Sasquatch

Washington, USA: the Final Frontier

The Search for Bigfoot*

*Sasquatch and Bigfoot will be used interchangeably throughout this presentation.

Join the Team

We are a group of Sasquatch researchers (the Squatchateers) who have dedicated our lives to finding indisputable evidence of Bigfoot. Moreover, we aim to protect this magnificent creature and its habitat. With totally real funding from the GIS department at the College of William & Mary, we will travel to the wilderness of Washington, and we will find Bigfoot.

Where can we find Bigfoot, and what policy recommendations can be made to protect the species?

*Not an Accurate Depiction of the Squatchateers


The Majesty of The Squatch


Model Parameters

Environmental Preferences

Anthropogenic Threats

In Summary...

Table 1. Model Original Dataset

All datasets above were projected into NAD 1983 UTM Zone 10 N and were converted into rasters of 5000 m x 5000 m cell size. For the Water Bodies layer, we selected freshwater sources that were classified as perennial, or accessible in the environment year-round. Using the Census data, we calculated population density of people per square kilometer across the state. Once we cleaned our data, we built our model to combine and analyze the different layers.


Building Our Model

Using our new weights and classifications, we built a model in ArcGIS to categorize the land into a variety of polygons depicting habitat suitability.

Model Builder in ArcGIS Pro


Finalizing the Model

Original Model Weighted Parameters

Final Model Weighted Parameters

Assumptions for Model Verification

  1. All Sasquatch sightings are accurate
  2. Sasquatch sightings depict where Sasquatches are found
  3. Sasquatches may also be found in areas where they are not sighted
  4. Most Sasquatches exist in areas that are Suitable or Highly Suitable for them
  5. Thus, most Sasquatch sightings occur in areas that are Suitable or Highly Suitable habitats
  6. The best model will therefore contain a higher number of sightings in the suitable ranges

Comparison of the Two Models

Interactive Map of Final Weighted Model

The map below depicts Suitable habitat ranges in light green and Highly Suitable habitat ranges in dark green. Click on the polygons below to learn more!

Map of Final Weighted Suitable Habitats for the Sasquatch


Conclusions

As we can see in the map above, the best habitat ranges are located in the west and northeast of Washington state. There is a lack of suitable habitats along the west coast, where population density is high, and in the southeast, where the land type is primarily desert.

Overall:

  • Sasquatch Population Density: 1.30 individuals per sq km
  • Total Area of Suitable and Highly Suitable Habitats: 83,176.64 sq km
  • Percent of Washington State Contained in this Range: 45%
  • Number of Suitable/Highly Suitable Habitats that can Support Sasquatches: 787
  • Area of Suitable/Highly Suitable Habitats that can Support Sasquatches: 83,176.64 sq km
  • Maximum Number of Sasquatches Washington State can Support: 107,712 individuals

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank honorary Squatchateer, Professor Tyler Davis, for his ongoing support to the cause and for his valuable advice. Additionally, we would like to cite Professor Carlisle Moody as both an inspiration and a repository of Bigfoot truths. Special thanks to the CGA department at the College of William & Mary, especially TA Kathryn Murphy. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the great contribution of the Bigfoot Field Researcher Organization (BFRO). And our moms. And the rest of our families. Thanks for all the support.

Thank You


References

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Martino, A. THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G.FOOT: The legend of Sasquatch that refuses to die:,  http://interactive.nydailynews.com/2015/11/the-notorious-bigfoot-legend-sasquatch-refuses-die/index.html  (accessed December 2019).

Moye, D., 2016, Sasquatch Bares All In Fierce Photoshoot For ESPN Magazine | HuffPost: Huffpost,  https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sasquatch-photo-shoot-espn-body-issue_n_57801ca7e4b0344d514f6820  (accessed December 2019).

National Research Council., 2003, Nutrient Requirements of Nonhuman Primates: Washington, DC:, The National Academies Press., doi: 10.17226/9826 .

Renner, T., 2017, Bigfoot Sightings: data.world,  https://data.world/timothyrenner/bfro-sightings-data  (accessed December 2019).

Rustic Metal Sasquatch Welcome Sign,  https://americanexpedition.us/rustic-metal-sasquatch-welcome-sign/  (accessed December 2019).

U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division, 2010, 2010 Census Block, 2010 TIGER/Line Shapefile:,  https://www.ofm.wa.gov/sites/default/files/public/legacy/pop/geographic/tiger10/metadata/block10.html  (accessed December 2019).

Washington State Department of Ecology, 2016, Water Quality Atlas Map Page: Fortress.wa,  https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/waterqualityatlas/map.aspx  (accessed December 2019).

Washington State Department of Natural Resources Washington State NHD & WBD:,  http://geo.wa.gov/datasets/waecy::washington-state-nhd-wbd?geometry=-130.880,46.885,-109.973,49.449  (accessed December 2019).

Watt, F., and Gunther, B., 2010, Tree Cover % — How Does Your City Measure Up? Deeproot,  https://www.deeproot.com/blog/blog-entries/tree-cover-how-does-your-city-measure-up  (accessed December 2019).

Yang, L. et al., 2018, A new generation of the United States National Land Cover Database: Requirements, research priorities, design, and implementation strategies: ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, v. 146, p. 108–123, doi: 10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2018.09.006 .

*Not an Accurate Depiction of the Squatchateers

The Majesty of The Squatch

Table 1. Model Original Dataset

Model Builder in ArcGIS Pro

Thank You