Think This Is Just A Random Sticker? Think Again
However, if that target has been in position long enough to be extraordinary (most likely way too long). If you see no activity that would signify the project is ongoing, you have the ability to check in with your municipal office or township office and ask if it would be within reason to remove the target.
A Peek Backstage at the Modern Surveying Process
When you come across a survey target on your fence post, or your property in general, think of it like you found a small clue amongst all the other clues. It points to something much larger and complex. This survey target gives a notion of the level of detail and integration in which we build infrastructure. This happens in a country, population, or area. A relatively small number of surveyors connect all the dots together. They build the road networks and lay down the fibre optic cabling. One boring reflective sticker at a time, before we pave over everything.
So next time you see that little box on your property, take a moment of gratitude. For small acknowledgments of little acknowledged work, that essentially shapes mapping, today and into the future. It’s just a little sticker, but it’s attached to something much larger.
Fun Fact:
Surveying is a practice that has taken place as far back as ancient Egypt. Surveyors at that time used ropes with measurements and sticks. Today we have lasers, UAVs, and little reflective targets. These are hard to see and can be temporarily attached on your fence or boundary line. Some things have changed temporally, and some have not. However, the premise for accurately measuring our world is the same.
