A few days ago, I was cruising timber and had just finished up my last plot for the day on the back of the property where I was working. The timber stand I was in had an understory burn this past spring.
As I finished tallying the plot I noticed that part of that piece had not been burned. My thought was, “I should probably GPS this area to have a map to provide to the contractor when we talk”. However, it has already been a long day and I’m a long way from my truck and GPS unit.
Then I remembered my TreeTracker mobile app has a feature called “Trail”. This function creates a bread crumb trail using the onboard GPS of an iOS or Android device, and can save a line or polygon feature to the map when you’re done. In about five minutes I had the burn area mapped and saved to my project, acreage calculated, and a screen shot to send to the burn contractor. I was able to map this while in Offline Mode since I was in bad cell service, and the data was easily synced to the database when I got back into better cell service (see screenshot below).
Not only was the Trail feature useful, but earlier that afternoon I was able to verify and update some of the Inventory and Silviculture data records for a nearby stand that is difficult to access. Prior to using TreeTracker software, I would have written a note to make the needed changes when I get back to the office. TreeTracker made this process simple and more convenient, but also very practical as I was making changes while I was physically present on site.
TreeTracker offers many more features than these, including secure data sharing with other account holders, the ability to upload files and photos, mapping and measurement tools, navigation features, and consistent synchronization with mobile and desktop devices.
Enrolling with TreeTracker software is one of the best software technology decisions I’ve made in the last few years, as it has helped me be more productive in the field and the office.
The TreeTracker Mobile app is available in the Apple app store and Google Play store. To schedule a TreeTracker demo, visit TreeTracker’s contact page.
Categories: Forestry Apps Geospatial Record Storage
