WIMS

Home .. Equipment .. Downloads .. Documentation .. FAQ .. Troubleshooting .. Acknowledgements

TNC's Weed Information Management System v. 3.0 (WIMS 3)

An Application Tool for Invasive Species Management
- Originally posted February 2005 -
- Updated April 2009 -

guide Introduction
The Nature Conservancy's (TNC) Weed Information Management System v. 3.0 (WIMS 3) is a Microsoft Access-based relational database application that is designed to assist natural resource managers in managing their weed data. WIMS 3 keeps track of three types of data records:

  • Weed occurrences (GPS point locations)
  • Assessments (size and status of the weed infestation to facilitate monitoring over time)
  • Management treatments applied to those weed infestations
    • Data can be easily exchanged between multiple users, exported in NAWMA (North American Weed Management Association) standards, and written to shapefiles for mapping in any standard GIS program. WIMS can be also be used to easily generate a variety of reports. Additionally, WIMS 3 can be used on a handheld unit (either MS Windows-based Pocket PC or Trimble) with a GPS unit to capture data in the field. When using WIMS 3 on a handheld unit with an ArcPad interface, site managers can use background imagery and other GIS layers for mapping weeds, and then upload the new data into the Access database with a few mouse clicks!

    Who Can Use WIMS 3?
    Anyone who is interested in invasive species management can use WIMS 3. WIMS 3 was initially developed for TNC field staff, but there has been so much interest by many of TNC’s partners, they made WIMS 3 available for free to all interested users. However users will, still need to purchase their own handheld and GPS units and software (if desired).

    WIMS users should route their questions to the WIMS 3 message board (see the "Troubleshooting WIMS" link, below, for more details). We can provide technical support and training to TNC staff using WIMS 3 (see the "For TNC Staff" link below).

    WIMS 3 can be used with either ArcPad 6.0.3 or ArcPad 7.1, and there is also updated documentation, including revised versions of the User's Manual, Installation Guide, Tutorial, and a new document on Creating Background Imagery!

    What Equipment is Necessary for WIMS 3?
    WIMS can be used as a stand-alone database application that resides on your laptop or desktop computer, or can be used in combination with a handheld unit to collect field data. See this page for details.

    WIMS 3 Downloads
    Go to this page to download all of the necessary files to run WIMS 3.

    WIMS 3 Documentation
    Detailed support documents about WIMS 3, how to install and use WIMS 3 including a Tutorial and User's Manual, and several handy best practices information written by folks who use WIMS 3 in the field.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about WIMS 3
    Do you have questions or comments about WIMS 3? Go to this page to see if your question(s) about WIMS 3 have already been addressed!

    Troubleshooting WIMS 3
    We're sure that WIMS 3 will always run smoothly, never crash, will simplify your management operations, and will perhaps even brew you a nice little frothy double latte in the morning. However, if you are having technical difficulties problems with WIMS 3, go to this page!

    Background, Articles, Collaborators & Acknowledgements!
    The Nature Conservancy's Invasive Species Team staff would like to thank our many partners who have helped us in WIMS 3 creation, development, and ongoing support. To see how and why we developed WIMS 3, who has helped along the way, and who our current collaborators are, go to this page! We thank you!!

    guide