GrassrootsMapping
Grassroots Mapping Belize

Pat Coyle of Belize Open Source Sustainable Development is looking to apply these techniques to detailed mapping of a 40-acre property in northwest Belize and for other community mapping initiatives.

This 40-acre rural property is located in northwestern Belize near the Mexican and Guatemala borders about 16 miles from Orange Walk Town, between the villages of August Pine Ridge and San Felipe. It is about a mile to August Pine Ridge, 6 miles to San Felipe, 5 miles to Shipyard Mennonite community, 10 miles to Blue Creek Mennonite community, and 3.5 miles to Rio Hondo: Belize/Mexico border. [belizeopensource.org](http://belizeopensource.org/background)

Google Maps shows it, but two more clicks in and you run out of pixels.

Georeferenced photos help visualize the site and area

Briefing on Belize Open Source Sustainable Development and Engineers Without Borders in northern Belize

Updates, notes

• Grassroots Mapping Belize Feb21 - First tests with Soda Bottle Rig and GPS on a broom handle. Identified problems (awkwardness) with rig and shutoff problem with the CHDK script.

• Grassroots Mapping Belize Feb22? - Lots of notes on rig details, kite line recommendations, knots, etc.

• Grassroots Mapping Belize Feb25 - Soda Bottle Rig improvements, prototypes

• Grassroots Mapping Belize March5 - first balloon flight : results, issues, observations

• Grassroots Mapping Belize March10 - second balloon flight : results, issues, observations

Students using survey equipment

Photo shows students from August Pine Ridge RC School using survey equipment during Cleveland State University EWB April ‘09 chapter assessment visit for the the August Pine Ridge classroom building project.

Pat Coyle is planning to make use of Balloon Aerial Photography. He and Jeffrey Warren are developing an illustrated (comic-strip style) step-by-step guide to balloon mapping: see Illustrated Guide