Looking to get into Python for spatial data analysis?  Check out this online video.  The video notes state you will learn about geoprocessing, analyzing and visualizing spatial data using Python and how it compares to other available options such as desktop GIS options (ArcMap or QGIS) or R. The talk will introduce various Python projects such as PySAL, GeoPandas, and Rasterio, and give attendees a starting place for independently exploring and learning geoprocessing skills using Python.

Slides for the video can be found here.

You might want to check out some of these online geospatial courses as outlined by Directions Magazine.

Selected Open Online Geospatial Courses

ESRI has a free Spatial Analysis course that you can take online.  Here are a few more details:

• Hands-on exercises, short video lectures, quizzes, case studies and discussion
• You will be using ArcGIS Online’s full analytical capabilities
• 6 weeks, 2-3 hours of study per week
• Certificate of completion and prizes
• Course dates: September 1 to October 12, 2015
• Registration closes September 15

For more info and to register, visit their sign up page.

High-quality hydrographic data are critical to a broad range of government and private applications. Resource management, infrastructure planning, environmental monitoring, fisheries management, and disaster mitigation all depend on up-to-date, accurate, and high-quality hydrographic data.  The U.S. Geological Survey National Geospatial Program has begun a series of virtual seminars to highlight the uses of hydrographic data.  The next seminar will be on July 30 at 2 pm EDT.  These seminars are intended to share success stories from users who have solved real world problems using hydrographic data, provide information about the National Hydrography Dataset and related products, and provide a virtual forum for users, similar to what might be encountered in a conference setting.

Connections are limited, and you will need to register to attend these seminars.  Please visit this site here to sign up. After your registration is approved, you will receive instructions for joining the meeting.

The next seminar will feature Anita Stohr of the Washington Department of Ecology discussing applications of hydrography within the State of Washington.  There will also be lightning talks by Susan Phelps of AECOM, and David Holtschlag of the USGS Michigan-Ohio Water Science Center.  They will discuss developing local-resolution hydrography from lidar; and UFINCH, a method for estimating unit and daily flows in a stream network defined by the National Hydrography Dataset with Value-Added Attributes (NHDPlus) using daily flows from USGS streamgages, respectively.

For full abstracts and biographies of the speakers, or for information about past hydroseminars, please visit the Hydrography Seminar Series website.

Discover Spatial is offering a free video tutorial on QGIS.  The video tutorial provides an overview of the QGIS platform and dives into the features and functions so you can create maps and output using the open source software.  Check it out!