Bigfoot Mapping Project: A GIS Enthusiast's Crowdsourced Quest

If you're a Bigfoot enthusiast, you're in for a treat! A new podcast has hit the scene, and it's all about mapping Bigfoot sightings and encounters. The host, Scott Tomkins, takes us on a journey through the world of Bigfoot research, technology, and adventure. Scott is a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) specialist with a degree in the field, and he's put his skills to good use by creating a crowdsourced database of historical Bigfoot reports and sightings. He's digitized John Green's database, as well as other historical databases, and combined them with crowdsource data into one web app and map. The maps and data are then analyzed and shared with other researchers and citizen scientists. In the first episode of the podcast, Scott introduces himself and shares his background and qualifications. He grew up in Beacon, New York, and was always outdoors with his family, hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping. His love for nature led him to want to become an ornithologist, and he still enjoys wildlife photography to this day. Scott's interest in Bigfoot was sparked while working in seismic exploration and hearing oral history from people about their family's Bigfoot encounters. He realized that this oral history was at risk of disappearing and felt compelled to build the Bigfoot mapping project. The podcast will feature segments such as "Making Tracks with Scott," where he'll go into the field and do expeditions and research, and "Gadgets and Gear," where he'll highlight some of his favorite gadgets and gear for Bigfoot research. Scott will also show viewers how to add their own data to the map, such as shape files or CSVs, to incorporate their own research into what he's already done. As a Bigfoot believer and map enthusiast myself, I'm excited to see where this podcast goes and what insights and discoveries will be made. Be sure to check out the first episode and follow along on this journey into the world of Bigfoot research! Excitement level: 7/10. It's always exciting to see new Bigfoot related content, and the focus on mapping and technology is intriguing. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of insights and discoveries will be made through the use of GIS and crowdsourced data.