At the beginning of nearly every autumn season, I set out on vacation, hoping to see new places and learn new things. I often seek out new territory as I did this year, but I also found myself trekking back to a much favored area in Utah: Zion National Park. Although I’ve been there in the past for sightseeing and hiking its impressive rock trails, it is always a joy to visit. And this time, I’d like to especially thank Leo Snow.

National Surveyor’s Week is an opportunity to highlight the many benefits of a career in surveying and to celebrate the accomplishments of the surveying community.  Over the past year, I’ve been highlighting the work of colonial surveyors, from John Morton to Thomas Jefferson. These early surveyor’s contributions extend far beyond surveying boundaries – their background helped them to literally lay the foundation of our nation.

Madison, Wisconsin – March 7, 2022: Berntsen International, Inc., was recognized with the High Potential Award at the 2022 Esri Partner Conference (EPC) held in Palm Springs, California March 5–7, 2022. This award was presented to Berntsen International Inc., for the substantial opportunity for growth represented by its InfraMarker® Connected RFID™ solution that links the power of ArcGIS with RFID asset marking to deliver more accurate and efficient field operations.

It seems like every day there is an observation of some kind. For example, an important observation occurred on March 6 – it was National Oreo Cookie Day. Rest assured, I didn’t miss observing that important day!

Most engineers would argue that it’s always engineers week, but this week is the “official” week to highlight the stunning array of engineering accomplishments and types of engineering that make our lives easier in every way.

Whenever President’s Day rolls around, we, as surveyors, can’t help but think of the historical importance of surveying in the United States – not only because Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson were all surveyors, but the impact surveying had on the development of the nation. I’ve touched on that in blogs I’ve done about colonial surveyors, but the depth of the subject calls for a look into how surveying developed in America.

Surveying is more than a profession, it’s a trove of fascinating history and knowledge – from the Egyptians to the Romans to Thomas Jefferson, surveying has been an integral part of the growth of civilization and economic development.

Today I’m sharing my research about a surveyor who didn’t have the best start in life. John Morton was born in Pennsylvania in 1725 shortly after the death of his father, one of the first Swedish immigrants who settled on the banks of the Delaware river in Pennsylvania in an area called New Sweden.

2022 marks Berntsen’s 50th anniversary. Thank you, surveyors for your support over the past half-century. Berntsen has been supporting surveyors for longer that I’ve been surveying.

It’s been an interesting road, and I’ve really enjoyed digging into Berntsen’s storied past. I’ve come up with a few gems I’ll share with you throughout 2022. Here’s a quick overview of our history.

I saw a meme the other day that said the year 2022 is pronounced the same as 2020 too. Hope it won't be a repeat of 2020! I was feeling a bit down, but then the snow fell and Tomahawk transformed into a beautiful winter wonderland, the angst and stress of 2021 melted away and I felt happy, hopeful, and excited for the upcoming holidays.

Harmful algae blooms (HABs) are occurring more and more frequently in lakes, rivers, streams and coastal areas across the United States. Further, HABs are occurring where they were never found in the past. View a map from the Natural Resources Defense Council that tracks HABs across the United States.

Did you ever wonder why men wore those white wigs back in colonial times? Turns out those wigs weren’t all white, but they were all about looking classy – as in economic class, that is. Apparently the color of the wig reflected status. Professionals went with gray, tradesmen wore brown, and white wigs were reserved for judges and military officers. Men could also don white wigs for special occasions – they went well with the ruffles around the wrist which were also part of the whole look.

Most people don’t really think about how geographic information provides the framework for our entire existence. We exist as living organisms in time and space. Our minds may be occupied with far-way thoughts, but our memories are inextricably tied to the place where they were created. As long as we live and breathe, we always have a location. Shakespeare’s Hamlet said “To be or not to be, that is the question.” Surveyors say, “To be is to occupy a position relative to two axes.”

Roger Sherman He was descended from the Shermans of Yaxley, in the county of Suffolk, England, who were landed gentry who had helped to frame the British Constitution. Born in 1721, the second of seven children of William and Mehatabel Sherman, Roger became farmer and a cordwainer (a person who makes shoes and other items from leather) like his Puritan father.

Berntsen International, maker of InfraMarker® Connected RFID™, announces a new release of the InfraMarker Mobile App, the field data collection component of the popular InfraMarker Connected RFID solution.

I’m a real history buff and I will use almost any excuse to dig into the past and learn something new. So guess what? Earlier this month we celebrated Columbus Day, which is increasingly being celebrated as Native American Day, which leads me to a related surveying question – How are Indian Trust Lands surveyed?

I was recently invited to speak at the Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors (WSLS) annual summer meeting. I decided to delve into the history of my own county here in Wisconsin - Marathon County - where I spent 13 years of my surveying career. I thought I knew a bit about its history, but I had no idea how interesting it was. I’ve already blogged about the importance of surveying in colonial times, and my “Marathon” research underscores the importance of surveying in laying out the foundation for organized economic development in Wisconsin.

I actually didn’t know that September is National Wilderness Month, but I love the outdoors, though some of the wilderness I’ve experienced has been a bit too real.

A week ago today, National 811 Day was commemorated. It’s a national awareness campaign to highlight the need to call 811 before digging – in our yards or at a construction site. Many organizations in charge of utility assets use this day to promote the importance of calling 811 BEFORE digging. For example, The Southern Gas Company created this “No Diggity” video to help promote awareness.

Since I was vacationing in a few of our national parks on August 11, I didn’t get a chance to add my voice on that day. But the “Call 811” message is relevant every day for everyone who is planning to dig. It doesn’t matter where you are in the United States, you can go to call811.com or simply call 811 to “Know What’s Below” before you dig. The service is required to respond quickly, usually 24 hours in most states.

Today, I’m covering two days of thrilling (and hot) outdoor activities in our National Parks. The first day, we were “living on the edge” at Kanab Utah. This is the site of the Moqui Caves, which features a roadside museum that started as a local tavern and dance hall.