Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems - Cartographic Specialist

at Fleming College - Frost Campus (Lindsay) Canada

The Ecosystem Management Technology program builds on the expertise developed from the two year Technician program. You will also gain applied experience while working with community and resource agencies that are dedicated to long term ecosystem health.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
The third year of Fleming's Ecosystem Management Technology program begins with a mandatory four-day field camp in a remote wilderness setting. This experience offers both personal challenge and the opportunity to build effective working relationships with your classmates - essential preparation for the year ahead.

If you are looking for a challenge, are passionate about the environment and want to be a leader, then this program is for you.
Students participate in the unique placement program - Credit for Product - spending one day per week working with a team on a project for an external agency.
Students in the Ecosystem Management Technology program also host an annual EcoHealth conference. The class invites the public, local area residents, community groups and businesses to attend, participate and learn.
If you are interested in continuing your education once you complete the Ecosystem Management Technology program, the university transfer agreements in place with a number of universities are first rate. Alternatively, if you are a university student looking for a program to complement your degree and provide you with a more applied approach to learning, then this program will meet your needs.
Students will attend the Annual National Council for Science and the Environment Conference in Washington D.C. A current passport for this activity is required.

WHY CHOOSE FLEMING

• The Ecosystem Management Technologist program is the only one of its kind at an Ontario community college.
• As a discipline, Ecosystem Management is on the leading edge of resource conservation in the 21st century - the future is now.
• The School of Environmental and Natural Resources Sciences at the Frost Campus encourages small class sizes and access to state-of-the-art technology.
• Dedicated, award-winning faculty provide a challenging and dynamic learning environment in the heart of the Kawartha Lakes region.
• Our transfer agreements with universities enable graduates to further their studies and obtain a degree.
• Program graduates are eligible to apply for a Bachelor of Environmental Science degree at Trent or York University and complete it with an additional two years of study at these partner institutions (this would normally take seven years to complete instead of five).
• An agreement with Cape Breton University enables program graduates to obtain their Bachelor of Science (Environment) with approximately one year of study.

Conservation and Environmental Law Enforcement is a career that appeals to people who enjoy outdoor pursuits, and who have a balanced approach to consumption and conservation.

In this program, our mandate is to prepare field ready, entry-level conservation and environmental law enforcement officers. You can really make a difference. This is a challenging program with a heavy workload that is intended for serious students entering a competitive field.

Conservation and Environmental Law Enforcement is about regulating the use of natural resources, and accountability for activities that have an adverse effect on the environment. Examples of regulated activities include fishing, hunting, logging, aggregate extraction, alteration of fish habitat, the use of public land, and the discharge of pollutants.

This one-year, two-semester post-graduate program will prepare you for a variety of positions in the field, with a well-rounded selection of courses offering a good blend of practice and theory. You will be trained in such areas of study as procedural law, fish and wildlife enforcement, lands and environmental law, investigation techniques, forensics, and conflict management and avoidance. In your first semester, your learning will be enhanced through a fall camp, situated in a wilderness setting.

If you have a love for the outdoors, a keen interest in fish and wildlife, and a commitment to responsible resource management, then the Fish and Wildlife Technician/Technology program may be for you.

The purpose of fish and wildlife management is to ensure that quality habitat exists in sufficient quantity for wild populations to flourish and, for game species, that they are managed in a sustainable manner. This requires knowledge not only about animals, but about their habitats and how people interact with them. Consequently, fish and wildlife management has evolved into a multidisciplinary science-based profession that takes our graduates in many directions, across Canada and beyond.

Program Highlights

• The theory and skills required by fish and wildlife professionals are taught through applied learning activities with a significant amount of time doing hands-on work in the lab and field.
• Third-semester students spend five weeks in field school, focusing on the topics of fisheries, wildlife, terrestrial habitats, wetlands, and freshwater ecology. These field schools introduce new skills such as: boat handling, GPS navigation, fish netting, sampling and tagging, electrofishing, habitat assessment, wetland classification, bird banding, and use of wildlife monitoring technologies. Through these activities, students will work together to collect, analyze and present the data over the remainder of the technician-level education and training.
• During field excursions you will learn about the logistics involved in the design and implementation of field projects.
• You will also spend considerable time in the outdoors learning mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish and plant identification skills, tracking animals and conducting wildlife surveys.

Optional Co-op
Students entering the program in September may apply to participate in an optional paid co-op. The deadline to apply is at the end of November, where students must submit an Application Form (including a resume) to the Co-op Office. Students must achieve a 70% (2.5 GPA) average, and pass all courses in Semester 1 in order to be enrolled in the Co-op Option. Students who are accepted will participate in a Career Preparation course, and will do their co-op between semesters 2 and 3. The Co-op Option provides the opportunity to:

• Integrate classroom learning with work-based learning
• Explore the variety of careers available in the field
• Network for future job opportunities

The Co-op Option is not available for students who begin the program in January, as they attend classes over the summer..

Why Choose Fleming

• Fleming College Fish and Wildlife Technician/Technology graduates have been the number one choice for employers in our industry for many years.
• Program graduates are eligible for advanced standing entry into many universities and can often complete a degree with two years of study.
• Fleming is one of only two colleges in the province offering a Fish and Wildlife program, and the only one located in southern Ontario.
• The comprehensive, challenging training you'll receive in this program, facilitated by faculty with experience in the field, ensures that you will obtain the well-rounded, relevant skills employers are seeking.

Pathway Program
If you do not meet the admission requirements for Fish and Wildlife Technician, consider the General Arts and Science - Environmental and Natural Resource Studies Option. This pathway program may provide the requirements you need for admission, while you earn credit for first semester of Fish and Wildlife Technician.

Be a part of the solution - as an Ecosystem Management Technician, you contribute to the health of ecosystems, minimizing the negative impact we have on the environment. Through careful consideration of the needs of society and the environment, you'll help governments, conservation groups, and wildlife organizations do environmentally sustainable planning for the future.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Fleming's Ecosystem Management Technician program highlights a holistic approach to the management of human activity within ecosystems. We will prepare you for an exciting career that can take you where YOU want to go, either in your home community, in a wilderness environment, or across the globe. You will study ecosystem composition, structure and function in wilderness, rural, and urban landscapes, and acquire a broad range of technical skills, as well as the flexibility to adapt to changing job requirements. Throughout this program, you will:

• Learn the principles of experimental design and research, and how to apply them to a project of your own
• Participate in the monitoring and assessment of aquatic and terrestrial habitats, conduct resource inventories and environmental sampling, and develop plans for the management of public and private landscapes
• Conduct field research in partnership with a variety of organizations and analyze data generated by this work
• Learn to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to analyze ecosystems at a variety of scales.

WHY CHOOSE FLEMING

• Ecosystem Management is on the leading edge of resource conservation in the 21st century - the future is now.
• The School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences at the Frost Campus encourages small class sizes and provides state-of-the-art technology.
• Dedicated, award-winning faculty provide a challenging and dynamic learning environment in the heart of the Kawartha Lakes region.
• While you learn about ecosystem science and the current techniques of sustainable resources management, you will also develop essential skills in communications, human relations, facilitation, problem solving, dispute resolution, and cultural awareness.
• This combination of skills and knowledge is transferrable on a global scale.

PATHWAY PROGRAM
If you do not meet the admission requirements for Ecosystem Management Technician, consider the General Arts and Science - Environmental and Natural Resource Studies Option. This pathway program may provide the requirements you need for admission while you earn credit for first semester of Ecosystem Management Technician.

Contribute to healthy, inclusive, and sustainable communities through environmental land management and planning. This is the only post-grad program of its kind in Ontario.

Program Highlights
Our graduate certificate will turn your passion for creating more liveable, sustainable communities into a career in Canada’s environmental sector.

Throughout this intense program you will gain:

• Expertise in supporting the planning development of lands according to municipal, provincial and federal legislation and industry standards/procedures
• Practical experience in conducting environmental assessments and environmental impact studies
• Knowledge of industry standards for collection and analysis of water and soil samples in the field to aid in the study and modelling of environmental problems
• The ability to present spatial information using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications
• Project management skills as well as negotiation, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills to achieve goals within land use development projects and associated plans

This high demand skill set will prepare graduates for a wide variety of settings in the public, private or non-profit sectors. This program is specifically designed to support students transitioning into the Canadian environment.

The General Arts and Science – Environmental and Natural Resource Studies Option is designed specifically to prepare students for entry into one of our School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences diploma programs.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Upon successful completion of this two-semester certificate program, you will receive credit for all Common First Semester courses and entrance directly into semester 2* of one of the following programs in the School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences:

• Ecosystem Management Technician
• Environmental Technician
• Fish and Wildlife Technician
• Forestry Technician
• Resources Drilling and Blasting

You will also be eligible for entry to semester 1 of the Urban Forestry Technician Co-op program.
Discover your options while you discover nature. Explore the campus. Learn hands-on ecosystem skills and the wider world of ecology and the environment to prepare you for your environmental or natural resources sciences diploma program. Belong to a field crew in a camp setting while you learn outdoor skills. Prepare yourself with courses in math or chemistry. Study computing and communications, to build skills set for a successful future. The program will enable you to:

• Discover and explore the programs and related career fields within the School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences
• Get to know yourself better and make an informed choice about your career path
• Learn more about the natural world we live in
• Develop field skills and improve your academic and vocational skills
• Gain confidence and a head start on your college diploma program 

TRANSFER AGREEMENTS
You may be able to use credits obtained at Fleming College to continue your postsecondary education in pursuit of a degree. The articulation and credit transfer agreements with our partner institutions

The Geographic Information Systems Application Specialist is the "wizard" who provides technical expertise to produce effective and useful plans and project reports through the applied use of technology.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
GIS Application Specialists help various agencies and government do effective planning to manage all aspects of the environment and community life. For example, you might work on natural resources, agriculture, or community health projects. You'll be collecting information, and then distilling it to be put into a form that specialists and technicians can use.

• In this post-graduate, intensive GIS program you will use current, high-end technology tools to collect, store, manipulate, analyze, interpret, and communicate geographic information within a variety of disciplines.
• Fleming's leadership in this field has been recognized by industry, government and business through their support in establishing the Geomatics Institute at Fleming.
• These outstanding partnerships offer students access to the latest computer hardware, software, data resources and field technology used in the industry today, as well as unprecedented learning and employment opportunities.
• You will have plenty of opportunities to practice your skills in a work-like setting, with a student to computer ratio of one-to-one.

Love trees and want to help preserve our environment? With Fleming’s Arboriculture Co-op program, it’s possible to live in an urban setting and contribute to the environmental effort.

Program Highlights
As an Arboriculture graduate, you'll maintain and preserve trees and shrubs in the urban landscape and green spaces of our communities – providing cleaner air and much needed "green" relief from the concrete jungle.

• The program offers theoretical knowledge for all aspects of urban tree care, as well as such practical skills as safe tree climbing techniques, aerial rescue, pruning techniques, tree removal, power line clearing, and the operation and maintenance of relevant equipment.
• You will be able to identify approximately 140 species of trees and shrubs in both summer and winter conditions, and to diagnose and remedy major pests, disease, and tree disorders using the latest integrated management options to promote plant health.
• In 2nd semester, you can take the Arborist and Utility Arborist exemption exams, to qualify you for the in-school portion of these MAESD apprenticeships (there is no additional cost to you for your first attempt at writing these tests).

Work Experience

• From start to finish, the Arboriculture program is hands-on - you'll be spending a lot of time working with trees and shrubs outside in addition to your time in the classroom.
• There is a mandatory paid co-op semester from May to September.

This program focuses on the "non-climbing" aspects of urban forestry and landscape care. You can help make our cities a better place to be after completing the Urban Forestry Certificate.

Program Highlights
Trees clean the air and provide much needed "green" relief from the concrete jungle.
You will learn how to care for urban trees and tree canopies, and gain a basic understanding of the landscape industry. As an Urban Forestry graduate, you'll be able to work maintaining and preserving trees and shrubs in the urban landscape and green spaces of our communities.

• You'll have the theoretical and practical knowledge to work on all aspects of urban tree care.
• While this program emphasizes the non-climbing aspects of tree and landscape care, you'll be able to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot chainsaws, wood chippers, stumpers, and other relevant mechanical equipment.
• You will be able to identify approximately 140 species of trees and shrubs in both summer and winter conditions.
• In order to better protect trees and shrubbery, you will be able to diagnose and remedy major pests, disease, and tree disorders - using the latest techniques and treatments to promote plant health.

Why Choose Fleming
Simply put, students choose Fleming College because of our reputation in the industry. Employers look to our Urban Forestry and Arboriculture programs to find well-trained graduates. The School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences has a 40-year plus reputation among professional organizations and employers working in the field.

Work Experience
From start to finish, the Urban Forestry program is hands-on. You'll be spending a lot of time working with trees and shrubs outside in addition to your time in the classroom. In the first semester, you will do a field placement, and be able to put your learning and practice to work.

2 years at Fleming College + 2 years at the University of New Brunswick = 1 unique opportunity to earn a college diploma and a university degree in just 4 years. Or graduate after two years with your diploma and get a head start on your career.

With the unique Urban Forestry Technician program you can make a difference, focusing on the conservation and sustainability of our urban forests and green spaces.
Urban forestry focuses on the care, protection, and maintenance of trees, forests and green spaces in towns and cities. It's caring for "the green in the gray."

As an urban forestry technician, you will require technical, applied skills, but you will also need the ability to work with people and communities. Your work will involve balancing, integrating, and linking the social, economic, environmental, and conservation-related issues associated with the urban forest and community spaces.

This unique 2 + 2 program blends applied and multidisciplinary skills to prepare for the demands of this emerging field. Professionals are needed who can communicate effectively with the public, understand and interpret legislation and policies, and have a broad perspective on planning and conservation. Upon graduation, you will be able to:

• Identify and appraise a wide range of species in the urban forest
• Maintain safe and healthy trees by applying principles of tree anatomy and physiology
• Recommend appropriate arboriculture practices
• Use a range of GIS tools and spatial technologies to collect, analyze and model the characteristics of urban forests
• Understand soil characteristics, watershed dynamics, and wildlife habitats that contribute to urban forest ecosystems
• Safely operate, maintain and troubleshoot equipment
• Demonstrate and advocate for an integrated approach to urban forestry management
• Interpret legislation, regulation and policies relating to urban forestry
• Plan, budget and implement business practices associated with the urban forestry practitioner
• Apply practices and principles of urban forest management in an ethical and professional manner.

You will complete three university-level courses (Communications, Math and Introductory Chemistry) during your diploma program at Fleming College, providing an opportunity to determine if pursuing a degree in this field at university is the right choice for you.