With the average age of a surveyor rising, with more retiring than being recruited each year… there is definitely call for change! We began our campaign last month to collect everyone’s stories and create some snippets of information to share with the community. This is so they can see how awesome a career in geospatial really is!

Our aim: to showcase how diverse the industry is, what adventures it can take you on and the opportunities it could bring.

Please visit our Facebook and Instagram pages for more fun content. Plus longer videos are being added to our YouTube channel.

Enjoy some snippets of what some lovely surveyors get up to at work… there are some pretty cool experiences!

First up is Jamie Stevens from Nuplan Surveys Ltd…doing some Laser Scanning from St Saviour’s Point, Polruan, Cornwall.

“This was taken on a glorious day 17th Dec 2020, I have been a land surveyor for over 30 years and have had many such wonderful days (and numerous horrible ones too!)”.

‘oh how we all love to be beside the seaside’ as the saying goes! As a surveyor you could be spending days doing just that!

A bit more information about what Jamie was doing this day is attached-  a “screenshot taken from our registered point cloud. It is proposed to demolish the small cottage on the cliff top and replace it with a modern multi-million pound residential house. We were set on St Saviours point (the cliff top in the video) for one of the many scans used to create this cloud as it offered a great view of the existing property and its surroundings. This completed scan data will be used by the architects to help inform their design and also to show any proposed redevelopment in context with its surroundings to the local planning authorities”.

Alex McKee, Graduate Surveyor, Academy Geomatics

“I was once tasked with creating a 3D model of an old bridge which was about 100m above the valley floor. The main part of the bridge was easy, however the client wanted the sides of the bridge too… so we turned our laser scanner sideways, pushed it as far over the edge as possible and weighed it down with a couple of weights! The scanner was about 2 meters away from the bridge, held up by a thin tripod. I was too nervous to let go for the first couple of scans, but the weighted system worked and thankfully it never fell over the edge. We managed to create a full 3D model of the bridge without dropping any of our equipment – a successful day in surveying!”

Carlos Betancourt- El Savador

“I had been doing surveying on very diverse and odd places. One worth to mention was one time I was traveling in the middle of nowhere Mexico, willing to show a laser scanner to a coal mine company. That day basically what ever could go wrong was going wrong. All of a sudden I was just in the middle of a huge coal stockpiles field, and with that bad luck streak as you might expected, there was a power failure with the power source of the scanner, that setback seemed sealed the doomed destiny of the visit, when a guy of the coal company said, no problem I’ll bring a power cord, being half a mile from the closet power outlet, it was surreal to watch the guy pull the longest power cord extension I had ever seen, the scanner worked perfectly plug to the power supply, we even moved farther from where we were and that definitely  saved the day!”

Benjamin Brewster- United Kingdom

“Years ago working on a job for the London 2012 Olympics at Eton Dorney, some colleagues and I were stopped walking up a fairly nondescript towpath on the Thames by a security guard and told we couldn’t carry on. We explained what we were doing and he agreed to let us walk through whatever was going on, as long as we didn’t stop and definitely didn’t take any pictures. Turns out we were walking through a shoot for a Take That music video. Not the most exciting story but Robbie Williams on a break was definitely a novel excuse for a gap in the data…”

Beau Winfrey- City Surveyor.

“I almost always enjoy working in the field, but my most memorable project was a volunteer project working with Rotary International, University of Oklahoma Centre for the Restoration of Ecosystems and Watersheds, and Engineers In Action. I was able to travel to Bolivia to perform the topographic survey for an environmental engineering project’s planning and design. The project is a passive treatment system to remove heavy metals from mine waste water outside of Potosi, Bolivia. I ended up working with local surveyors and using equipment that was set up in Spanish, not my first language. I mistakenly got all my backsights reversed / mirrored which was fun to correct in the office once back in the states. Good field notes and procedures for the win! Our goal was to map out two seasonal drainage channels from the high end of the valley where waste water pooled collecting toxic runoff from the surrounding abandoned mines and then drained into the lake and river below polluting the drinking and irrigation source for everyone in the area. The project started at approximately 4500 meters elevation and dropped 1000 meters along the 2 km route. Our survey was used to design the project and to communicate the plan. It was great to experience the culture and different work processes and meet some of the true characters involved in the project”. 

With the average age of a surveyor rising, with more retiring than being recruited each year… there is definitely call for change! We began our campaign last month to collect everyone’s stories and create some snippets of information to share with the community. This is so they can see how awesome a career in geospatial really is!

Our aim: to showcase how diverse the industry is, what adventures it can take you on and the opportunities it could bring.

Please visit our Facebook and Instagram pages for more fun content. Plus longer videos are being added to our YouTube channel.

Wild days at work… Let’s hear some stories from some surveyors from around the world!

Nick Townley– Hydrographic Surveyor

Project: Solomon Islands

“Survey can take you to many exciting places and one of my favorite surveys was in the Solomon Islands where we were surveying WWII mine fields, this was to allow mine hunters to go in and make any explosives we found safe. The water was crystal clear and we could look over the back of the vessels and take pictures of the wrecks below (WWII_Airplane image). Due to the distance from a sounding datum we had to have a tide camp on the beach to connect the height of tide measured on a pole to the new geodetic GPS survey marks we installed. This involved setting up a tide pole and doing a shore survey, as you can see sometimes it takes a team to setup the tide pole (TP image). It was a nice change from our usual survey areas that we didn’t see the red eyes of crocodiles at night as we took our measurements by torchlight. At one stage during the survey our ship had to go and have engineering repairs, so the two survey launches and a small runabout were left on a deserted island for three days. We had food from the ship, but didn’t end up eating much of it as we caught fresh fish and shellfish throughout the day. We worked hard, but relaxed around the fire at night under the stars and miles from anywhere, and we helped make the area safer for the next generation”.  

Brian Harding (Survey Manager)

“After nearly 20years in the field, although I more often call my desk chair my home these days, I have a few memorable projects. The one that sticks out as the most rewarding was setting up a static GNSS control network in outback Australia for upgrade of Queensland road scheme. Highlights would be seeing the wildlife more kangaroos than you can count, emus running through farmland, snakes (generally dead in the road) but also the terrain out near the desert and the tiny communities scattered out in the middle of nowhere. Looking at the milky way at night was also pretty epic, growing up in London it’s not something you get to see. 

A near second favourite project would be setting up the control network for the 2.2km undersea pipe drilling rig. And seeing turtles and Dugongs surface while taking readings on the bay of Curtis island. Queensland. Also some interesting projects in the uk like 3D scanning the highest tower in England, and a site visit for 3D scanning cave systems for erosion assessment and finding a baby seal cub not 6ft from our team. A great career to see places most don’t get to see”.

Alex Perepechay – Survey Consultant & 3D Laser Scanning.

“Not a story, but just a nice image from one of the recent projects”.

Sonwabile Duda– South Africa

“My story happened in 2004 as a student Surveyors doing in-service training my two colleagues who were more experienced were busy trying to find a mechanic in town of Ceres they left me in the field alone surveying and it got dark before they returned by to me after 9pm at night inside a nature reserve. I packed the Trimble GPS into its cases base and rover and carry the tripod up the mountain to find a safe place to hide under big cliff.  I stayed there alone with wild animals coming at night to hunt, I was scared but could do nothing except keeping quite. I saw a light approaching it was them. It was funny they could not find me next to the road they were screaming my name in the dark whilst I was high up under solid rock,  they got scared as to what if something terrible happened,  how would they tell my family they lost me in the mountains alone. I emerged out of a cave/cliff. They could hear my reply but could not locate me. It was dark coming down the mountain with GPS set and trip, it was like a movie when we reunited in the dark. We got home in the early hours of the next day. The drive from the site back to office was more than 4 hours.”

Alex Carling– Engineering Geologist at Cardno

One of my favourite multi-disciplinary moments was working for National Parks and Wildlife Services.  We were working for them to do cliff line stability assessments to help realign a hiking track after the 2019/2020 bushfires.  I got to visit parts of the park most other people aren’t allowed to see and combine my two passions, geology and mapping.  Workwise, I flew drones along cliff lines to take aerial photos we used to create 3D models and then got to sit down and sketch the cliffs and the geological features.  Working on cliff lines with sea caves all along the coast, whale watching, 4WDing and stumbling into surreal environments was something special and I’ll never forget. Finding a cliff full of quartz crystals was the icing of the cake!

Ts. Gs. Muhamad Shafri–  Geospatial & Survey Specialist Officer.

Project: Cadastral Survey

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/Y2q5f2gVz-w

“I am a Survey Technician registered under Act 2015 (Act 786) Malaysia Board Of Technologist

This is a recording by myself using an old model mobile phone, the camera is only 3gp. This was in 2008 where I was entrusted to do survey work for the Oil Palm Border Fraction. And currently, advanced devices such as GPS and others are still not used in Malaysia. You can see the real life of a Surveyor during the previous years of long time ago.

Last word from me, Surveying career does not require high academics”. Just keep interested and passionate!

I’m sure everyone is aware how important Surveyors Week is to the industry. With the average age of a surveyor rising, with more retiring than being recruited each year… there is definitely call for change!

We began our campaign last month to collect everyone’s stories and create some snippets of information to share with the community. This is so they can see how awesome a career in geospatial really is!

Our aim: to showcase how diverse the industry is, what adventures it can take you on and the opportunities it could bring.

Please visit our Facebook and Instagram pages for more fun content. Plus longer videos are being added to our YouTube channel throughout the week.

Please see our other blogs which celebrate surveyors:

Surveyors Most Memorable Days at Work

Some ‘Wild’ Days at Work

Surveyors Tales

A Surveyors Short Story

ABOUT GLOBAL SURVEYORS’ DAY

In 1984 the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM) established  NATIONAL SURVEYORS WEEK in the United States to recognize and promote the many contributions by surveyors and the surveying profession in all aspects of life. U.S. President Ronald Reagan also signed a Presidential Proclamation in 1984 recognizing National Surveyors Week and asking citizens to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities paying tribute to professional surveyors and their contribution to society.  Since then National Surveyors Week has been held annually beginning with the 3rd Sunday in March.

Initial discussions were held in 2008 by John Hohol (Head of the NSPS Delegation to FIG) with the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) about establishing a Global Surveyors’ Day.

CLGE (the Council of European Geodetic Surveyors) launched its first DAY OF THE EUROPEAN SURVEYOR in 2012 on the 500th anniversary of Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator’s birth.

During the 2013 CLGE General Assembly meeting at the European Space Expo in Budapest, Hungary, the Budapest Declaration was signed by Jean-Yves Pirlot, CLGE President, John Hohol, representing NSPS, and Gyorgy Domokos, Hungarian CLGE Delegate requesting that the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) consider the creation of a common worldwide Surveyors’ Day.

By the initiative of CLGE and NSPS with the endorsement of FIG the Première celebration of Global Surveyors’ Day 2018 was held exactly in the middle of the World Bank‘s annual Land and Poverty Conference in Washington, D.C. USA.

Pictured- the signing of the Budapest Declaration, which lead to the establishment Global Surveyors Day.

If you would like to get more involved with getting kids into survey, consider becoming a Get Kids into Survey Brand Ambassador. Or if you are part of a company, please consider becoming part of our sponsorship family. We rely on the industry to help fund our efforts of making our free resources, which get distributed around as many kids as possible (worldwide!).

Here are a couple of frequently asked questions:

• What is a Brand Ambassador?

A Brand Ambassador shares our vision of wanting to share the amazing Geospatial Industry with the younger generation. Actively taking part in helping educate them whether that be going into schools, talks at local industry shows, plus be able to give GKiS helpful feedback when required.

• What are my sponsorship options?

We have a number of different packages available, at different price points. At the moment you can create your own character and include it in a poster or an activity page in our comic book, or you can create a custom poster for your own country or network. 

• What do I get as a sponsor?

You get to create your very own character that represents you or your country and your logo on our resources. You will also get international coverage of your brand through printed and downloadable resources, high profile social media coverage and inclusion on the GKiS website, as well as the knowledge that you are investing in the future of the geospatial industry. 

Introducing our Brand Ambassador Mike Stapleton from Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Where did you study? University of Cape Town (Surveying), University of Technology, Sydney (Planning)

What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area? ACT  –  there are a range of surveyor categories.  For a registered surveyor, a four year surveying degree is required followed by a graduate program through the Board of Surveying and Spatial Information (BOSSI NSW)

How did you get into surveying? My father was a surveyor.  I went out with him on field trips from my early teens and was aware of his night-time calculations to process observations.

How long have you been in the industry? 42 years post graduation.

Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention? Institute of Surveyors NSW and Country Surveyors Association (previously SSSI)

Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador? The profession needs good quality people to become surveyors

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry? Enabling kids to see the attractions of the professions, associate their science mathematics, geography and other studies with a job which can provide them with a secure career path.

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? Talk to kids, presentations, careers events, publicity opportunities.

What are your hobbies? Sport, mainly rugby union and cricket.  Researching cadastral related issues to surveying

If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be? Maybe Popeye (always looking through telescope)!!!

What poster or resource would you like to see next from GKiS? For teenage kids – a summarised poster showing where surveying can be studied, ATAR required, etc

For early teenage kids, posters associating standard maths/physics etc learning with surveying, such as Pythagorus, reflection and refraction of light etc

For all posters showing surveyors in exciting environments (Antarctic etc), or in current topical situations (post fire recovery surveys, climate related surveys)

Anything else you want to add that you think our audience (surveyors, teachers, parents) would be interested in? I have done numerous presentations to schools in Canberra and was a STEM ambassador last year at a local High School.

How cool is this Newspaper article that Mike has also sent through… from 1985! It seems whilst there was a shortage of surveyors back then, the same is repeating itself in the current day. Lets promote getting kids into survey, it is a great career.

What is climate change?

Definition; noun ‘a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels’

We cannot stress enough how much of an importance the topic of climate change is. Beginning in the 20th century the industrial revolution really kickstarted the effects on our planet. The effect is called the ‘Greenhouse Effect’ which is warming due to the atmosphere trapping heat that is radiating from Earth toward space. Certain gasses that are released into our atmosphere block the heat from escaping. Let us have a mini chemistry recap of the compounds:

-Water vapor. Water vapor increases as the Earth’s atmosphere warms, but so does the possibility of clouds and precipitation, making these some of the most important feedback mechanisms to the greenhouse effect.

-Carbon dioxide (CO2) is released through natural processes such as respiration and volcano eruptions, and through human activities such as deforestation, land use changes, and burning fossil fuels. Humans have increased atmospheric CO2 concentration by 47% since the Industrial Revolution began. 

-Methane. A hydrocarbon gas produced both through natural sources and human activities, including the decomposition of wastes in landfills, agriculture, and especially rice cultivation, as well as digestion and manure management with domestic livestock. 

-Nitrous oxide. A powerful greenhouse gas produced by soil cultivation practices, especially the use of commercial and organic fertilizers, fossil fuel combustion, nitric acid production, and biomass burning.

-Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Synthetic compounds entirely of industrial origin used in a number of applications, but now largely regulated in production and release to the atmosphere by international agreement for their ability to contribute to destruction of the ozone layer. 

Seen recently speaking to the United Nations Leaders is Sir David Attenborough. Highlighting some of the features of our current path due to climate change… things that will begin affecting the human populations security (food, ambient temperatures, shelter).

“Climate change is the biggest threat on our security that modern humans have ever faced”

We are coming close to certain tipping points that once passed, are impossible to come back from. The damage will have been done. By acting fast enough and promoting change there is hope. 

As proved by the last 12 months, we are no longer separate nations, we are together and face the same difficulties. Recognise the importance of the moral responsibilities that the wealthy nations have on the rest of the world. Can we create a stable and equal world where everything is in balance? That is the true aim. Security, and sharing the world with nature.

Watch the full video here (click on the image to play the video)

How has the pandemic affected the rate of climate change?

Quite relevant to the current worldwide situation, but what does this mean for our climate… Unfortunately it appears that the short and long term effects are not as great as we had hoped. Demonstrating that we really do need to make progress and continue to use our developing technologies to help us work better with the planet. 

It is interesting to see how the effects of ‘lockdown’ affected emission rates. Shown here in this graph:

Read about the 3 things Climate Scientists have learnt during lockdown…

https://theconversation.com/im-a-climate-scientist-heres-three-key-things-i-have-learned-over-a-year-of-covid-156791

What is happening in the Arctic due to climate change?

Some changes include:

• Rising temperatures, present day temperatures are 2°C above average.
• Loss of sea ice and the melting of the Greenland ice sheet.
• The Arctic Ocean could become less saline and warmer (due to melting ice). This could disrupt the North Atlantic Drift and cause cooling of western Europe’s climate.
• Water from melting ice sheets and glaciers will contribute to rising sea levels.

Scientists are using ice cores to detect changes in temperature. When snow falls it traps air into the ice. When scientists take a core of ice it reveals the carbon dioxide and methane concentrations at the time the snow fell. Scientists believe there is a close link between the amount of these greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and global temperatures. Layers of accumulation and melting in the ice can reveal the temperature of each year for the past 400,000 years. Other methods of collecting evidence  include glacial retreat, thermometer readings, early spring, and rising sea levels.

Here is a graph which demonstrates how rapidly the area of the Arctic has changed over the last half a century:

It is not just us who are facing the impacts. You must have seen the famous image of a polar bear stuck on a little platform of broken off ice?! They are losing their home due to the ice caps melting, but that also leads to problems finding enough prey to eat and feed to their young. Here are 11 other species that are being affected by the changing climate in the Arctic for various reasons. It is our responsibility to protect them and ensure they do not become extinct due to the actions of the human race.

We have a poster coming out next month which highlights the effects of climate change in the Arctic!

The posters can include a character of the sponsor’s choice, ranging from their family, their brand (maybe a vehicle or mascot), or something completely made up. These are professionally drawn up by our cartoonist who produces all of our posters and comics. These can be used for your branding and social media campaigns too!

If you would like to learn more about sponsorship please visit: Sponsor Us – Get Kids Into Survey

Or speak to Leanne and Sarah at hello@getkidsintosurvey.com

*Some information in this blog is collected from Causes | Facts – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet (nasa.gov) and Case study: impact of climate change on the Arctic – Climate change – Eduqas – GCSE Geography Revision – Eduqas – BBC Bitesize

Name:  

Maddison Williams 

Age:  

11 and a bit, but who’s counting? 

Specialist Areas:  

Marine Biology and Extreme Sports 

Likes:  

Climbing where she shouldn’t, swimming where others wouldn’t, and music so loud it’s usually described by her parents as sounding  like “a catfight in a bomb factory”. 

Dislikes:  

Stopping, sitting down, sleeping, resting, or  ‘taking it easy’. She isn’t keen on food that  can’t be consumed in ‘Power Bar’ form, and  she’s also not too fond of rules. Any of them. 

Bio: 

Maddison Williams has broken seven bones in her life – but she’s also climbed eight mountains, so as far as she’s concerned, she’s winning by one. If she’s not scaling a cliff  face, you’ll find Maddy in the sea; she loves all things aquatic, from sharks to shellfish; dolphins to dumbo octopi. On the rare occasion she’s on flat ground, skating is her preferred method of getting around. She also enjoys dying her hair to suit her mood, and wearing stick-on tattoos to panic her parents. 

Likely to say things like: 

“Cuts and bruises are just the signs of a good time – and broken bones usually mean you should have jumped higher.”  

Introducing The Association of Ontario Land Surveyors special characters Geo and GeePS!

Company Name – Association of Ontario Land Surveyors (AOLS)

Location – the AOLS office is in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with members located throughout the province. You can find the firm of an Ontario Land Surveyor at https://www.aols.org/find-a-surveyor

Why did you get involved in Get Kids into Survey? I am being introduced to several careers while in high school. Few people know about careers in surveying, so I’m learning about surveying and sharing what I learn with others.

What do you do?  I am in a co-op placement program with a survey company. They have this cool GPS receiver named “GeePS”, who not only works with me to gather my location data but gives me information about surveying. Sometimes GeePS and I need to do a little research such as making sure that satellites are sending us the correct data.

How long have you been in the Survey Industry? I have been in land surveying for a short period as a student. GeePS says the AOLS was established in 1892 and that it is a self-governing association, responsible for the licensing and governance of professional land surveyors, in accordance with the Surveyors Act. The AOLS has a responsibility to ensure that the public interest comes first.

How did you get into the Industry? I learned about surveying from an Ontario Land Surveyor who came to our school to talk about what surveyors do.

Funny Fact about you: I love today’s technology, but sometimes, and you won’t believe this, I like to go off the grid and pretend I’m one of those pioneer surveyors with only an old Gunter’s chain and compass.

Favourite piece of kit and why? That’s a tough question, because there are so many cool tools in a surveyor’s toolbox and the technology is always changing. My smartphone is my favourite. Connected to the internet, it helps me communicate and make decisions all day long, giving my exact location and direction while letting me take photos and video.

Favourite Survey technique and why?  I like all survey techniques because I can help the surveyors who are working on different kinds of projects. I can get data from GeePS to make a map!

Your website: www.aols.org

How did you choose the character and what does he/she/it represent? GeePS needed a partner, so members of the AOLS imagined what my generation might look like working with GeePS, and here I am!

What’s his/her name?  Geo

Introducing Sam Hough from Derbyshire, UK:

Where did you study? Over the years I’ve studied a few courses, my most recent course I’ve completed Is the TSA Surveying Course, in which I achieved a Distinction. I have also carried out short courses as well as completing two courses at Barnsley College relating to Construction Management as well as Surveying.

What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area? As I’m sure you’re aware, there aren’t many requirements! You have to like working outdoors in all weathers, as well as having field based knowledge. There are courses where you are able to become a member of professional bodies and this ultimately leads to a “Chartered Land Surveyor”.

How did you get into surveying? I fell into surveying from leaving Sixth Form College and I haven’t looked back since. Every day at work presents different challenges, as well as different people to meet and greet. Within Surveying, there are great opportunities to network with people in the same professions; we all know one another! 

How long have you been in the industry? I have been within the surveying industry for 7 years now and still wake up each morning excited to see what the day will have in store… oh how the years have flown by!

Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention? I am an Associate Member of RICS and a Technical member of CICES.

Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador? I have experienced first hand how difficult it is for young people to make an informed decision, as well as know what the best route into their chosen career path is. I have a desire to help assist and provide a good understanding of how wide ranging the surveying profession is to young people, and how there is almost certainly a fit for most people within!

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry? The geospatial industry is an ever growing sector of work. Whilst new software and hardware make the task in hand more intuitive and easier to understand, there’s still no beating a “boots on the ground” approach. The skill, knowledge and expertise of surveyors is always required, and hopefully by generating a greater awareness of the profession we will develop and locate the surveyors of the future.

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? I will help to spread the word of the geospatial industry as well as the surveying profession through as many avenues as possible. I have friends who are teachers of ages from primary all the way up to college lecturers; I hope this will assist me to inspire as many young people into joining the industry as possible.

What are your hobbies? Being a surveyor, I naturally enjoy being outdoors! I like hiking, mountain biking, camping, caving and the occasional trip out on a kayak (but not in the winter!).

If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be? I’d say most likely some form of transformer… I’d travel the length and breadth of the world transforming into the correct tool for the job upon arrival to site! 

What poster or resource would you like to see next from GKiS? I’d love to see a resource or poster which shows not only the wide range of job sites surveyors work on, and the equipment we use, but how the data looks in a field to finish aspect. When I first entered the profession I was in awe with the visual aspects of completed drawings and coloured pointcloud data!

If you are interested about being an Ambassador for GKiS please click here, or if you are a company looking to support the development of Resources please visit here.