find some of the external steak holders in the REP and I had to think
outside the box.
• Think of the steps needed to complete the project with limited information that was in the REP.
• Needed to be completed November 17, 2021

Time to Complete:
4 hours

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Project Notes, Assignment 2

Steps
November 24, 2021

1. Look over work breakdown structure I created before

2. Open Gantt Project
3. Transfer steps/tasks/subtasks into Gantt Project
4. Determine how long/how many days it will take to complete each task
5. Edit steps to make sense
a. Fine tuning the tasks using assignment 2 instructions
6. Use new work breakdown structure to create cost estimates.
a. Cost estimate for all of team members

Results
I created a work breakdown structure that I should be able to follow along with to complete the project.
I also created an estimated cost for this project to be completed including the billing rate of the other
team members and myself.

Challenges, Limitations, and Constraints

• Thinking about an appropriate time it will take to perform each task
• What order tasks need to be and what task will be predecessors to what
o What kind of relationship (finish-start, start-start, start-finish)
• When is this project due?
• When will I be more busy with other projects?
• Needed to be completed by November 24, 2021

Things to Think About

• How much time will it take to preform tasks with technology being slow
• How many days will it take to complete each step?
• What about other classes/workload?
• What about unexpected extra work?

Time to Complete:
5 hours

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Project Notes, Assignment 3

Steps
November 24, 2021 (2.5 hours)

1. Review instructions for assignment 3

2. Look over answers to questions from SOSP
3. Update Gantt Chart, remember to mark tasks as competed as you go
4. Look through all data provided and take note of ones that need to be renamed
5. Fill out table (template on assignment) about all data provided

November 25, 2021 (2.5 hours)

6. Looked at all parts of the data coordinates to make sure there is a match
7. Compared both excel spread sheets provided and found coordinates were exactly the same.
One had field notes and the other had UTM coordinates with Lat and Long
8. Combined both spreadsheets and named it potentialSpPiAreas_SOSP_06252014Combined
9. Saved as a csv file and xlxs
10. Imported csv file to ArcMaps
11. Display X, Y coordinates using UTM coordinates (Easting for X and Northing for Y)
12. Create working GDB
13. Export data to geodatabase (so it can get a unique id and I can preform queries/geoprocesses)
14. Named it VolunteerPotentialSpPiAreas
15. Remove event data from TOC
16. Save
17. Select by attribute, landUse, new selection, "CLASSNAME" = 'Forage Crops' OR "CLASSNAME" =
'Grassland'
18. Needs to be forage crop or grassland.
19. Still too much data
20. Area needs to be bigger than 330 ha but area is in meters squared
a. 1 meter squared = 0.0001 ha
b. 330 ha = 3,300,000 meters squared
21. Select by attribute, landUse, select from the current selection, "Shape_Area" > 3300000
22. Much better amount of data to deal with (28)
23. Export selected data named Areas_grassland_foragecrop_larger330ha_
24. Clear selected
25. Geoprocesses, erase, Areas_grassland_foragecrop_larger330ha_, firstNations,
Areas_grassland_foragecrop_larger330ha_erase_FN, OK
26. Got to do the same with protectedAreas

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November 26, 2021 (0.25 hours)

27. Geoprocesses, erase, Areas_grassland_foragecrop_larger330ha_erase_FN, protectedAreas,

Areas_grassland_foragecrop_larger330ha_FN_erase_Protected, OK
a. So, 3 locations no longer fit that criteria
28. Export selected data and call it FinalPrimaryHabitat
29. Look at attribute table and find the largest areas
a. Object 23, 19, 25
b. All grassland
30. Export selected (top 3) Named: Top_3_Locations

November 29, 2021 (3.5 hours)

31. Pick out the priority areas for this project

32. Add a new field to the FinalPrimaryHabitat table
33. Use calculator to convert the area to ha from squared meters
a. Took the 3 largest

Looked at the volunteer data and noticed we are missing the areas of each location. The points intersect
with locations I have already mapped so I am going to query to find the points that intersect with the
locations I have in the FinalPrimaryHabitat options

34. Select by location, select features from, VolunteerPotentialSpPiAreas, FinalPrimaryHabitat,

Intersect the source layer feature
35. 9 selected from the volunteer list so must find the biggest
a. Unselect the ones I have already chosen if applicable
36. Select by Locations, remove from selection, volunteerPotentialSpPiAreas, Top_3_Locations,
intersect the source layer feature
37. 8 to chose from
a. Need to match the size of the area to the point.
38. Export selected named: VolunteerFinalSelect
39. Select all 6 locations from the Final PrimaryHabitat and name Top_6_Locations
40. Filled in table for Section D
41. Creating a draft map
42. Convert the page to be 22 X 34 inches
43. Page/print setup, PDF, uncheck use printer paper settings, width 34 inches, height 22 inches, OK
44. Clean up TOC
a. Leave only FirstNations, ProjectArea, LandUse, ProtectedArea, WaterBody, Streams,
Towns, Roads, Top_6_Locations

December 3. 2021 (0.75 hours)

45. Added a picture of the bird using CC licensing

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46. The map still has a big white space

a. Going to add RM boundaries
i. Downloaded data from MLI
ii. Data is WGS
b. Going to specify what RM each area is a part of
47. Clip, MB_Municipal_Boundaries, ProjectArea, RM_Boundary_clip_ProjectArea
48. The name of the RM is a little different from the REP
a. Going to use the names on the MLI (updated names)
i. RM of North Norfolk
ii. RM of North Cypress-LangFord (area 1 and 2)
iii. RM of Glenboro-South Cypress (Area 4)
iv. RM of Norfolk Treherne (area 6)
v. RM of Victoria (Area 3 and 5)
b. The Areas are not completely in the boundary but might leave the boundaries in the
map to add information.
i. Label them to define them better since the names are not in the title

Results
Filled in table one with the data/features given with their data type and date collected. All analysis is
completed to find 6 areas that would be good Sprague’s Pipit habitat. Filled in table 2 with information
on the final 6 areas I found. Creation of a draft map that would illustrate the finished product.

Challenges, Limitations, and Constraints

• Is there metadata
• How old is the data?
• Trying to display the data on the proper size of paper
• Using the erase tool instead of the clip tool when getting ride of the areas in protected areas
and the first nations area
• The data taking a while to load (polygons, lines, points, and labels)
• Finding the best way to represent that focus areas and choosing a good coloring scheme.
• Needed to be completed by December 1, 2021
o Got extension to December 3, 2021

Things to Think About

• Side note: could have erased firstNations and protectedAreas first.
o Would it have made a difference?
o Probably wouldn’t make much of a difference just have to do the select by attribute
query again to make sure the new clips are at least 330 ha still
• How I could have done this process in less steps
• What else should go on the map?

Time to Complete:
9.5 hours

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Project Notes, Assignment 4

Steps
December 6, 2021 (2 hours)

1. Read through corrections and comments

2. Need to update protected areas data from MLI website
a. Downloaded shapefile
b. Downloaded Parks, Provincial - Land Use as a shp file too. Not going to use.
3. Loaded data to ArcMaps for a visual and to compare the data to what I had
a. More area is covered
4. Clip the new protected areas to the project boundary so there is less data to be working with
a. Bdy_protected_areas_py_shp, ProjectArea, SiSuPr_region2_2021_ProtectedArea_CX,
OK
b. Remove Bdy_protected_areas_py_shp and ProtectedArea from TOC
5. Run Analysis again
6. Load
a. Areas_grassland_foragecrop_larger330ha_
b. Areas_grassland_foragecrop_larger330ha_erase_FN
7. Redo the erase function with the new, SiSuPr_region2_2021_ProtectedArea_CX file
8. Geoprocesses, Erase, Areas_grassland_foragecrop_larger330ha_erase_FN,
SiSuPr_region2_2021_ProtectedArea_CX, SiSuPr_region2_2021_LandOptions_CX. OK
9. Remove
a. Areas_grassland_foragecrop_larger330ha_erase_FN
b. Areas_grassland_foragecrop_larger330ha_
10. Open attribute table for SiSuPr_region2_2021_LandOptions_CX
a. Sort Shape_Area Descending to see the biggest areas first.
i. 68423,
ii. 61203,
iii. 77456 are the top 3 of my choice
11. Load VolunteerPotentialSpPiAreas
a. Some are in the new protected areas loaded.
b. Select by location, select features from, VolunteerPotential SpPiAreas,
SiSuPr_region2_2021_LandOptions_CX, Intersect the source layer feature
i. Only 5 were selected
ii. Export data, VolunteerOptions
iii. Clear selections
iv. Remove VolunteerPotentialSpPiAreas
c. Select by location, select features from, SiSuPr_region2_2021_LandOptions_CX,
VolunteerOptions, Intersect the source layer feature

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i. The intersecting LandOptions were

a. 61203 (one of my options)
b. 3258
c. 51473
d. 18371
e. 13841
ii. 3258, 51473, 18371 are the largest volunteer areas that are not included in my
options.
a. ID 68423, 61203, 77456, 3258, 51473, 18371 are the 6 areas
chosen
d. Select by Attribute, SiSuP_region2_2021_LandOptions_CX, Create a new selection, ID IN
(3258, 51473, 18371, 68423, 61203, 77456), OK
e. Export selected data SiSuPr_region2_2021_6LargestAreas_CX
f. Remove LandOptions, volunteer options

December 8, 2021 (3.5 hours)

12. Correcting map and organizing data base on corrections

December 9, 2021 (4 hours)

13. Update table 2 from assignment 3 with the new data

14. Fix colors
a. Save roads as a layer file (fixed color)

December 10, 2021 (5 hours)

15. Organized Geodatabase

16. Re-import data
17. Fine tune the layout more
18. Export to PDF (Final copy 10)
19. Make map Package (took a long time to load)

Results
Re-did analysis with the more up to date data to find the final 6 areas. Theses were a little different than
before. Mostly putting together the map, making corrections, fine tuning the visual representative. I
updated Table 2 with the new locations. Complete Section B of the assignment by reflecting on the
process.

Challenges, Limitations, and Constraints

• Re-doing the analysis based off of the steps in the previous assignment
• Eliminating white space on the map but also maintaining a balance
• Balancing this work with other homework.
• How can I prevent the slow creation of a map package (try a different computer?)
• Needed to be Completed by December 12, 2021

Time to Complete:
14.5 hours

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Reflection
What worked well?
• Fitting all the required information on the map worked well since the map page was quite large.
• The data in the tables made sense and I didn’t have to delete any unnecessary fields/attributes.
• Trying to come up with a coloring scheme for the land type layer was difficult but then was
given a colored symbology for it.
• All of the data that was given/collected for the project was in the same projection.
• Converting the Excel data from the volunteers to ArcMaps
o The northing and easting were proper

What would I do differently?

• I would have looked for updated data on MLI’s website for some of the features they gave us.
• I would have tried to create a model builder as I went through geoprocesses.
• I would save the theme/symbology/label style I used for each feature class sooner to make it
easier when changing the colors/label themes.
• I would plan out the best way to do the analysis so I don’t have to redo the same process
multiple times
o That will reduce how many files are in my working geodatabase

If I Had More Time…

• I would have actually updated all the feature classes I could instead of just the protected areas
• I would have made a standalone table that included the volunteer data with the polygon feature
(not point)
• I would have tried to experiment with different fonts so it is unique
• See if there was more data I could have symbolized
• Research if there was more information that makes good habitat for the Sprague Pipits
o Find better suitable areas based on these new parameters
o If need have an environmental technician to collect more data with land owner
permission.

If I Had a Larger Budget…

• I would have had more of other GIS professionals’ inputs and suggestions
o More teamwork.
• I would be able to print more than one final map for the client
• Hire an environmental technician to collect more data about the sites.

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Final Product
Final product included a

• A 22’’ by 34’’ map displaying six potential Sprague’s Pipit habitat based on characteristics listed
in the REP
o Pasture (forage crops) and natural grasslands;
o Areas greater than 330 ha; and
o Non-protected areas.
• Geodatabase with all the needed feature classes that were represented on the map including
the created features (potential habitat locations)
o All features must follow their naming requirements
▪ For example: SiSuPr_region2_2021_PriorityAreas_CX
• Layer files that include symbology that was used to represent data

Conclusion
This project was my first big project as a part of a bid structure. There was a lot of lessons I learnt that I
will remember for next time I do a large scale project. I learnt to use ArcGIS’s model builder to come up
with the most effective way to perform geoprocesses. I also learnt the importance the age of the data
that is being used. There are a lot of changes that can happen to data in 5 or more years. This can
significantly change your results in the end. This project also reminded me on how important it is to
properly name your files, so you don’t get confused. Naming data similar names can also mess up your
final product. For example, ProjectArea and ProtectedArea can seem the same when looked at quickly.
That is the importance of reading carefully.

The importance of holding meetings with your client often to review progress is also important. It can
save a lot of time in corrections if you get feedback sooner and not have to redo as many steps at one
time. In any project communication is very important and must be maintained.

The time it took to complete this project was much different than I thought it would be. The overall time
it took me was similar to the overall time I estimated. The breakdown of the time it will take me to
complete each step was different. I can use the timing from this project to better determine time
estimates in other projects. I also learnt that I should account time for corrections and modifications
based on client’s review.

I think project was a success and the client will be satisfied with the final product. I would like to get
feedback from the client so I can learn what I did well at and what I need to work on. This will help me
learn from mistakes and do better with every project I do.

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