Speaking at a Mile High

I returned from Denver, CO, yesterday after participating in a BAER meeting. Each year, a few of the Forest Service "regions" get together and do a refresher for BAER team members and leaders. They talk policy, protocol for assembling a team, pay, safety, tools available to teams while they do their assessment, responsibilities, etc.

Over the last 4 years now, I've been invited as a speaker and have given a talk on what I can do for them in the remote sensing and GIS arena. These meetings have taken me to LaGrande (Oregon), Spokane, Missoula, Chattanooga, and now Denver. I really enjoy these meetings because I get to interact with the BAER team folks face-to-face, get feedback, and help them better understand the products I deliver.

I got an hour to make my presentation and this time I took help. I've got a co-worker who is helping me out more and more and she came along on the trip. I let her give about a fourth of the presentation so she could get in front of the group and the could get to know her.

While this was a quick trip, I still had time to make a quick drive to Fort Collins to visit an old college buddy who's now a dentist up there. It was great seeing him and his family.

We're still trying to plan our Australia trip. It pretty much has to happen now as my boss thinks the international support is very important. I am getting contact info for people in Australia and I'm excited for the possibilities.