"I've always had a general curiosity about how and why places are different," says David Craven, a Geographic Information Specialist Travel Consultant for Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI), "I love to travel and was always interested in learning about foreign places." So Craven studied geography, but that was long before the use of computers and GIS technology. "My undergraduate work didn't really prepare me for my work," says Craven, "There weren't geography jobs available where I was living at the time." In 1989, Craven decided to update his skills in geography. "During the 10 year gap between my undergraduate and graduate work, I found that computers had become indispensable for geographers working in GIS, remote sensing, and related fields," says Craven, "But, I value my background in more traditional methods of geographic inquiry very highly - I think that it is important to understand geographic and cartographic concepts, principles, and the spatial relationships before you get into the high tech stuff."

Today, with his bachelor's degree in geography and economics, and a Master's degree in geographic and cartographic sciences, Craven does international development consulting. "Currently, I am preparing to travel to the Philippines and Indonesia for two different assignments," says Craven, "In the Philippines, I will work with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) looking at ways to introduce GIS as a planning tool in local communities."

Craven's company, DAI, has been working with DENR for many years on various projects, and together they have made great strides in promoting community based forest management (CBFM) practices in the Philippines. "Increasingly, it is the people who live in the forest who are taking responsibility for managing its resources, and we are helping to provide those people with the technical support they need to meet their responsibilities," says Craven, "My first task in the Philippines will be to learn existing procedures for issuing and operating Community Forest Management Agreements." These agreements address a range of issues including conflicts over access to and use of natural resources, land tenure, and government policy and regulations concerning CBFM. "I'll be assessing the technical capabilities of DENR and local government units, " he continues, "We will be looking at a range of tools and techniques, including remote sensing, GIS, decision-support programs, and environmental models." Craven is assembling software, documentation, and a list of World Wide Web addresses that he is now using in the Philippines to help support the participatory planning process.

In his second project, Craven will be working in Central and West Java with the Upper Catchment Rehabilitation component of the South Java Flood Control Project. He will work with a team of foreign and Indonesian consultants to examine the issues of deforestation, soil erosion on steep slopes upstream, and sedimentation in rivers, reservoirs, and irrigation systems downstream. "We will be trying to help local government offices and local communities to promote better forestry and agricultural practices, and to pilot test methods for reforesting degraded areas," says Craven, " My specific responsibilities will include establishing GIS labs, training government staff to use the facilities, developing spatial databases, and helping improve the institutional framework for effective watershed and natural resource management."

From his experience overseas, Craven has some interesting advice for students. "Take a language and specialize in a particular region or country," says Craven, "I find that I get more out of my travel if I know a little of the language, and undoubtedly I can do my job better when I am able to communicate with my hosts." "One of the problems I will face in Java is that very few Indonesians speak English," continues Craven, "I started learning Indonesian on a previous assignment in Sulawesi (Indonesia), and I have recently been taking an Indonesian class at the US Department of Agriculture Graduate School in Washington DC."

"By the time I arrive in Java, I should be in good shape to start working with my Indonesian colleagues," says Craven.

David Craven is changing the face of geography by teaching others, helping others, and above all, by always remaining a student of the world.

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