Wha–?! Let me rephrase: the Girls In Science students were introduced to the Zoo’s Geographic Information System mapping project this week by intern Jeannine Carlin.

In essence, Jeannine uses some very high-tech receivers and 24 satellites to plot different points around the Zoo. The satellites send information to the receiver so that Jeannine can plot where exactly on the face of the Earth the receiver is. Each time Jeannine moves the receiver, she collects a new set of points. These points are joined together to measure and map everything from exhibit boundaries to plant locations to the sewage system. Each point is identified and transferred to a computer where special software pieces it all together and maps it. Whew! Simple, right? Eventually, the entire San Diego Zoo and everything in it will be mapped. We’ll be able to find water valves and electrical trunk lines and the coffee cart and will even be able to track down where the poop trucks park!

Our group was based at the elephant exhibit, where Jeannine set up her equipment and started collecting points around the exhibit’s perimeter. Tembo, the Zoo’s African elephant, was very interested in what we were up to and stuck very close during our work! Once finished, we examined maps that had been made from the points Jeannine had collected previously and were able to gather quite a lot of data””the exhibit’s shape (polygon), square footage (nearly 15,000 square feet or 1,390 square meters!), and occupants (elephants) were all listed.

Some of our participants have had previous experience using hand-held GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) units, which rely on the same satellites for information, to participate in a worldwide game called geocaching. We used the units, which were generously donated by Garmin International, to find some caches during our fall campout at San Onofre, and learned that caches are hidden on every continent in the world! There are even a handful of them stashed in and around the Zoo!

Thanks, Jeannine, for a fascinating afternoon filled with high-tech science!

Cindy Spiva-Evans is an educator at the San Diego Zoo.

Girls In Science is a program for Roosevelt Middle School girls which creates science-based experiences with professional women at the San Diego Zoo. The program is funded through the generosity of the Wells Fargo Foundation.

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