IMWAU - Mapping With Google Earth Pro

Mapping with Google Earth Pro
Graeme Merrall and Andrew Dowding

Indigenous Mapping Workshop
November 7-8, 2018
Before we start
Prep for the Session
● Make sure you are connected to wifi: GoogleGuest
● Make sure you have Google Earth Pro installed and open
Agenda
Make your own custom maps with Google Earth Pro.
● Google Earth Pro overview
● Map feature creation and styles: points, lines and polygons
● Adding images
● Adding videos
● Adding custom icons
● Saving and sharing your maps
Snuneymuxw
Traditional PaperLand Use and Occupancy
Mapping
Snuneymuxw
Mapping
Snuneymuxw
Mapping
Snuneymuxw
Lots of maps! Land Use and Occupancy
Using Google Earth
Google Earth imagery

of Thuq’min and area
Topographic Map of
Thuq’min and area
Advantages
● Easy zooming & panning
● Hi-res imagery & terrain
● Cuts down on need for field trips w/GPS
● Eliminates digitization step
Google Earth Pro Overview
What is Google Earth Pro?
A virtual globe which

pieces millions of
images together and
puts the world’s
Passo a passo
geographic information
at your fingertips.
10
Google Earth Pro vs. Google Earth Web
Google Earth Pro

- Desktop app (download
to computer)
- Create your own maps
Passo a passo
Google Earth Web
- Web app (go to
earth.google.com/web)
- Currently no creation tools
11
1. 2.
Imagery in Google Earth
Imagery of San Francisco in

Imagery
GoogleinEarth
Google Earth:
satelliteCalifornia, United States)
● Francisco,
(San
● aerial
● Satellite
1. 3D Imagery
● Aerial
2.
Passo (orthogonal
a passo
Street View imageryimagery)
3. 3D Imagery 3. 4.
4. Street View Imagery
https://eospso.nasa.gov/
12
Imagery in Google Earth
Frequency of Imagery depends

on population and demand.
Passo a passo
Imagery tiles from different satellites in Google Earth.
13
Panels in Google Earth
Passo a passo
14
The Search Panel
Passo a passo
15
The Layers Panel:

Google Data and
curated content from
partners
Passo who Google
a passo
works with.
16
The Places Panel:

organize and save your
places
Passo a passo
17
Navigation in Google Earth
Navigation
options within
the application
Passo a passo
18
Navigation in Google Earth
Other forms of
navigation: 1.
1. Keyboard
Passo a passo 2.
2. Touchpad
3. Mouse
3.
19
Exploring Imagery in Google Earth
Finding the Date of

an Image
Passo a passo
20
Exploring Imagery in Google Earth
Viewing historical
imagery
Passo a passo
21
HANDS-ON ACTIVITY #1: 5 MIN
1. Search for the place where you live.

2. Find out when the imagery of your community was
taken.
3. Is there any historical imagery for your community?
What date was it taken?
Map feature creation & styles
Points, lines and polygons
Placemarks: Identifying Specific Sites
Points on the map:

Placemarks
Passo a passo
24
Organizing the Map into Folders
Click on the folder you want to

draw in.
For example, right-click on “My
Places” to Add>New Folder.
Passo a passo
Name your folder.
Move things to folders if you

want them somewhere else!
25
3.
1. Add Placemark
1.
2. Name it
Passo a passo
3. Change the icon
2.
4. Add description 4.
26
Your placemark
Passo a passo
27
Move or
Change a Placemark.
Passo a passo
28
Paths: Identifying Roads & Boundaries
Paths: Identifying Roads, Trails

or Boundaries
Passo a passo
29
2.
1. Add a New Path
2. Draw or trace your path
3. Name your path
Passo a passo
1.
3.
30
Adjust styling options.
Passo a passo
31
Polygons: Identifying Areas or Parcels
Polygons:
Identifying Areas or
Parcels of land
Passo a passo
32
Polygons: Identifying Areas or Parcels
Adding a Polygon
Passo a passo
33
Saving & Protecting Your Work
How to save
in Google Earth:
File > Save > Save My

Passo
Places a passo
Name your files, locate

them on your hard drive
34
Saving & Protecting Your Work
Best Practices for Saving Your Work
● Store your project in the My Places,

not Temporary Places.
Passo a passo
● Save your project often
● At the end of each work day, save

your project
35
Data privacy and ownership
If you keep Google Earth data on your laptop for data security be aware that:
● You will lose your file if your computer crashes and you did not back it up
● KML
Passo that you share can easily be shared with others and you may lose control
a passo
● If you email KML files your email will be on a server and may not be more secure than a private
(password protected) file in Google Drive or My Maps
If you want to keep your files secure offline, back them up on an external hard drive and control who has
access to it (you can encrypt the hard drive if security is important)
36
1. Create a new folder called “My Project”

2. Add placemarks, lines or polygons to represent sites
that are significant to you, your community and/or your
project.
3. Style the features you add - change an icon, or the color
of a polygon/line.
4. Save your project as a KML or KMZ.
Organizing the Map into Folders
Keeping your folders

organized with
appropriate
categories.
Passo a passo
38
Adding images
Adding Photos to Maps
Add an image that

is on your
personal hard
drive.
Passo a passo
1.
40
Add an image that

2.
is on your
personal hard
drive.
Passo a passo
4.
3.
41
Your map has an image!
Passo a passo
Image Source: Copyright by McClees Stephens, 2013, mcclees-amazonia.tumblr.com.
42
Adding videos
Adding Videos to Maps
Add a video that is

on YouTube.
2.
First copy the
embed code from
Passo a passo
YouTube. 1.
3.
44
Add a video that is

on YouTube.
Next, in Google
Passo a passo
Earth, open up the
location for
editing.
4.
45
Add a video that is

on YouTube.
Click into the

Passo a passo
Description and
paste the embed
code.
5.
46
Add a video that is

on YouTube.
Your map has a

Passo
video! a passo
47
Adding custom icons
Creating Custom Icons for Placemarks 1.
Adding a new site:

Add a placemark and title.
2.
Passo a passo
Title = Site type.

Refer to your legend for all your
site types.
49
Creating Custom Icons for Placemarks
Changing Icons.
Here you can select any of

the already existing icons
available
Passo in Google Earth.
a passo
You can also Add a Custom
Icon.
50
Change the icon to the

appropriate icon for the site
type.
Passo a passo
51
Custom-made Icons.
The University of Victoria in
Canada created custom icons
for Indigenous communities in
Canada.
Passo a passo
They are online and designed
to be easy to import into
Google Earth.
Indigenous Mapping Icons,

http://www.uvic.ca/socialsciences/ethnographicmapping/resources/indigenous-mapping-icons/index.php
52
Changing Icons.
Here you can select any of

the already existing icons
available
Passo in Google Earth.
a passo
You can also Add a Custom
Icon.
53
Accessing these Icons.
Go to the URL provided in the

materials or at the bottom of
this slide.
Passo a passo
Indigenous Mapping Icons,

http://www.uvic.ca/socialsciences/ethnographicmapping/resources/indigenous-mapping-icons/index.php
54
1. Search around the web

page to find an icon that
you’d like to use in a map.
2. Find
Passo an icon you’d like
a passo
and click on it.
3. Click on the URL address
at the top and “copy” it.
COPY
55
1.
1.
1. Go back to Google Earth.

Create an placemark and
click on the icon box.
2. Here
Passo you can see the
a passo
boat from the University
of Victoria’s Ethnographic
Mapping Lab Icon Set. 2.
56
Here you can see the boat from

the University of Victoria’s
Ethnographic Mapping Lab Icon
Set.
Passo a passo
57
Add rich media to your map.

1. Add an image to one of your placemarks.
2. Add a video to one of your placemarks.
3. Add a custom icon to one of your placemarks.
Saving and sharing maps
Sharing options
Share your KML/KMZ file with others as an email attachment or on a thumb drive.
Passo a passo
Use your Google Earth maps in printed materials.
Use your Google Earth maps in presentations and animations.
60
Passo a passo
61
Sharing Image & PDF Files
Sharing Image
Files from
Google Earth
Passo a passo
62
Option 1: Saving
Images as File
Passo a passo
63
Option 2:
Saving Images
from Toolbar
Passo a passo
64
Option 3: Saving PDF or printing

Files from Toolbar
Passo a passo
65
You will see an

autogenerated legend
and a title/description
box that allows you to
Passo a passo
add information before
you print/export your
map file
66
Direct-to-Digital (D2D) Mapping
• Project Google Earth onto the wall

• Structured interviews with active land users
• Record audio, video and notes
• Save map data as KMZ files
• Convert to GIS format for analysis
Tools Needed
• Google Earth installed on a laptop • Recording devices (zoom mics,

with WIFI video camera, tripod)
• Projector • SD memory cards
• Laser pointer • Power adapters / batteries / USB
• Interview guides hub
Organizing the data in Google Earth
Snuneymuxw
Snuneymuxw Land
Land Use
Use and
and Occupancy
Occupancy
UVic Anthropology Student Class Project by Courtney Moher

Snuneymuxw Land Use and Occupancy
UVic Anthropology Student Class Project by Courtney Moher

Innu of Québec Significant Places
UVic Anthropology Student Class Project by Alysia Gillham

Lekwungen Territory Ethnographic Mapping project
UVic Anthropology Student Class Project by Paige Erickson-McGee

Sencot’en Place Names by Dave Elliott, WSÁNEĆ territory
UVic Anthropology Student Class Project by James Rogers

Direct-to-Digital Mapping
‘Direct-to-Digital’ mapping in Google Earth provides an unparalleled opportunity to have
detailed and engaged conversations about land-based cultural practices.
Interviews are guided by a detailed conversation about imagery shown in Google Earth,
including from both the 2D and 3D perspectives.
Locations for placemarks, paths, and polygons are indicated by the knowledge-holder and
digitized on the spot by the interview team.
Direct-to-Digital Interviews are video and audio-recorded for posterity and accuracy of later
analysis. High quality audio-video can be used for many purposes (schools, public education).
A basic Direct-to-Digital set-up includes a laptop running Google Earth (with key imagery
‘cached’), a projector, a laser pointer, a high quality audio-recorder, and 2 video camera (one
to record the screen, one for the interviewer).
It is always good to have topographic maps available in case of tech failure.

Interviewing methods
The “Map Biography” method

- looks to represent the life experiences of people on a map
- cumulatively, a very powerful method of representing intensity and
extensivity of land use
- effective projects can interview most or all community members
The “Significant Sites” method

- asks people to recall important places, to them or culturally
- may not be as extensive as the map biography, but highlights particularly
important features and is potent in inter-generational knowledge transfer
- effective projects can be done by interviewing one or several key
knowledge-holders
The “Indigenous-Language Place Names” method

- provides an inventory of place names and associated stories
- essential to ‘get the names right’ including their location, transcription,
meaning and associated stories. Very time intensive to do a good job.
- effective projects require fluent speakers, culturally knowledgeable
General process
you will need 2 interviewers
-- 1 asks the questions, 1 operates computer & video/audio equipment
Interviewer guides knowledge-holder with questions

-- WHO -- biographical information
-- WHERE -- carefully documented using Google Earth (or other maps);

document your confidence in the precision of the mapping
-- WHAT -- what cultural activities are done at each place? what species
are harvested? what kind of place is it? what is its story?
-- WHEN -- what years did the knowledge-holder use the site? What
seasons? how often is the place used?
Interview gets transcribed, duplicated (safekeeping)
Following review of interview transcript, return to knowledge-holder

-- ask for clarification for any information that was unclear; fieldtrip?!
Searching for Data Diamonds
- specific time (season, year, date range)
- general time (decade, quarter century, etc)
- frequency
WHEN
time period
- site type
WHAT confidence / WHERE - placemark / path / polygon
- site use
activity accuracy? location - place name
- resource
- indigenous language
- story / history
- ‘official’
- local
WHO
person
- tribal name / language group

- person(s) who did the activity
- gender, age, family, etc
Adapted from Living Proof
by Terry Tobias - reference to documentation
- interview, bibliographic, etc
A guide for interviewers
Interviewing involves asking a standard set of

questions that locate culturally practices on
the land, while providing flexibility for
knowledge-holders to tell their own stories.
Interviewers should try to learn the full range

of questions and standard question probes
(getting at ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’)
Considerations for designing interview

questions can be downloaded here.
It is important to reflect on how they are

proceeding through the range of questions,
both during and between interviews.
A shortened ‘interview question checklist’

sample can be downloaded here.
A guide for interviewers
Project Pre-Interview Interviewing Post-Interview Analysis and
Preparation Presentation
- define area - refine interview - 2 interviewers, one - make backup - review site data and
- define focus questions leads conversation, one copies of all ensure that it is coded for
- discuss how - create GE offline operates equipment recordings site type, site use, species,
maps will be used cache (if needed) - introduce project and - transcribe and confidence (Google Earth,
- pre-load any extra be clear about what kind proofread (esp. Fusion Table)
basemap KML into of information you will be indigenous language - organize data from all
Google Earth (local asking about (map terms) interviews into folders /
names, water biography, important - review transcript to layers (Google Earth?
features, past places) connect placemarks Google Map Engine
interviews with - obtain informed with quotes from Platform?)
knowledge-holder) consent interview - create thematic maps
- recording - give gift or honorarium - make notes about - write interpretive report to
equipment (video, - review questions, any information that give context to study,
audio, notebooks, ensuring to follow may need to be methodology, information
laser pointer, protocols clarified, sites to visit, gaps, significance of
projector, laptop, - ensure that each urgently threatened information collected
spare batteries, placemark made in sites - create materials to share
extension cord, Google Earth can be - return copy of with community
screen) traced back to quote transcript and map (TourBuilder, GE, GME
from participant (through printouts to Platform)
unique site numbers) participants
- thank participants!
A Brief
Best Practices
History for
of Maps
the Field
Technical Tips for the Field...
Passo a passo
Image Source: Drisyamnambiar (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia
Commons
81
Best Practices for the Field
Considerations:
● Where will you be mapping in Google Earth?
● Do you plan to interview people in one village about their use of the surrounding lands?
Passo a passo
● Are you considering a proposed development project (a mine, air field or farm) and you want to
understand how people use the land where the project will be built?
82
Imagery Considerations:
● What is the imagery in the

area like?
Passo a passo
● Can you use the imagery
in Google Earth?
● Is there historic imagery?
83
Other helpful data to collect

before going to the field:
● Boundaries, rivers, or
other data?
Passo a passo
● Past work?
● Industry development
data?
● GPS tracks or waypoints?
84
Caching
Your computer only stores a

small amount of images.
Passo a passo
Image Source: Internet access diagram, by Ferran (Own

work) [CC BY-SA 4.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via
Wikimedia Commons. Adapted for this use.
85
Caching
The 2000MB storage

limit in Google Earth.
Passo a passo
86
Caching
Caching Google Earth imagery is useful when working with:

● Low-bandwidth internet
● No internet
Passo a passo
(Requires good initial internet connection)
87
Caching
Choosing your
area size and detail
Passo a passo
This material is taken directly from the University of Victoria’s

Cultural Mapping Lab:
uvic.ca/socialsciences/ethnographicmapping/resources/training/index.php
88
Caching
How to cache
imagery:
1. Draw a polygon
Passo a passo
around what you
want to cache to
guide yourself.
89
Caching
2. Clear the cache

(Google Earth >
Preferences >
Cache > Clear
Passo a cache)
disk passo
90
Caching
3. Fly around the

area of interest,
letting imagery
Passo a passo
load and cache
*Do this for the entire

area.
91
Caching
4. Disconnect from
Internet and see
if your imagery
shows up still!
Passo a passo
*If it doesn’t, it won’t
load like this.
92
Family and local culture
1. Where do your ancestors come from?
Example questions
2. Where were your grandparents born?
3. Where were your parents born?
4. Where were you and your siblings born?
5. What place in the world do you identify with as your real home?
What are the nonhuman influences in your life?

1. What is your favorite place?
2. Where is your favorite mountain, body of water, etc.?
3. Where was your favorite place to play (or hide) when you were 5 years old? 10 years old? Today?
4. Who were the most important animals and plants in your life and where did you encounter them?
5. Where did you see the most interesting, unusual, or otherwise important, animal or plant you have ever seen?
Beliefs that help shape your thinking

1. Where are the spots that are important to your beliefs located? (only share what you want to)
2. Where are the places that are important to you personally? (only share what you want to)
Questions?

IMWAU - Mapping With Google Earth Pro

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

IMWAU - Mapping With Google Earth Pro

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Mapping with Google Earth Pro

Graeme Merrall and Andrew Dowding

Google Earth imagery

A virtual globe which

Google Earth Pro

Imagery of San Francisco in

Frequency of Imagery depends

Imagery tiles from different satellites in Google Earth.

Panels in Google Earth

The Search Panel

The Layers Panel:

The Places Panel:

Finding the Date of

1. Search for the place where you live.

Points on the map:

Click on the folder you want to

Move things to folders if you

Paths: Identifying Roads, Trails

Adjust styling options.

File > Save > Save My

Name your ﬁles, locate

Best Practices for Saving Your Work

● Store your project in the My Places,

● At the end of each work day, save

1. Create a new folder called “My Project”

Keeping your folders

Add an image that

Add an image that

Your map has an image!

Image Source: Copyright by McClees Stephens, 2013, mcclees-amazonia.tumblr.com.

Add a video that is

Add a video that is

Add a video that is

Click into the

Add a video that is

Your map has a

Adding a new site:

Title = Site type.

Here you can select any of

Change the icon to the

Indigenous Mapping Icons,

Here you can select any of

Accessing these Icons.

Go to the URL provided in the

Indigenous Mapping Icons,

1. Search around the web

1. Go back to Google Earth.

Here you can see the boat from

Add rich media to your map.

Use your Google Earth maps in presentations and animations.

Option 3: Saving PDF or printing

You will see an

• Project Google Earth onto the wall

• Google Earth installed on a laptop • Recording devices (zoom mics,

UVic Anthropology Student Class Project by Courtney Moher

UVic Anthropology Student Class Project by Courtney Moher

UVic Anthropology Student Class Project by Alysia Gillham

UVic Anthropology Student Class Project by Paige Erickson-McGee

UVic Anthropology Student Class Project by James Rogers

It is always good to have topographic maps available in case of tech failure.

The “Map Biography” method

The “Significant Sites” method

The “Indigenous-Language Place Names” method