On the morning of March 16th, I was able to venture over to South Troy to visit the John B. Staalesen Venderheyden Preserve for the first time. I was fortunate enough to visit the Preserve on a nice day with Mr. Conrad and several others involved. There was also a surveyor present to go over the boundaries of the land with the members of the Rensselaer Land Trust.
   The parcel itself is sandwiched between the Vanderheyden Estates on the North and the Wynantskill Preserve on the South. There are several border issues involving residents and stream channel changes. Recently there was a sewage leak, which required the City of Troy to excavate significant amount of earth to fix the leaking pipe. This was a surprise to everyone involved and unfortunately altered a recently landscaped parking lot. At the very least the broken lines will allow another opportunity for me to add features to the map.
   I was also able to witness the majority of the Preserve and the abundance of trails that wind throughout the landscape. I am planning on including all of these trails on the map as well as several features that can be seen from the trails. One point that intrigued me was an old baseball field that included an old, rusty backstop from decades before. There are also piles of tires and and old campfire that had been recently used. I also want to include the broken sewage line and all of the associated manholes as well another pipeline that runs near it. There are two lines, each labeled 12 and 15 respectively. (12 is the broken line).
   There are many different features to label and Mr. Conrad recommended to use a tax parcel data layer to isolate the land that was donated to the Land Trust. The stream layer should be helpful although the stream channel has significantly changed and wandered over the years. This has also altered the apparent boundary of the Preserve.
   I plan on using the upcoming spring break to go back to the Preserve to obtain data points and or when the recent snowfall melts. I will continue providing readers with updates and begin incorporating basic maps that I have started working on.
     ~Matthew Spargo

In the last week, specifically on March 5th, I met with the client, Mr. Conrad, and we discussed the details of Vanderheyden Preserve as well as goals of the project. I was handed a handheld map that indicates the borders of the Vanderheyden Preserve and we discussed where the Preserve is located. I have not visited the Preserve yet, although Mr. Conrad, a surveyor and I are hoping to view the Preserve on Saturday morning, March the 16th so that I can get a feel of the area and also begin collected GPS points. Unfortunately the weather may be poor so obtaining GPS points at this time may not be ideal. Either way I plan on returning to the site and continuing to get a feel for the Preserve and any points of interest.

Project Proposal -

Introduction
   The John B. Staalesen Vanderheyden Preserve is a parcel of land located in South Troy that was acquired by the Rensselaer Land Trust. The land was donated by the family of the recently deceased John B. Staalesen and contains 23.6 acres of land to be preserved by the Rensselaer Land Trust. The land was acquired by the Rensselaer on December 13, 2011.The Wynantskill Creek borders the land. Most of the land contains forest and wetlands.

Objectives
   The primary goal is to create a comprehensive map of all pertinent features including those that incorporate the wetlands and Wynantskill Creek as well as any trails. A map is necessary for this newly acquired piece of land that can be used by both the Rensselaer Land Trust and any individuals who are interested in exploring the land. The land is still open and relatively unmarked, so a project and map

Methodology
   This project will require the use of several different shape files and layers which will help to show the different aspects of the Vanderheyden Preserve. In terms of marking the precise trails and locations of interest, a hand held GPS unit will be used to ensure that precise points are selected for trails. I was also informed of a point of interest, a stack of tires, which I will indicate on the map for the sake of the Rensselaer Land Trust.

Data sources
   There are several different layers that will of interest for this parcel of land. A data layer will be used to separate the different types of landscape on the preserve. This includes wetlands, forests and fields or open area. I will also use a surface stream layer as well. I also plan on incorporating individual GPS points which will identify points of interests and mark trails. I will also use a layer to show any roads or parking that might be visible on the map.

Work Plan
   March 3rd-9th: Meet with client and go over the details of the project
   March 10th-16th: Visit the project site and begin collecting points of interest. The hope is to discover the points of interest on this trip or at least know where they are located so that I could at least obtain these points at a later date.
   March 17-23rd: Begin incorporate collected points to a basemap with relevant layers
   March 24-30th: Siena College's Spring Break, although I plan on going out in the field and obtaining any other points necessary to ensure an accurate map with necessary points of interest. I will stay in touch with the client to ensure that I am collecting necessary information and organizing the preferred data.
   March 31-April 6th: This week I want to seriously organize the points I have collected with the layers needed for presenting all pertinent details of the Preserve. I will
   April 7th-13th: Begin formatting the map and labeling details to make the map aesthetically pleasing.
   April 14th-20: Ensure that the map is labeled well enough and not too cluttered for a smaller handheld map.
   April 21st-May 6th: My goal for the last two weeks is to ensure that all layers and points are correctly placed, all symbology and labels look appropriate and that the map meets the needs of the client.

Deliverables
   The plan is to create handheld maps that individuals can use to navigate the preserve and show points of interest. The Rensselaer Land Trust needs a basemap that can be used for future reference. I also plan on sending a file of the completed map with incorporated layers and shapefiles so that the Rensselaer Land Trust can add to this map in the future.