Characterizing, mapping and tracking of wetlands, riparian forest buffers, forests and impervious surfaces;
The District of Columbia’s Urban Forestry Administration recently turned to the CIC for assistance in deciding where to plant trees on public lands by analyzing such elements as areas where there is no tree cover and surface water accumulates.
Ecosystem Investment Partners cooperated with the CIC to obtain information on the best places for stream restoration projects in the State of Maryland.
The National Park Service partnered with the CIC to determine the viewshed and most evocative landscapes in need of protection for the Captain John Smith National Historic Trail.
“This new information can only help us make better decisions as we continue our progress in restoring the Chesapeake Bay. This has always been a program based on cutting edge science and the availability of this data to local governments, non-profit organizations, consultants, academic institutions and state and federal agencies will help ensure will marshal our limited resources to achieve the greatest benefit.”
–Molly Joseph Ward, Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources, and Chair, Chesapeake Bay Program Principals’ Staff Committee
“The power of data behind the Chesapeake Bay High-resolution Land Cover Project cannot be overstated. This is a technological snapshot, the likes of which we’ve never had before, of exactly how the land is being used across the entire watershed. Now restoration and conservation decisions can be made that more closely and accurately reflect real-world conditions.”
“This truly is what I call a ‘watershed moment,’ a new era for the conservation movement. Think of this innovative technology as an MRI for the landscape, the results of which are being harnessed, focused and deployed to practice precision conservation, helping to make the struggling Chesapeake Bay healthier. This is a foundation for all organizations, agencies, corporations and individuals to work more effectively together.”
“The Chesapeake Bay High-Resolution Land Cover Project is groundbreaking in many ways. One of the country’s largest high-resolution land cover datasets now will be free to download for anyone, anywhere. This initiative was highlighted recently in a White House report about technological innovations for conservation and has been mentioned as a model to be replicated nationwide. Land use and land use change is a key issue for, and beyond, the Bay. With an increasing human population having an ever-increasing impact on the Chesapeake’s land, water, air and climate, we are looking now to provide regular, timely updates to this information. Thanks to help from our partners at Microsoft and Esri, our new methods, which are being tested for pilot areas in the Bay, should reduce update time by half or more of the existing standard.”
Teams are a core building block for organisations. When executed well, they allow individual members to contribute their unique knowledge and skills, so that when combined, better performance, quality, creativity, innovation and customer service results. This can be especially true for culturally diverse teams; their resource base is stronger, and they can draw upon a greater repertoire of responses, perspectives and expertise. Social capital–or the ability to connect with and gain knowledge from people external to the team–is also greater. All of which should lead to superior team performance in diverse teams. Yet, they often fall short. And herein lies the paradox–people prefer similarity.
From decades of research in management, psychology and sociology, we know that individuals who work with people from a similar background, culture or ethnicity have more positive attitudes and behaviours at work, and are less likely to quit. Individuals are attracted to those they see as similar to themselves. They prefer to join groups of similar others and are more likely to interact with them. One reason for this is characteristics such as race or ethnicity are automatically categorised in the mind and influence how individuals react and interact with one another, evoking conscious or subconscious stereotypes, biases and judgments. Those from different cultural backgrounds are categorised as ‘outsiders’ while similar others are categorised as ‘insiders’ and consequently perceived to be easier to communicate with.
When individuals work in a team comprising similar others, they tend to feel a greater sense of psychological safety, exhibit greater satisfaction and loyalty, and have a stronger desire to remain in the team than individuals working in diverse teams. In contrast, racial or ethnic differences among team members can result in disintegration, lack of cohesion, interpersonal or task conflicts, as well as reduced morale. That’s why achieving the promise of superior performance outcomes in culturally diverse teams can be challenging. Similarity is good for individuals. Diverse teams can be good for organisations. So, how can we overcome the potential conflict and communication problems to reap the benefits of diversity, and still have individual members who are satisfied and committed?
My first baby Penny Chiu has been delivered on August 31, 2014. I cannot believe I am a dad already. Thank you Angel for bringing me such a lovely baby girl. Both of you are my precious and I will do my best to love you all my life and after.