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.

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

Activity 1: