By downloading the registration package for this course you agree, acknowledge and accept that this course is exempt from registration by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and included in the International Field Biology Training (FBT) or General Field Assistant Training (FAT) Programs. EARTHQUEST (Canada) for the Environment, the EARTHQUEST Biological Field School, it's agents and staff cannot be held liable for the manner in which this course is taught, given, provided or instructed. EARTHQUEST cannot be held responsible, liable or acussed of anything resulting in your disatisfaction with the Program, courses, our staff, affiliates, agents, partners or representatives. You acknowledge that you agree to waive and release all claims, demands or causes of action against EARTHQUEST and it's agents and agree to indemify them with regard to any financial obligations or liabilities that you may incur personally or any damage resulting from participation in the Program. This course is 100% non-refundable. There is a 15% cancellation (33% interest rate) fee should you choose to cancel, drop out, forfeit, delay, quit or be dismissed from the course. If you delay your course you may take it at a later date and you will have 1 year from the time you are accepted to complete it.   I have read, accept and agree to be bound by these terms and would like to download the GIS registration package.         The next 2 day GIS certification course is scheduled for the summer semester, staring in August, 2022. Inquire for more details or for a registration package. Registration deadline is; August 1, 2022. Cost = $800.00 CAD/person This course is recognized by a number of employers in the environmental industry. Employers who have sent their staff to participate or are considering it include; i. Environment Canada ii. Canadian Wildlife Service iii. Quinte Conservation iv. Association for Canadian Educational Resources (ACER)/For Climate's Sake v. Henvey Inlet First Nations The following employers have hired graduates who have taken EARTHQUEST Biological Field School courses or sent staff; i. Upper Thames River Conservation Authority ii. Credit Valley Conservation Authority iii. St. Clair Region Conservation Authority iv. Halton Conservation Authority v. Grand River Conservation Authority vi. Bird Studies Canada vii. Point Pelee National Park viii. GMS Ecological and Forestry Services, Inc ix. Catfish Creek Conservation Authority x. O'Connor & Associates environmental consulting xi. Bruce Trail Conservancy xii. Thunder House forestry services xiii. Wildlife Preservation Canada xiv. Volunteers for Peace xv. Bruce Power xvi. Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute xvii. M.K. Ince and Associates xviii. Canadian Wildlife Service xvix. MTE Consultants xx. Dillon xxi. Conestogo Rovers & Associates Ltd xxii. Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation xxiii. Historic Saugeen Métis xxiv. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Here's what professionals have to say about our courses; "In my experience, graduates from Earthquest Canada are well qualified to participate in consulting practices and the market is currently in short supply of well-qualified individuals. I am most familiar with wetland delineation, Ecological Land Classification, and bird identification coursework put forth by Earthquest. I have sent some of my professional biologist staff for coursework at Earthquest and was very happy with the improvement of the professional skills of program participants." Avalon Consulting Professionals P. Leigh Whyte, MCIP, RPP, AICP Principal/Chief Urban Planner Two day GIS certification course: Date: August 20 & 21, 2022 (Photo by D. Jolly) Garmin hand held GPS unit Testimonials Frequently Asked Questions Rainforest ecology Primate social behavior and ecology Bat identification and survey courses Plant & field botany courses Ethnobotany & medicinal plant courses Bird courses Biological Field School application form Reference form and letter GIS certification course Jobs Environmental assessment course Deadline to register: August 1, 2022 Registration: EARTHQUEST is pleased to announce that we continuing to offering a 2 day GIS certification course for the Biologist/Ecologist, which is available through our Biological Field School. There are no other 2 day GIS certificaton courses in Ontario or Canada! This GIS course will focus on data compiled from actual field work on environmental projects that require applying ArcView to generate shape files, delineate polygons, orthorectify aerial photos and output maps for reports. The course will focus on mapping Natural Heritage Systems (NHS) utilizing natural heritage assessments from the renewable energy sector and applying the criteria and guidelines of the MNRF Significant Wildlife Habitat Technical Guide and Ecoregion Criteria Schedule guidance documents as they pertain to the July 2014 Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) policies. Basic GIS applications are emphasized including how to capture data and download using GIS software, where to look for GIS metadata and information, shapefile configuration and editing sessions. This is an excellent course for gaining some practical field experience and applying theory to the field situation, or working in the environmental industry as a GIS Technician, map natural areas, etc. Graduates of this GIS course will become well versed in GIS application for projects with First Nations, Métis groups, Conservation Authorities, the provincial and federal government, environmental consulting firms and other environmental jobs which deal with terrestrial, wetland or aquatic data for reports, write ups, Environmental Assessments (EA), land use mapping and environmental impact assessments (EIAs), etc. The 2 day GIS certification course offered through our school and is scheduled to run August 20 & 21, 2022. The course cost will be $800.00 CAD per person and there is an early bird discount for those registering before August 1, 2022. This does not include meals or accommodations. Please note, that this is a computer-based course with some field practicums to reinforce the principles and concepts taught during class sessions, but we are not a computer lab. Please also note that ESRI no longer supports desktop versions of ArcMap and ArcCatalogue and EARTHQUEST only has 1 computer available with ArcView 9.3 software. If you have ArcView 10.3, or an earlier version please ensure that you have it downloaded and working before the course starts. We can also come to you, if you live within in two hours of London, Ontario. If you have a specific project that you would like to investigate through the course we'll consider it in terms of scope and timelines. It is recommended that people interested in upgrading their skills in GIS also take our EA course + Level 1 and 2 FBT terrestrial plants since GIS is part of most jobs related to utilizing these certifications. You can also register to take this course via Sykpe, if you have a Skype account. Advance registration is required for all participants. Participants may register by email by contacting Mr. Dave Jolly; Senior Instructor EARTHQUEST Biological Field School ph.: 226-926-1470 e-mail: earthquestcanada@yahoo.com Please be sure to fill out a completed application form available through Dave Jolly Your registration will be confirmed when full payment is received. Payment may be made via certified cheque, international/domestic money order payable to EARTHQUEST, or Pay pal. A typical schedule in this course might resemble the schedule below; General Schedule of Activities Day Morning Afternoon Day 1 Fundamentals of GIS, rationale & purpose History of GIS, equipment, protocols and procedures Day 1 Individual Natural Heritage System project; capturing field data with GPS Polygon configuration and mapping shape files Day 1 Field Studies Field practicum; determining natural heritage boundaries based on field indicators, creating buffers, trimming and editing shape files to reduce error, calculating area, ortho-referencing Day 2 Field Studies Finalize field work and summarize data Day 2 Field Studies Present summarized findings in the format of an oral presentation, produce output mapping on final GIS product Cancellations: EARTHQUEST incurs a considerable expense to run these special courses and may use your registration fee as a deposit to secure placement in the course. As a result all course fees are completely 100% non-refundable once paid. For information on responsibilities and liabilities please visit the following webpage link; Terms and conditions Once you have paid for your course, provided the registration documents and received confirmation plus a password you may download the course material at the following link; Course material