Collect Earth/Collect Earth Online

Use this tool to
Visually assess and record tree cover, landcover, and other variables for user-selected sample plots using freely available, high-resolution satellite imagery
End Product(s)

A CSV containing the metrics recorded for each sample plot.

Collect Earth and Collect Earth Online are data collection and analysis tools that are part of the OpenForis series of software tools. Collect Earth and Collect Earth Online allow users to collect data on land use/land cover, tree cover, and changes in each over time. The data collection is desk-based and draws on high- and medium-resolution satellite imagery sourced from Google Earth, Bing Maps, Google Earth Engine, and others. Collect Earth is a desktop-based app that operates within a Google Earth Pro interface, while Collect Earth Online is a fully cloud-based tool that operates within a web browser and is accessed through the Collect Earth Online webpage. In both tools, users select the plot they want to analyze and enter their observations in a customized template. The parameters of the template are defined by the user at the beginning of the assessment based on the type of information they want to collect.

Collect Earth and Collect Earth Online can be used to remotely monitor any type of terrestrial ecosystem.  To set up a data collection application of Collect Earth or Collect Earth Online, you must define the project boundary, design the sampling scheme, and create a survey based on the indicators that you want to monitor.  Data can be analyzed and summarized using the built-in open-source software application, SAIKU. More details on how to harness these tools for conducting restoration monitoring are available in the report Mapping Together: A Guide to Monitoring Forest and Landscape Restoration Using Collect Earth Mapathons. 

Scale
Site, Landscape
Technical skills/resources required
Internet connection, Google Earth Pro (for Collect Earth)
Cost
Free
Language(s) available
English, French, Spanish, Portuguese