Crystal Springs Memorial Preserve
The Crystal Springs Memorial Preserve (and Jacobsen Fen addition) encompasses over 2,500 acres tall grass prairie and pothole habitat in the Prairie Coteau Region. Crystal Springs is jointly owned and managed by Ducks Unlimited and The Nature Conservancy. This site is rich in wetlands and prairie and provides habitat for many species of waterfowl, shorebirds, rare plants and endemic prairie animals. (See registration form for attendance information.)
EROS Data Center
The Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center (EDC) is a data management, systems development, and research field center for the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Mapping Division. The EDC opened in the early 1970s with a handful of employees and the largest mainframe computer in the State of South Dakota. Today the EDC has approximately 600 government and contract employees. Since its opening, the EDC has stored, processed, and distributed a variety of data, including cartographic, satellite, and aircraft data. Scientists, managers, and technical users from around the world, including the scientific and technical staff at the EDC, use data from the archives for many applications and research programs. Data searching and ordering may be performed through a variety of information management systems and interfaces, including Global Land Information System (GLIS), Photo Finder, Map Finder, and EOS Data Gateway.
The afternoon session held at EROS will feature a panel discussion on land cover mapping at various scales and overviews of many research projects conducted at EDC. Tours will be available at EDC for a more in-depth look at the role it plays in receiving, processing, distributing, and archiving world-wide data. (See registration form for attendance information.)