The PARC Objective
a Public Access Resource Center for Earth system science information
Why a PARC?
Our main objective is to serve as a Public Access Resource Center, or PARC, for remote sensing data and related spatial technologies, principally for the people of the northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain region. Creation of a PARC reaches out to people beyond the scientific research community, providing them practical Earth science information. Furthermore, a PARC establishes a knowledgeable presence where the users live and work, and allows customization of products and services to local needs.
Themes of Interest
PARCs are organized around topical themes of interest, and currently include:
- AgPARC, for Farming, Ranching, and Agricultural end users
- ForestPARC, to support Forestry and Wildland Fire Management needs
- EdPARC, providing services to the next generation of K-12 students and their teachers
- CulturePARC, which through Sinte Gleska and other tribal universities, helps extend to others the wisdom of native peoples with respect to the land and environment we all share.
Further, we synthesize recent knowledge gained about ecosystems into multi-media products and data services to help PARC participants better understand our environment that is shared by all.
Tapping into End User Wisdom
People whose lifestyles and economic opportunities are governed by natural Earth system phenomena have an accumulated wisdom that supplements the traditional academic archive. Moreover, these same people have an investment in Earth Science, which can be repaid if they derive immediate practical benefits at the same time scientific research into global phenomena is paving the way for future benefits.
What We Do
collaborating with end users to research, develop, and provide solutions
End User Collaboration
From a practical standpoint, what UMAC does is develop spatial data
solutions using satellite imagery, aerial imagery, geographical information,
and other datasets. To do this, we first work with
farmers, ranchers,
foresters, natural resource managers, teachers, agribusinesses, governmental
agencies, and other end users in our region to determine what problems
they may have that spatial data could help them solve. By working directly
with end users from the beginning of a project, we are better able to
more immediately develop useful applications.
Data Sources
We principally use satellite imagery from NASA, though remotely sensed data or spatial data from any source is welcome if it can help us provide solutions for our end users. We then develop prototype products and services and work with our end users to refine them, all with the end goal of producing solutions that can be applied throughout our region and beyond it.
The Larger Perspective
understanding the practical benefits of Earth system science
Benefits for Today and the Future
From a larger perspective, an overarching goal of UMAC is to further the education and understanding of the general public with regard to the practical benefits of Earth system science; how the study of the Earth and it's many interacting systems can improve our lives.
Using the tools of Earth system science (satellite images, geographical information systems) can have immediate practical benefit. Improving our understanding
the Earth as a system will help us keep pace with the rest of the world and benefit our region for generations to come.
Collaborate With Us
contact us for more information on collaboration opportunities
If you are an end user from our region and would like to work with us
on any of our projects, or have another problem area in mind,
please
contact us;
we're here to help.
