Jacksonville, FL (May 8, 2007) Survey work is a male-dominated profession, but activities like the one put on by Jacksonville-based surveying and mapping firm Clary & Associates is introducing girls to the industry at an early age and could help make future changes in the industry.
About 100 girls from several local troops of Girl Scouts of Gateway Council joined with Clary surveyors and mappers at Losco Regional Park in Mandarin on Saturday, May 5 to take part in a five-hour event to learn more about what goes into mapping properties to earn a Girl Scout Survey Badge.
“We realized this would be the perfect opportunity for young girls to learn about the industry in general and also how math and geometry play an important role in mapping and surveying properties,” said Greg Clary, company founder and president.
Three-person crews worked with the girls during the field survey exercise, who learned about how survey work is done at the beginning of a construction project, what the color-coded survey stakes are used for and what each represents, and the equipment used in the course of a survey job.
“When Clary & Associates approached us about it we thought the idea was great, especially in light of a recent survey that showed fewer women are studying in the areas of math and science when they get to college,” said Charis Brown, membership specialist with Girl Scouts of Gateway Council, Inc. “This could also open up a whole new direction for the girls when they are looking at future careers.”
Girl Scouts of Gateway Council, Inc. serves nearly 25,000 girls and adults in 16 north Florida counties including the First Coast. The non-profit organization provides an accepting and nurturing environment where, in partnership with committed adults, girls develop assets that will serve them all their lives: leadership, decision-making skills, and social conscience. For more information, contact Gateway’s Jacksonville Service Center at 904-388-4653 or visit www.girlscouts-gateway.org
About Clary & Associates
Clary & Associates, Inc. provides professional surveying and mapping services and specializes in large-scale residential and commercial land development projects. The company provides a wide range of services, including boundary, topographical, wetland and condominium surveys, transportation design and right-of-way surveys, subsurface utility designation and excavation, and GIS Mapping. Founded in 1983 by Greg Clary, the company’s skilled professionals blend innovation and integrity in serving clients in the real estate, architecture, engineering and transportation industries, and state and local governments. For more information, contact (904) 260-2703 or visit www.claryassoc.com.
Above left, Clary & Associates Crew Chief Josh Mabry guides several groups of girls in understanding elevations as part of a half-day event at Losco Park to introduce about 50 local Girl Scouts to the surveying and mapping industry.
Above right, Crew Chief Josh Wilkie, Jr. of Clary & Associates shows Girl Scouts Gabby Bayot and Samantha Whittington how to use a metal detector to find the property line at Losco Regional Park. Several groups of local scouts participated in the Clary-sponsored event, which was so successful that it will be offered on an annual basis by the Girl Scouts of Gateway Council.