From 95bba5825d9a56d5fb2259bdaf9e1c86cbb11464 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Nick Heppler Date: Wed, 7 May 2025 10:01:41 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] docs(report): refine overview content for clarity, tone, and structure. --- report.Rmd | 54 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------------------------- 1 file changed, 28 insertions(+), 26 deletions(-) diff --git a/report.Rmd b/report.Rmd index 55dff1d..678796c 100644 --- a/report.Rmd +++ b/report.Rmd @@ -94,50 +94,52 @@ subtitle: "`r format(min(survey_data$CreationDate, na.rm = TRUE), "%B %d, %Y")` ## Background -The **25 Million Trees Initiative** is a bold commitment launched by **Governor Kathy Hochul** during the 2024 State of the State Address, aiming to plant 25 million trees by 2033 in New York State. This initiative recognizes the critical importance of trees and forests for climate mitigation, enhancing community health, and supporting biodiversity. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is at the forefront of tracking the progress of this ambitious goal. +The **25 Million Trees Initiative** is a major environmental commitment announced by **Governor Kathy Hochul** in the 2024 State of the State Address. Its goal is to plant 25 million trees across New York State by 2033 to support climate resilience, improve community well-being, and enhance biodiversity. -As part of this effort, DEC has launched the **Tree Tracker**, a tool for the public to record the trees they plant. These submissions contribute valuable data on the number, type, and locations of trees being planted across the state, helping to build a comprehensive, real-time dashboard of tree planting activities. +To track progress, the **New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)** launched the **Tree Tracker**, a public-facing survey tool built on the ***ArcGIS Survey123***. It allows individuals and organizations to submit information about tree planting efforts, including species, quantity, and location. These submissions feed into a real-time dashboard that maps tree planting activities across the state. -This report compiles the survey data collected via the Tree Tracker and provides detailed insights into the information submitted by New Yorkers. It aims to support DEC staff and executives in understanding the progress of the initiative and identifying areas for improvement in outreach and engagement. +This report analyzes data submitted through the Tree Tracker, offering insights into participation patterns, planting trends, and geographic distribution. The findings are intended to inform DEC staff and leadership in strategic decision-making and program outreach. ## Purpose & Objectives -This report serves to present an overview of the data collected through the 25 Million Trees Initiative, offering insights into submission patterns, geographic distribution, and trends in tree planting activities. The report aims to: +This report aims to: -- Summarize the overall progress of the initiative. -- Provide detailed data analysis on the submitted tree planting information. -- Identify areas where more outreach or support may be needed. +- Summarize overall participation and progress toward the 25 million tree goal. +- Analyze tree planting data by location, timeframe, and participant type. +- Identify gaps or trends to inform outreach and support efforts. -As more individuals contribute their data to the Tree Tracker, the initiative's success will be better understood, and DEC can better align resources to further promote this critical program. +By understanding planting behavior statewide, DEC can better allocate resources and strengthen engagement with communities and partners. ## Survey Period & Exclusions -The report covers the survey period from **`r format(min(survey_data$CreationDate, na.rm = TRUE), "%B %d, %Y")`** to **`r format(max(survey_data$CreationDate, na.rm = TRUE), "%B %d, %Y")`**, including a total of **`r excluded_count + used_count`** records. Out of these, **`r used_count`** records were deemed valid and included in the analysis. +This analysis covers submissions from **`r format(min(survey_data$CreationDate, na.rm = TRUE), "%B %d, %Y")`** to **`r format(max(survey_data$CreationDate, na.rm = TRUE), "%B %d, %Y")`**, totaling **`r excluded_count + used_count`** records. Of these, **`r used_count`** records were deemed valid and included in the analysis. -Exclusions were applied to **`r excluded_count`** records, which were removed due to various reasons, such as: +### Excluded Records -- **Double Count**: Some submissions were identified as duplicates and excluded to prevent data redundancy. -- **Test Data**: Entries that were intended solely for testing purposes were excluded, as they do not represent actual survey data. +**`r excluded_count`** records were removed based on the `Exclude Result` field (`1` = exclude). Common reasons for exclusion: -These excluded records are marked with a value of **1** in the `Exclude Result` field. The remaining **`r used_count`** records, marked with a **0**, represent legitimate data points that were included in the analysis. +- **Duplicate Submissions**: Entries identified as double-counts. +- **Test Entries**: Data flagged as internal testing or mock submissions. + +Only submissions marked with `0` in the `Exclude Result` field were included in the analysis. ## Validation & Data Consistency -To ensure data integrity, several validation steps are applied to survey submissions: +To ensure data reliability, multiple validation checks were applied: -- **Required Fields**: - - **Who Planted the Tree(s)?**: Describes the participant's role in the tree planting effort. - - **Number of Trees**: The number of trees planted during the planting period. - - **Start Date of Planting**: The date when planting began. - - **End Date of Planting**: The date when planting was completed. - - **Location**: Geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude). -- **Response Validation**: - - **Geographic Validation**: Once geographic coordinates are entered, they are checked against official civil boundaries to provide an accurate nominal locality, county, and region data. In rare cases, this check may fail due to service dependency, but such records are corrected before inclusion in the analysis. - - **Date Validation and Logic**: Users cannot enter planting dates prior to the start date of the initiative. The system enforces this restriction, and any records with such dates are not allowed to be submitted. Additionally, users cannot enter a planting end date that occurs before the planting start date. - - **Optional Questions**: Even optional questions undergo validation to ensure the entered data meets the expected format or logic, providing further consistency and accuracy. - - **Email Format**: The email addresses entered in the survey are validated to ensure they follow the correct format. +### Required Fields +- **Who Planted the Tree(s)?** +- **Number of Trees** +- **Start and End Dates of Planting** +- **Geographic Location** (latitude/longitude) + +### Data Validation +- **Geographic Validation**: Coordinates were cross-checked with administrative boundaries to assign locality, county, and region. Records with unresolved locations were reviewed manually before inclusion. +- **Temporal Logic**: Planting dates were required to occur within the initiative timeline and in chronological order. +- **Optional Field Checks**: Formats (e.g., email addresses) were validated for consistency even if fields were not mandatory. + +These validation processes enhance the accuracy and interpretability of the data, ensuring the results reflect genuine community contributions to the initiative. -By applying these validation checks, the integrity and consistency of the data is ensured, allowing for meaningful analysis of tree planting surveys. # Submission Analysis {.tabset}