*As part of the [Grassroots Mapping Curriculum](/wiki/mapping-curriculum) series.*

Getting started in the field. Quick checklist before going out to do actual field work:
- understanding which materials you would like to use and how they work
- review of all safety matters and regulations
- acceptable weather conditions

The strategy for mapping a particular site will depend on the area of interest. How large is the area? What potential hazards are present, if any? 

[![tmp_27077-5955443642_73dc2c7262_o2096177160.png](https://i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/010/012/medium/tmp_27077-5955443642_73dc2c7262_o2096177160.png)](https://i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/010/012/original/tmp_27077-5955443642_73dc2c7262_o2096177160.png)


At Western Carolina University, the student mappers covered the large area of the university by flying 3 separate times in spatially distributed locations.
<img src="http://drndl.grassrootsmapping.org/curriculum/jpg/extent.jpg" width="500"/></a>