This is one of a series of guides for collaborative environmental research and advocacy projects. Pole Mapping is an easy way to get a view of your garden from above. This guide will cover how to make or purchase your own pole and affix a camera to it. 

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####Planning this event

**Ahead of time:**

* Take a look at the types of poles available, check out the pictures on the wiki page! http://publiclab.org/wiki/pole-mapping
* Consider the pros and cons of making, borrowing, or buying a pole. 
  * **If you want to make a pole**, assess what you have locally available at hand to work with. Perhaps bamboo is readily available in your area, or perhaps a hardware store with long PVC is more your speed. 
  * **If purchasing a pole**, I recommend a lightweight carbon fiber one like this, but be careful, unsupervised kids can easily break these delicate but high-tech rods (and yes they are a little pricey): http://www.allfishingbuy.com/Fishing-Pole-14-18.htm
* Make a decision on what kind of pole sourcing endeavor you will embark on

**Materials to have on hand:**

* A camera
* an SD card that fits in the camera
* charged battery(s) for the camera
* rubber bands (15x)
* wide tape (usually packing tape, masking tape or painters tape)
* Note: depending on your decisions above, pole materials will vary widely

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####Activity 1: