Chesapeake Conservancy Honors Esri for Providing GIS Software and Support Benefiting Restoration and Conservation of the Chesapeake Bay

Annapolis, Md. – Last night, the Chesapeake Conservancy presented Esri with a Champions of the Chesapeake Award at the second annual Champions of the Chesapeake Awards and dinner celebration.

“The Chesapeake Conservancy is pleased to honor our partner Esri; for their innovative GIS software and staff support that helps propel the Conservancy’s work in GIS mapping and precision conservation to the forefront of the conservation movement,” Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn said. “In particular, Esri’s support has made the groundbreaking data work of the Conservancy’s Conservation Innovation Center possible. Through its strong nonprofit program, Esri make its software and staff accessible to the Chesapeake Conservancy and its partners.”

“Esri is proud to support the important contributions Chesapeake Conservancy is making to collaborative conservation in the Chesapeake watershed and to the field of conservation GIS at large. Chesapeake Conservancy uses Esri’s complete platform from big data storage and processing with ArcGIS Server and Image Extension, to visualization of and interaction with their data in ArcGIS Online, and communication of their work through Story Maps. At Esri, we’re fueled by the belief that geography can change the world. Chesapeake Conservancy’s work is proof it can. We are honored to be a part of their work and receive this award.”

The Conservancy uses Esri ArcGIS technology for innovative conservation and restoration planning through data-driven, web-based applications. The Conservancy works with local partners to identify their biggest challenges and develop the information and customized applications, to take advantage of the latest technology and to make informed decisions at the parcel scale. Among other things, the Conservancy uses Esri ArcGIS technology for high-resolution land cover mapping and change analysis, multi-resource conservation planning, and viewshed protection and impact assessments.

Founded in 1969, Esri, is an international supplier of GIS (geographic information systems) software, and a catalyst in the environmental community for using technology for conservation prioritization. Esri’s founding mission was “to organize and analyze geographic information to help land planners and land resource managers make well-informed environmental decisions,” and they have carried that same commitment through their work today.

The 2015 Champions of the Chesapeake Awards dinner took place on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at the Governor Calvert House in Annapolis, Md.

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The Chesapeake Conservancy’s mission is to strengthen the connection between people and the watershed; conserve the landscapes and special places that sustain the Chesapeake’s unique natural and cultural resources; and restore landscapes, rivers, and habitats in the Chesapeake Bay region.

For more information, please visit www.chesapeakeconservancy.org