Introducing our fantastic sponsors with Henry the Horned Toad!

1. Company Name – Baseline Corporation
2. Location – Texas (4 Regional Offices across the state)
3. Why did you get involved in Get Kids into Survey? Baseline is active in local activities to promote land surveying and supporting GKiS is a natural progression. Land surveying is a great career choice but relatively unknown and not promoted to kids who are only ~10 years from their first jobs. GKiS does a great job of creating those educational opportunities and targeting the younger audiences. 
4. What do you do? Baseline provides a variety of surveying needs for architects, engineers, government, and public clients. The projects may include conventional surveying such as control, topographic, boundary, right-of-way, easement, as-built surveys and staking to the use of emerging technologies like LiDAR scanning and drone flights. Baseline also proves speciality services such as tree surveys, hydrographic surveys, and has 2 Licensed State Land Surveyors (LSLS) the team. A LSLS is a surveyor licensed by the Board to survey land in which the state or the permanent school fund has an interest or perform other original surveys for the purpose of filing field notes in the General Land Office. 
5. How long have you been in the Survey Industry? Baseline has corporate roots back almost 100 years and some staff members have over 40 years of surveying experience. 
6. Funny Fact about you: Horned Toads can shoot blood from their eyes !
7. Favourite piece of kit and why? The plumb bob is not needed as often now with electronic measuring instruments, but is still the simplest and most reliable tool for doing accurate measuring and line sighting. It is one of the oldest tools known to man. 
8. Favourite Survey technique and why? Carrying a big stick, and not just as defence against aggressive critters! Seriously, we save a lot of time on topographic surveys in creeks and wooded areas by using a telescopic rod, up to 30 feet tall, to get our GPS receiver out of dense tree canopy.
9. Your website: www.baselinesurveyors.net
10. How did you choose the character and what does he/she/it represent? Mean to you? What’s his/her name? Henry the Horned Toad is a very appropriate character to represent Texas surveyors. Besides having a name that rolls off the tongue well, two of our licensed surveyors are named Henry. The Texas Horned Lizard, or more-commonly referred to as a “horned toad” or “horntoad”, is an endangered species with an ancient history. Also like a Texas surveyor, it is a unique creature that can utilize its skills and abilities to survive and get the job done. Henry represents two hundred years of Texas surveying, with more than a decade as part of Mexico and another as an independent country before becoming the 28th state. 

Introducing Brad Lariscy our latest Brand Ambassador from Georgia, USA:

Where did you study

Georgia Southern University

What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area?

There are a variety of pathways to becoming a Licensed Surveyor in the State of Georgia. Whether you have a 4 year degree, 2 year degree or Certificate along with the respectful amount of experience licensure can be obtained.

How did you get into surveying?

I started surveying immediately out of high school with no family history or knowledge of what land surveying entailed. I loved being outdoors and I knew the company (Thomas & Hutton) that I wanted to work for and the values they held and this was an entry level position to get me started. Little did I know this was the start of a life-long career.

How long have you been in the industry?

18 years

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS?

As an ambassador for GKiS, I will continue to promote surveying to the next generation through STEAM nights at local schools, where we bring in various survey equipment for students to interact with and discuss applications for each. The drone is always a highlight and “wow factor” as we discuss how we incorporate it into our workflow and the model that it produces. In addition to STEAM nights, I think the GKiS platform will allow us to expand our network and reach even more kids. I am passionate about investing heavily into my community as well as education, I believe teaming up with GKiS would provide more tools and resources to reach the next generation.

Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador?

I see the value in exposing children to surveying at such a young age, they are the future. I want to be part of an organization that shares these same values. As an ambassador for GKiS I believe we could get our foot in with local schools at an age group even younger than what we are targeting now. To partner with local elementary schools and show students the fun aspects of land surveying and the tools we get to use could peak their interests before even considering it being a career. It reminds me of my days in school sitting in math class thinking, “I will never need to know this information “ if someone would have come in and shown a real-life application such as surveying my perspective certainly would be shifted.

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry?

It is imperative the kids understand surveying and the geospatial industry. To comprehend the need for surveyors and the important role they play in construction as well as determining and creating property boundaries would be essential. For a kid that rides to school and sees a building being demolished, then the property is separated, and then construction on the new properties, then seeing the completed projects. It is essential that we teach kids to understand how a land surveyor is critical to every phase of that transformation. Without a surveyor how different would that site look? Maybe in their research, a surveyor finds evidence of an old easement that would prevent a building from being built in a specific location, maybe buildings cross over into the adjoining owner’s lot, maybe the building is not level or perpendicular to the street. All of these things explain why I love being a surveyor, we have the opportunity to be actively involved in a project from start to finish.

What are your hobbies?

My hobbies would include camping, boating, bike rides anything that brings my family together and gets us outdoors.

Anything else you want to add that you think our audience (surveyors, teachers, parents) would be interested in?

As a father, I see the importance of teaching my daughter the value of land surveying. The skills learned and real-world application that she will get exposed to can only strengthen her as a student and eventually as a professional. Even if her life takes her down a different career path the fact that she can see there are applications for the material she is being taught and understand the methods used to obtain data will broaden her capabilities.

Introducing Mr Craig L. Sandy our most recent Brand Ambassador from Victoria, Australia!

Mr Sandy, a licensed surveyor, is the Surveyor-General of Victoria, and Chair of the Surveyors Registration Board of Victoria, as such is the primary government authority on surveying and the cadastre. The Surveyor-General fulfils a range of statutory roles and responsibilities dealing with land and property boundaries.

Mr Sandy is also a member of the following Commissions and Committees in Victoria: 

• Registrar of Geographic Names
• Victorian Electoral Boundaries Commission 
• Federal Redistribution Committee for Victoria 
• Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping  – Chair
• Council of Reciprocating Surveyors Board of Australia and New Zealand – former Chair

Mr Sandy has a focus on engaging with the surveying profession to develop strategies for meeting the challenges that the current digital environment is creating.  In 2020, he was awarded the Asia Pacific Spatial Excellence Award for Spatial Professional of the Year for 2019 for his work in modernisation of the cadastre and in raising awareness for mental health issues in our profession. Mr Sandy is the former Surveyor-General for the Northern Territory of Australia, the only person to have held this title in more than one Australian jurisdiction.

Where did you study? University of South Australia

What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area? An approved degree, two years of supervised experience and project-based exams and an interview with the Surveyors Registration Board of Victoria. 

How did you get into surveying? In year 12 I was tossing up between civil engineering, architecture and surveying. A family friend showed me an article about surveying being a great career for those with an interest in maths and love of the outdoors – I was sold.  

How long have you been in the industry? Around 40 years. 

Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention? I work for the Victorian Government as the Surveyor-General of Victoria  and I chair the Surveyors Registration Board of Victoria. I’m also a member of the Surveying Taskforce in Victoria and a national group which promotes the profession to primary, secondary and tertiary students. 

Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador? We need new ways to attract people to our profession and GKiS is a great way to do this. I want every student to know about the possibility of a career in surveying and what it can offer.

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry? The work of surveyors and geospatial scientists is at the heart of land ownership and underpins the economy. There are so many career opportunities and, in the age of digital data, these can only increase.  

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? Promote GKiS on social media, in professional presentations and at every other opportunity. 

What are your hobbies? I have played many sports but now focus on golf. I also enjoy jigsaw puzzles and researching local history and the role of early surveyors. 

If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be? We created the Leeroy character – a heritage officer who manages land with culturally significant heritage value. Leeroy uses a drone to inspect eel traps built by Traditional Owners over 6,000 years ago. 

Welcome to USQ who are our latest Character as seen in the Custom Australia Poster! Read more:

Company Name – University of Southern Queensland (USQ) School of Surveying and Built Environment

Location – Brisbane & Toowoomba

Why did you get involved in Get Kids into Survey? The surveying industry needs more talented people from varied backgrounds to help the country run. USQ has been educating surveyors for 50 years and is the largest educator of surveyors in Australia. We need to play our part in showing what a rewarding career surveying can be.  We picked Zahra to represent us because she is an important member of the School and she embodies what we are trying to achieve.  

Let’s learn a bit more about Zahra!

1.   What do you do? 

I am a lecturer at USQ and I teach students all about drones and satellite positioning  to help them become successful surveyors. 

2.   How long have you been in the Survey Industry? 

Almost 12 years. I started my career as a land surveyor in a construction company in Iran where I was responsible for collecting and processing field data. After three years, I decided to continue studying and came to Australia to pursue my career as a lecturer and help others get into this exciting industry. 

3.   How did you get into the Industry? 

I have been passionate about mapping and positioning since I was a kid, especially treasure maps, and had always loved to learn how to generate cool and useful maps.

4.   Funny Fact about you.

I can make my drones dance😊.

5.   Favourite piece of kit and why? 

Drones. I love a bird’s-eye view, plus they are fast, fun to fly, and have a lot of interesting applications.

6. Favourite Survey technique and why?

GNSS (or Global Navigation Satellite System) or traditionally known as GPS. They can be used to map and locate features on the ground, air (e.g. drones, aircraft), water (e.g. ships), and even space (e.g. Satellites). 

7. Your website

8. How did you choose the character and what does he/she/it represent? Mean to you? What’s his/her name?

My character is me, Zahra and I am a passionate teacher who cares about her students and teaches them the latest survey techniques and technologies. As a female surveyor, my character would also like to encourage more girls into the surveying profession.

What an incredible week we had at GeoBusiness 2021… this year’s return after covid saw a change in venue from the Design Centre to the rather large ExCel Arena in London! 

Team members Erin and Elly manned the stand for the duration of the show. Whilst our founder Elaine Ball was seen chatting away on two panel discussions about diversity and the future of the profession. She also took part in the VII CLGE Conference of the European Surveyor: Women in Surveying [online] via zoom! These are such important topics that are sure to be some of the industries focusses next year… ensuring we progress in the best possible way forwards.

We spoke to so many keen and willing people, there are so many who want to know how they can get involved. Everyone who left details with us should have had an email with more information explained on there. However, if not then please feel free to reach out to Erin on erin@getkidsintosurvey.com. For more information on becoming a Brand Ambassador please see our most recent blog here. 

Whilst at the show we had the pleasure of going round some of the other attendees who are our sponsors… we met Skanska, Leica Geosystems, Trimble, Riegl, TopoDOT and Seafloor Systems.

Plus we were invited to attend the SCCS London Survey Awards night at the incredible St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel. We had a great time so thank you very much for your hospitality that night.

Our main aim of the event was to get the final sponsorship places filled for our last ever geospatial themed posters. The two topics are Digital Construction and A world Without Surveyors. We have managed to fill most of the sponsorship places but a couple do still remain so get in touch quick if your company would like to be up amongst some of the top names in the industry!! Our form can be filled in on this page, then we can send out the contract and invoice to solidify your purchase. 

See you all again in May 2022 for round two of Geo Business. Happy New Year to all 🙂

Let’s hear it for ‘GB’ the amazing character by GeoBiro! 

Company Name – Geobiro Ltd

Location – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe

Why did you get involved in Get Kids into Survey? Educating children about surveying is very important for the survival of our profession. There is very little material for children in this industry. We want to be part of a team that will bring surveying closer to the younger population!

What do you do? We are mainly a surveying company. Our company provides various services and geospatial solutions for businesses worldwide. We offer services in the field of laser scanning (Point cloud registration, Scan to BIM, Scan to CAD) to companies around the world.

How long have you been in the Survey Industry? This year our company celebrates 30 years of existence. 

How did you get into the Industry? Geobiro is a family business, now in its second generation. For all of this time we have been trying to be market leaders and follow trends.

Funny Fact about you – Geobiro has over 50 employees but one interesting fact: No employee is older than 40!

Favourite piece of kit and why? Laser scanner industry – They all have their advantages, I would not favor one 🙂

Favourite Survey technique and why? Laser scanning – With one device, we collect all the necessary data without the need for additional field trips. Virtual reality through laser scanning is becoming commonplace.

Your website (Available in multiple languages)

How did you choose the character and what does he/she/it represent? Mean to you? What’s his/her name? Our character is a kind of robot that represents processes in our company. We have 3 departments in our company (3 hands), laser scanning, point cloud registration, 2D/3D deliveries. At the same time, it scans, processes point clouds and creates BIM ready models. That is the motto of our company – To take laser scanning data from our surveying clients and deliver excellence. We can call him GB (:

ROI, time and cost aren’t a good fit for us! Consider these 3 things before saying no:

1- Be seen multiple times

When you invest in a resource, it’s impossible to imagine where that might be seen-  offices, schools and libraries. So much exposure of your logo and branding. These then have further linking resources such as colouring in sheets, Q&A’s and Homework projects which all link back to one another. These stimulate deeper understanding of the geospatial industry and help kids learn more.

Not forgetting the large online presence GKiS have with an average of 2:21 time on page! We have 20 collectable posters, so there’s limited opportunities to get involved remaining for the linking Homework Projects.

2- Be in it for the LONG TERM, build your brand

Our target audience for our resources are 8-12 years old. They won’t begin careers until around 20 years old… where they choose university degrees or apprenticeship routes. That means we won’t start seeing the results of our resources for 10 years after they’ve used them. 

We were founded in 2017 so have only been around for 4 years. At this point we don’t know what effect we have had, and it will be very difficult to track. We push as many resources out as possible and ensure as many children get to know what the geospatial industry is.

Our aim: to get more people into the geospatial industry. Let’s try to stop this skills shortage for an amazing career.

3- Exposure is high… leading to possible sales

As a brand we have many industry connections, GKiS are present at a range of different shows and conferences. When people see us, they see you too! Displayed all over our website, materials and stands are all our sponsors logos/characters. This could be your way in to gain so much exposure off the back of us (and we hope we get a similar return). Backlinks are great for google search!

Are you tracking your exposure and conversions to sales? With the addition of a character spotlight blog (see example here) on our website, plus the other links, there is an opportunity to track that conversion… If any of our sponsors have done this, please let us know. Our blogs have an average 600 views per month, with an average page time of 1 min 49 seconds.

For help on how to track this information and create campaigns please speak to our founder Elaine Ball.

What do our supporters and sponsors do on their websites?

Beasurveyor.com are an amazing example, they get quite a lot of traffic through their website which leads people to our resources! Run by NSPS they are one of our distributors, we have a lot to thank them for, helping us promote the industry to the next generation.

Or it could be as simple as linking our logo to your website to gain traction that way. As seen in this example by minimapmakers:

We hope this blog has given you something to think about? We would love to hear from you if you’d like to take one of our final remaining places on either Digital Construction or A World Without Surveyors. Have a look at our sponsorship page now. Or email hello@getkidsintosurvey.com

Welcome to our Brand Ambassador Karen Joyce from Australia! Karen runs the very cool ‘She Maps’ so make sure you take a look at that too.

How long have you been in the industry? I have been in the spatial industry for over 20 years since completing my PhD at the University of Queensland.

Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention? We are proud to be working closely with The Surveyors’ Trust in Queensland, Australia to support schools, and raise awareness of the industry opportunities. 

Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador? The GKIS brand aligns so well with our values at She Maps and the engagement we are wanting to achieve with school students. Power in numbers!

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry? Most of us have heard about the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) education and STEM in the workforce. But did you know that STEM is also somewhat of a clique, and one in which geography is not invited? With government education investment priorities firmly nested in STEM, we need to ensure that geography and geospatial skills aren’t left by the wayside. This is despite the prevalence of, and reliance upon geospatial technology in everyday life, with very few people outside of our discipline ‘bubble’ would even be aware of the term ‘geospatial’. We want to ensure that our workforce of 2030 has the skills, passion, and diversity needed to drive geospatial applications towards a stronger economy. 

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? We promote the posters and resources through our business, She Maps, and also the geospatial and surveying opportunities more broadly. 

What are your hobbies? I enjoy road cycling, spending time at the gym, and reading.

If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be? We already have one, Dronie! 

What poster or resource would you like to see next from GKiS? I’d love to see one on coastal ecosystems and the great work surveyors and geospatial professionals are doing to protect ecosystems. 

Anything else you want to add that you think our audience (surveyors, teachers, parents) would be interested in? You can find out more about the work we are doing at www.shemaps.com