Binghamton University Department of Geography

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Rationale

The goal of this activity is to upload a tree point dataset, collected by Binghamton University Department of Geography students, onto OpenStreetMap. The dataset covers the SUNY Binghamton main campus (around the "brain") in Broome County, New York, and includes individual tree nodes with attributes such as species, trunk diameter (DBH), height, and health status. The existing tree nodes in the campus boundary are incomplete and less accurate than the survey dataset, so they will be removed and replaced. Uploading this data will improve the accuracy and completeness of green infrastructure mapping on the SUNY Binghamton campus in OSM.

Community consultation

Prior to beginning this import, the activity was socialized with the OSM community as follows:

Hashtag

#BinghamtonTreeImport

Changesets will also be tagged with:

import=yes

source=SUNY_binghamton_trees

website=https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Binghamton_University_Department_of_Geography

Timeframe

  • Start date: 1/1/2026
  • Expected end date: 5/1/2026
  • The import will be conducted over 1 session

Tools and data sources

Data source

SUNY Binghamton campus tree survey dataset [Binghamton University Campus Trees 2026https://services.arcgis.com/EEOLw7FvbUFCdg7T/arcgis/rest/services/BU_Trees_26/FeatureServer]

Data Collection Methods
  • They were mapped to be uploaded on Open Street Map (OSM) so the fields are formatted to meet OSM tagging standards.(https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:natural%3Dtree)
  • The data contains trees located on the Brain section of campus. Data was generated between December 2025 and January 2026.
  • Tree locations were manually placed using UAV orthoimage and a Gaussian Splats as base maps. The drone images were captured in October, 2025.
  • Daniel Woolaway had already surveyed 237 trees on a section of the Brain , building on that, the locations of his mapped trees were adjusted to the orthoimage.
  • The attributes of his data were then formatted to meet the OSM tagging standards. Daniel's trees are the only ones that have the genus and species as part of the attributes.
  • Trees located of the remaining part of the Brain were mappped. The tree's heights were computed from a Canopy Height Model generated by Dr. Pingel.
  • The leaf_cycle and leaf_type were determined visually from the base maps. Viewing from the base maps some trees had already shed their leaves whiles others colored so those trees were labelled as 'deciduous'.
  • trees with green leaves with their crowns shaped conical like pine trees were labelled 'evergreen'. The natural tag is an OSM standard for tree.
  • There were four locations that had a group of trees, those were mapped as polygons and named 'BU_Brain_Trees_group', with the same attributes.
Additional Information about Dataset
  • CRS: EPSG 3857 (WGS_1984_Web_Mercator_Auxiliary_Sphere)
  • Date compiled: January, 2026
  • tree count: 767
License

The dataset is public domain, satisfying the relicensing requirement under the OSMF Contributor Terms. No share-alike or copyleft restrictions apply.

Data format

Shapefile

Upload tool

JOSM (Java OpenStreetMap Editor) using a dedicated import account

Dedicated import account

User:suny_binghamton_trees_import

Participants

Measuring our success

Progress will be measured by:

  • Total number of tree nodes successfully uploaded to OSM
  • Zero data quality complaints or revert requests from the OSM community following upload
  • Changeset monitoring via osmcha.org filtered by the #BinghamtonTreeImport hashtag

Training/instructions

All participants have been briefed on the following before contributing:

  • OSM tagging conventions for trees (natural=tree, species=*, height=*, etc.)
  • How to use JOSM and the dedicated import account
  • Changeset size limits (no more than 500 nodes per changeset)
  • The import plan wiki page: Binghamton University Department of Geography
  • The requirement to use only the dedicated import account for all upload activity

Post-event clean-up

  • Review all uploaded changesets via osmcha.org for any flags or warnings
  • Verify that all nodes carry the correct tags using JOSM's validator tool prior to upload
  • Confirm that no duplicate tree nodes exist within the campus boundary, and prior to upload, existing tree nodes within the campus boundary will be identified and deleted.
    • this was discussed with the community as part of the consultation process.
  • Check that existing OSM features (paths, buildings, etc.) were not inadvertently affected
  • Respond promptly to any community feedback or revert requests

Results

  • Progress will be shared with the OSM Community Forum thread after the import is complete.
  • A summary of total nodes uploaded, tagging statistics, and any issues encountered will be posted to the wiki import plan page.

Contact

  • Evelyn Kawa, at BU Geography's Core Facility (@suny_binghamton_trees_import)
  • Supervisor Kevin Heard
  • Supervisor Thomas Pingel (@thomas.pingel@gmail.com)
Retrieved from "https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/w/index.php?title=Binghamton_University_Department_of_Geography&oldid=3037256"