Surveying Articles

Episode 248 - Colin Sellers

The guys were joined in-studio this week by Colin Sellers—land surveyor, father, veteran, and part-time GPS wizard—joined us to discuss how moving around Georgia, joining the military, and raising a kid named Ragnarok (yes, like the Norse apocalypse) all led to one thing: a love affair with surveying that might just rival his affection for coffee.

From dodging camels in Djibouti to resurrecting section corners like Indiana Jones with a data collector, Colin shares tales of grit, GPS, and generational wisdom—especially the time he and his son turned a Nebraska project into a family bonding moment worthy of a Pixar movie.

He also dives into For The Quest, a geo-RPG that turns map-hunting into a noble pursuit, proving once and for all that surveyors can be adventurers too… just with more sunburns and fewer dragons.

And of course, it all wraps up with a dose of philosophy, family values, and a reminder that the best education often comes from the dirt under your boots—not the letters after your name. Music by Tengger Cavalry!!!

ASPRS Gulf South Region 4th Annual Geospatial Conference - Part 2

Check out these highlights from this year's awesome event!!!

01:05 - Nathan Jones, UAS/GIS Department Lead @ AG3 Group LLC

18:50 - Will Alexander, Geospatial Specialist @ Centurion Planning & Design, LLC

29:50 - Scott Dunham, Geospatial Director @ Gorrondona & Associates, Inc.

38:28 - José A. Pilartes-Congo, Jr., Ph.D. Research Assistant @ MANTIS Lab (Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying & Science)

ASPRS Gulf South Region 4th Annual Geospatial Conference - Part 1

Check out these highlights from this year's awesome event!!!

00:40 - Vladimir Serkov, LiDAR Manager @ Poznecki Camarillo, LLC

17:30 - Alex Sorrells, Student @ Texas A&M University

31:15 - Terrance Ranney, Drone Services Manager @ UNICO Engineering, Inc.

44:25 - Stephen Anthony, Principal Geospatial Data Engineer @ CoreLogic

53:50 - Sally Holl, GIS Professor @ Austin Community College

Week 148: Whittier Tunnel 3D As-Built Surveying Case Study

2025 Pacific Rim Geospatial Conference - Day 2 (Part 2)

Check out these highlights from Day 2 of this year's awesome event!!!

00:32 -  Elisse Deleissegues, GIS Analyst at Hawai'i Geographic Information Coordinating Council (HIGICC)

17:10 - Beverly Pascual, Civil Engineer at Engineers Surveyors Hawaii, Inc.

29:12 - Clare Mamura, Owner of Pacific Geospatial Services and President of Hawai'i Geographic Information Coordinating Council (HIGICC) 

42:58 - Jim Reinbold, Regional Sales Director at Carlson Software 

57:14 - Meyer Cummins, LPLS State of Hawaii 

2025 Pacific Rim Geospatial Conference - Day 2 (Part 1)

Check out these highlights from Day 2 of this year's awesome event!!!

00:30 Alika Garo, Project Surveyor at Sam O. Hirota, Inc.

10:02 Cliff Yim, Licensed Land Surveyor in the State of Hawaii

20:38 Joey Furlett, Realtor-Broker & Attorney (HI+IL) and Commercial & Residential Real Estate Expert 

35:55 Sarah Falzarano, Strategic Planner at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

52:42 Loren Slentz, Operations Manager at Maui Land Surveyors

1:03:12 Edward Carlson, Pacific Region Geodetic Advisor at National Geodetic Survey

2025 Pacific Rim Geospatial Conference - Day 1

Check out these highlights from Day 1 of this year's awesome event!!!

01:00 - Victor Rasgado, Senior Surveyor at Stantec Consulting Services

12:09 - Heath Huovinen, Land Surveyor at The Independent Hawaii Surveyors   

27:05 - Sarah Halpern, Geospatial Scientist  

37:47 - Puiemau Paopao 

49:32 - Michelle Alvarado, Geospatial Scientist    

1:01:15 - Stephen Ambagis, Partner Air Data Solutions / Resource Mapping Hawaii

Week 147: A Real-World Look at Ethics & The Professional Surveyor

Episode 247 - Monte King, PLS

The guys (and Will Wing) were joined this week by Monte King, PLS, Supervisory Cadastral Surveyor at Bureau of Land Management. Monte shares insights into his upbringing, career, and passions. Growing up between the Wind River Reservation and various locations in Montana, Monte reflects on how these experiences shaped his perspective and career path. He shares memories of his childhood, outdoor adventures, and the lessons he would pass on to his younger self. With a surveying career spanning 17 states, he discusses the challenges of working in different terrains, memorable boundary projects, and the excitement of recovering original monuments. Monte emphasizes the importance of mentorship in the industry, offering advice to young surveyors and sharing key takeaways from his presentation at the 2023 Idaho Society of Professional Land Surveyors conference. He also delves into his work on the Cadastral Classroom Investigation, a project published by the BLM, and his involvement in hands-on field exercises with homeschool students. Additionally, Monte reflects on how his ranching background has influenced his work ethic and recounts fascinating stories, including trading a pocketful of rocks for the Marlboro Man’s pitbull. The conversation also touches on his advocacy for tobacco harm reduction and his message about safer nicotine alternatives. This episode offers a deep dive into Monte's journey, highlighting his dedication to surveying, mentorship, and making an impact in the field. Music by TOOL!

Episode 246 - Kevin Pomfret, Geospatial, Space & AI Attorney and Author

What an honor! The guys were joined this week by the one and only Kevin Pomfret. As a seasoned attorney based in Washington, D.C., Kevin specializes in navigating the legal and policy intricacies surrounding geospatial information and other types of data, from AI, data privacy, cybersecurity and intellectual property to national security. His focus is on the intersection of emerging technologies and law, particularly in areas like geospatial AI, space, Digital Twins and the evolving regulatory landscape of data collection and usage. Passionate about helping organizations stay compliant while innovating, Kevin provides counsel on the complexities of geospatial data to enable responsible and informed decision-making. Music by Bob Seger!

Week 146: Ground to Grid / Grid to Ground - Simple, Right?

Episode 245 - Bad Elf & Pix4D

It's been a while! The guys (and Will Wing!) were joined this week by Larry Fox, VP of Marketing & Business Development at Bad Elf and Christoph Strecha, Founder of Pix4D who shared insights into how the integration of Bad Elf’s GNSS technology with Pix4D’s software enhances accuracy and efficiency for geospatial professionals. We dive into the collaboration between Bad Elf and Pix4D, exploring their innovative 3D scanning solution and its impact on the AEC industry. We dug even deeper into comparing traditional reality capture methods like lidar and photogrammetry, addressing challenges in 3D spatial data capture, the future of mobile 3D scanning in AEC workflows, and the ease of integration with existing surveying and scanning workflows. Music by Black Sabbath!

GEOWEEK 2025 - DAY 3

Check out these highlights from Day 3 of this year's awesome event!!!

00:30 - Colton Anderson, Co-Founder of Kartorium

13:53 - Bill Lakeland, CEO at Spexi

28:14 - Elaine Ball, Co-Founder of Get Kids Into Survey and CEO at Elaine Ball, Ltd.

46:15 - Sam Beaupre, Sales Director at Geo-Plus

1:03:32 - Mateus Sione, Regional Manager at EMLID and Max Boosfeld, CEO at Wingtra

Week 145: Stage II of the Boundary Survey Process - Conducting Field Work the NLC Way

Week 144: The New YSN Mentoring Program

Week 143: Land Surveyor Safety

EP203 - Carl R. C.de Baca - Surveyors & California Fires

This week's episode of "Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast" takes on the serious subject of surveyors and their role dealing with wildfires. Our guest, Carl C.de Baca, a professional land surveyor with R.E.Y. Engineers, Inc. from Folsom, CA. Carl and Tim recently sat down to discuss conditions of performing parcel tracement in post-disaster condition, biohazards to consider, and compilation of records research and data collection processes. A can't miss conversation so check it out today!

NSPS Foundation Disaster Relief Help Available!

The Foundation is a tax deductible 501(c)(3) organization.

DONATE NOW to the NSPS Foundation Disaster Relief Fund here:

https://nsps.us.com/page/DisasterRelief

Week 142: Key Strategies for a Successful Land Surveying Business

EP202B - NSPS Young Surveyors Network (YSN) Election 2025 - Meet the VP Candidates

Get ready to fill your NSPS Young Surveyors Network (YSN) ballot for new officers! How? Listen to this episode of "Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast" for a terrific conversation with the two candidates for Vice President, Farrah Etcheverry (Arizona) and Jon Geffre (South Dakota). Lots of great insights to the collaboration of this exciting group, so check it out today! YSN members are eligible to vote, so make sure you are signed up today. Elections close on December 31st!

EP202A - NSPS Young Surveyors Network (YSN Election 2025 - Meet the Secretary Candidates

Get ready to fill your NSPS Young Surveyors Network (YSN) ballot for new officers! How? Listen to this episode of "Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast" for a terrific conversation with the two candidates for Secretary, Stacy Pollock (Michigan) and Adam Thayer (Idaho). Lots of great insights on the collaboration within this exciting group, so check it out today! YSN members are eligible to vote, so make sure you are signed up today. Elections close on December 31st!

Week 141: Time-Dependent Coordinates in the Modernized NSRS

Week 140: The Michigan and Ohio State Line - Famous State lines surveyed by Samuel Stinson Gannett

EP201 - Patrick Veraguth, Minnesota County Surveyor

This episode of "Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast" asks the question: what does a county surveyor do? It turns out to be much more than we anticipated! Patrick Veraguth, County Surveyor for Douglas and Grant County (MN), and current president of the National Association of County Surveyors (NACS), joined Tim Burch to discuss the role and much more. Pat shared the day-to-day responsibilities of the country surveyor as well as their role in informing AND protecting the public. An informative conversation, so check it out today!

https://www.countysurveyors.org/

https://surveyorsays.podbean.com/

Week 139: Survey Technician Boot Camp Overview