Field Notes

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May 2025

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About the show

The Field Notes Podcast is focused on communicating and exploring all things Field Operations at Esri. We’ll explore a variety of topics that showcase the range and use of mobile GIS technology. The ability to take your data, forms, and maps into the field using a cellphone or tablet has changed the way organizations have approached field workflows—and we want to dive into as many as possible!

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36 recent

May 2, 2025Episode 2623 min

Preserving Georgia history using mobile GIS

In this episode we talk with Emily Cochran from the Georgia Historic Preservation division and Eric McRae from the University of Georgia to discuss how mobile GIS is used to conserve historic sites and structures in the state of Georgia. Check out the following resources to learn more about the information mentioned in this episode: Learn more about the Georgia Historic Preservation Division. Learn more about the University of Georgia Institute of Government. Learn more about GNAHRGIS.

April 25, 2025Episode 2521 min

Visionary Solutions: Leveraging Esri Field Apps for eye health

Alexandre Chailloux is a senior research associate with Sightsavers, an international organization dedicated to treating and preventing eye diseases. In this episode we talk with Alex about how Sightsavers leverages Esri field apps to assist communities impacted by eye disease. Since this podcast was recorded, two countries have eliminated trachoma. The number of affected countries has fallen from 40 to 38. We hope this figure continues to decrease thanks to the ongoing efforts to eliminate the disease.

September 18, 2024Episode 2422 min

Improving fire inspection workflows with GIS

The City of Johns Creek, Georgia implements GIS into many of their workflows. In this episode, we sit down with Catherine Cronlund, a GIS Analyst for Johns Creek, to learn how her team uses their “Esri toolbox” to improve the city’s fire inspection program.

July 31, 2024Episode 2318 min

Mapping paths with Ramblers Scotland

Ramblers Scotland's mission is for “everyone to enjoy the pleasure of walking”. To help achieve this mission, they have created a Scottish Paths map that helps citizens discover over 42,000 miles of trails across the country. On this episode, we sit down with the project manager for this initiative, Luke Phillips, to learn how his team of volunteers use field apps to map trails throughout Scotland.

June 12, 2024Episode 2228 min

Dragons in the garden: protecting reptiles and amphibians in the United Kingdom

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Rob Ward, the Senior Data and GIS Officer for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation trust (ARC). We learn how his organization uses Esri Field Apps and citizen science to monitor and protect wildlife throughout the United Kingdom.

April 24, 2024Episode 2130 min

Keeping food secure with Napa County

California produces half of the nation's fruits and vegetables, so agricultural protection is a key pillar for the Napa County Agricultural Commissioner's office. In this episode, we sit down with Anna Norton and Andre Napolitano, two Deputy Commissioners for Napa County, to learn how they use GIS to manage pests that threaten the country's produce. Listen to the episode as they share their story and top tips for improving your own GIS workflows.

April 17, 20240 min

Season 4 trailer

Welcome to the Field Notes podcast, where we engage with customers and Esri staff to understand mobile GIS, share stories from the field, and explore all things Field Operations. On this season, we’re focusing on designing better field workflows—so get ready for exciting stories and top tips to help improve your own work.

February 21, 2024Episode 199 min

Field Snack #4: The Fieldwork Handbook

The Fieldwork Handbook is a new book from Esri Press that includes tips, best practices, and activities for creating successful and productive field workflows. The author, Marika Vertzonis, is a long-time friend (and former guest) of the Field Notes podcast. In our latest field snack episode, we sit down with Marika once again to talk all about this new book which releases on March 5th, 2024. Additional resources The Fieldwork Handbook Esri Press page Marika's blog post: Introducing the Fieldwork Handbook Our first episode with Marika: Census, cola, and crocodiles, oh my!

December 28, 2023Episode 1817 min

Horticulture mapping at the Desert Botanical Garden

Aryn Musgrave does just about everything related to GIS for the Desert Botanical Garden located in Phoenix, AZ. Maintaining land that contains over 4000 plant species is no small feat, especially since the garden doubles as a museum for researchers across the country. With ArcGIS paired with high-accuracy data collection, Aryn and her team maintain a variety of maps that include horticulture, irrigation, and other critical information related to the garden’s operations. Highlights of this episode include the following: Creating horticulture maps Protecting data integrity during fieldwork Navigating remote field sites

December 20, 2023Episode 537 min

Something fishy: monitoring salmon populations to protect watersheds

In this episode of Field Notes, we chat with Andrea Pecharich and Andrew Bartshire, who work with the Russian River Salmon and Steelhead Monitoring program. The data they collect with Esri Field Apps helps conservationists monitor fish populations, analyze patterns, and ultimately recover California's endangered fish species. Highlights from this episode include: Combatting climate change by monitoring salmon and steelhead populations Using Field Maps and Survey123 in tandem to collect data Creating adaptive database structures Working in offline environments