I’m not a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, Eagle Scout…or any sort of scout for that matter, but somewhere along the journey I learned how to use a compass.   A skill that has served me well…professionally for nearly 20 years now when working in the field.  It has been particularly useful when conducting due diligence, or completing a soil & groundwater investigation when controls are limited…but in the crowded northeast, those projects where you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere seem to be limited these days.  Similarly, with so many GPS gadgets available to guide us, you’d think that unless you were a “scout” why would you need an actual compass in your toolbox.  That’s old school…but timeless. 

There has been more than one occasion where the only tool I had at my disposal was a beat up site plan (with barely legible “proposed” soil boring markings), and limited site controls, so for all environmental practitioners, I challenge each of you to spend a few minutes with your staff (senior & junior) and cover the basics including Determining Bearing & Heading, Triangulation, etc.  Put down the GPS unit, get out that site plan, and work through it.   It’s a valuable skill, and one that can be quite beneficial when honing your field judgment skills, and hopefully help to minimize your reliance on the electronics!  

Stay tuned for future posts on various “field” topics in the upcoming weeks…as there are plenty of lessons and unique observations to be shared, which could ultimately make our jobs easier and each of us a little wiser.

We hope that you find these posts informative, and relatively useful, and your feedback is always welcome. For further information, or for assistance on your next project, please don't hesitate to contact us at tfrancis@cardinallsrp.com, or www.cardinalLSRP.com.