The U.S. Geological Survey in Rolla is offering a free GPS (Global Positioning System) Workshop for the first 20 people who register.  The one-day workshop will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday at 1400 Independence Road.
“If the interest is high, we’d like to do more of these in the future,” said Keith Brady, of USGS Science Information and Library Services.
Emphasis on outdoor recreation and how to use a GPS device in conjunction with a USGS topographical map will be stressed in the workshop.
The workshop will explain GPS in brief outdoor exercises by utilizing a compass and discussing latitude, longitude and the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system, explained Brady.
Participants may borrow a USGS-supplied GPS device or use their own, if they have one.
The workshop is free to the first 20 registrants who sign up.  Reservations may be made by calling 573 308-3999.
The workshop will be conducted by three information specialists of the USGS Rolla Science, Information and Library Services — Patrick Wilson, Larry Sego and Brady.
Additionally, Steve Reiter from the Denver, Colo. USGS Office will be on hand to lend assistance to the Rolla trainers and students.