Improving park management by using Mergin Maps for field data collection

Enable, London

The Challenge: Enable work in partnership with the council to manage and improve Wandsworth's many parks, commons, playgrounds, allotments and other greenspaces. Including world famous sites like Battersea Park. To effectively manage the spaces for the enjoyment and wellbeing of visitors, and to enhance biodiversity at the same time, the Operations team need timely, reliable information. This could be on the condition of assets, like benches and signposts. Or it could be about species living in the parks, or monitoring a contractor's mowing regimes.

The Solution: To facilitate the efficient and accurate collection of asset, biodiversity and management data by staff on the ground, Maplango worked collaboratively with Enable to set up a number of forms in QGIS. These were synced to the Mergin Maps app on staff phones. Mergin Maps is the easiest way to take QGIS into the field. And it makes it easy to sync the data, including photos, back to the office for analysis and to inform decisions.

The Outcome: Enable are now equipped with a state of the art field data collection system that integrates perfectly with their existing QGIS mapping system. Responsive activities, like graffiti removal or emptying overflowing bins, can be addressed more quickly because staff have the information at their fingertips and can direct contractors to the precise location. Planned Preventative Maintenance activities, that maintain assets and manage natural features for biodiversity, are better informed and more effective.

Cloud mapping to manage landscape of prestigious London estate

Canary wharf Group

The Challenge: Canary Wharf Estate covers 39 hectares and contains office & retail space, and many parks and public spaces. The Estate team needed to adopt a cloud based GIS system to manage and inform the Planned Preventative Maintence and measure biodiversity improvements.

The Solution: The key work phases were:

1. Run scoping workshop and draft a GIS Roadmap.

2. Consolidate existing internal data holdings including habitats, parks, trees, landscape, waste, from CAD drawings & other sources.

3. Identify, source, licence and integrate relevant external data on Green-infrastructure, flood risk and other topics.

4. Set up range of field survey apps, 2D and 3D maps.

5. Train and support staff by Zoom and telephone to use the system for maximum benefit.

The Outcome: Staff can for the first time visualise and analyse a range of data such as PPM tasks, Assets, Parks, Temporary Events and Biodiversity. This has enabled more collaborative working, more holistic & better-informed decisions, and ultimately more efficient & targeted action. Staff can now:

• quantify biodiversity net-gain, and ecosystem services, and communicate benefit

• map locations of irrigation systems to efficiency direct contractors to right location

• better plan and co-ordinate tree inspections.

Supporting Port staff to monitor environmental impacts

Dover port

The Challenge: Dover port had a requirement to migrate to QGIS to take advantage of the latest in GIS technology and improve data collection and reporting.

The Solution: Working closely with Dover Port staff across the organisation, Maplango: 

• Delivered a scoping workshop to bring together interested staff to explore requirements, issues and potential uses

• Provided assistance to Dover Port IT team to set up and configure QGIS on Citrix

• Configured QGIS for use in the Environment team

• Formatted and prepared existing data held by Dover Port and sourced additional data for context

• Developed an Android survey app and redesigned survey work-flows for maximum efficiency

• Delivered a 2 day customized introductory QGIS course

• Provided dedicated telephone, email and on-line QGIS support

The Outcome: The Dover Port Environment team are now collecting data in a efficient and labour-saving way and are able to visualise and analyse data like never before. 

Mapping & field survey support for ecological consultancy

Tyler grange

The Challenge: Tyler Grange are a consultancy specialising in landscape planning, ecology and arboriculture. Over time, the use of GIS had evolved and there was now a need to ensure processes were efficient, reports consistent, and work was delivered with low risk to business.

The Solution: Using semi-structured interviews, technical and strategic assessments of current technology, processes and staffing, Maplango designed a GIS Roadmap and supported staff as they implemented the recommendations.

• Semi-structured interviews with key staff

• Survey app, integrated with QGIS and redesigned survey work-flows for maximum efficiency

• Configured a QGIS project template for maximum efficiency in going from field survey data collection to map in report to client. An additional template for undertaking desk-study of protected areas was set up.

• Delivered a online ‘train the trainer’ QGIS course so key GIS users had the knowledge to train others in the business.

The Outcome: Tyler Grange staff are upskilled and using the latest technology to accurately, efficiently and repeatably create first class maps to clients.

Affiliate courses

No big rush? We provide a limited number of introductory and intermediate training courses with CIEEM and the Landscape Institute.