[Mapserver-west] Crytozoology non-profit seeking advise

[Fred]

Hi all,

I'm a volunteer at a non-profit cryptozoology related website and we need some advise. Yes,  sasquatch, thyalicine and other cryptids. But mainly sasquatch in the pacific northwest. After you finish laughing, please read on. :)

Any help is greatly appreciated!

BACKGROUND: We have a bunch of volunteer investigators who input sighting information into our web based database, we get about 50 reports/month. The info includes gps coordinates and date/time of each sighting. We want to plot that data colorcoded based on the date/time onto a map of the pacific northwest in order to reveal migration patterns (if they exist at all). Of course we have already done the analysis on existing data, but would like to automate the process for all of the forthcoming data. We would like to present the results via the web in the form of a map.

The members are biologists, anthropologists and some rednecks :) with elementary programming/scripting skills. We have an extra server (preffer linux but will use windows if necessary) just for this purpose and our goal is to implement this with all open source software (ie cheap).

I need some advice to see if it's even feasible to commence this project based on our very limited $$$ budget, but available manpower.

QUESTIONS: 

Is it possible to implement this using all open source software? 

What software would you use?

Is an expert required to generate the data maps or can they be generated on the fly by the server?

I thank you for any help in advance,

Fred

 				
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