Tammy Woodard and Yao-Ting Yao of the software team at Clark University’s Center for Geospatial Analytics (CGA) recently attended the first in-person Cloud-Native Geospatial (CNG) Conference, held April 30 to May 2 in Snowbird, Utah. The event gathered a passionate mix of researchers, developers, data providers, and toolmakers, all working toward the future of scalable, collaborative geospatial systems.
For Tammy, this was a conference experience unlike any before. “I don’t think I’ve ever attended a conference as a learner,” she shared. “It was a refreshing change to just be there to listen, connect, and grow.” The sessions—some familiar, others eye-opening offered a deeper understanding of the cloud-native ecosystem and highlighted the power of collaboration over siloed development.
A recurring theme was the importance of building capacity in this space. Conversations touched on the steep learning curves, the need for better tools and training, and the challenge of navigating a growing landscape of formats and standards. Still, the atmosphere was one of encouragement and shared momentum. One quote that resonated with attendees came from Julie Stewart Lowndes of OpenScapes: “Transformation occurs from consistently doing key activities that add up over time.”
Yao-Ting dove into technical sessions that explored formats like Zarr and Icechunk, which are transforming how we manage large geospatial datasets. With Landsat alone expected to reach 240 petabytes of data, these formats promise smarter, more efficient storage and analysis. She also participated in a hands-on Earthmover workshop converting GeoTIFFs into Zarr, gaining insights into workflows that could benefit CGA’s own data pipeline.
A highlight for Yao-Ting was the lightning talk session, where approximately twenty people each presented their work in five minutes.” She also enjoyed talking with other conference participants, who showed a lot of interest in CGA’s work on Geospatial Foundation Models (GFMs). The response was overwhelmingly positive, with several organizations expressing interest in future collaborations. “CNG felt like a warm retreat for the global geospatial community,” she noted. “It offered chances to connect deeply and exchange ideas with people from all corners of the field.”
Attending CNG was more than just an opportunity to absorb knowledge. It was a moment of reflection and realignment for CGA’s place in a rapidly evolving space. Tammy and Yao-Ting returned with renewed clarity, energized by new tools, new connections, and a stronger sense of how Clark CGA can contribute to and thrive within the growing cloud-native geospatial movement.
