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<p><strong>What you accomplished today</strong></p>
<p>You learned <strong>four complementary access pathways</strong> and how they fit different needs:</p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://maps.digitalearth.africa/" target="[object Object]">DE Africa Map</a> for <strong>no-code</strong> visual exploration and communication.</li>
<li><a href="https://docs.digitalearthafrica.org/en/latest/platform_tools/web_services_gis.html" target="[object Object]">OGC Web Services (WMS/WMTS/WCS)</a> to stream maps or retrieve raw rasters in desktop GIS.</li>
<li><a href="https://docs.digitalearthafrica.org/en/latest/platform_tools/direct_access.html" target="[object Object]">Direct Access</a> via <strong>AWS S3</strong> to fetch <strong>COGs</strong> or stream ranges efficiently outside the web tools.</li>
<li><a href="https://docs.digitalearthafrica.org/en/latest/platform_tools/odc_stac.html" target="[object Object]">ODC–STAC</a> to script discovery and load products as <code><span style="color: #339966;">xarray</span></code> in Python — inside the Sandbox or on your own stack.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>You practised <strong>how</strong> to:</p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Add data in the <strong>Map</strong> (Add Data → Add to map → time slider/split view).</li>
<li>Connect to <strong>WMS/WCS</strong> in GIS (know when to use images vs coverages).</li>
<li>Locate and download files from<strong> S3</strong> (region <strong>af-south-1</strong>, public-read, HTTPS pattern).</li>
<li>Run a <strong>minimal STAC</strong> → <code><span style="color: #339966;">odc-stac</span></code> load to get data into Python as an <code><span style="color: #339966;">xarray.Dataset</span></code>.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Key takeaways</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Start with the <strong>Map</strong> to visualise and triage; move to <strong>WCS/S3/STA</strong>C when you need data or automation.</li>
<li>The <a href="https://docs.digitalearthafrica.org/en/latest/index.html" target="[object Object]">User Guide</a> is your navigation hub: it links Platforms, Services, data specs, and how-tos</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Tips & tricks</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li><strong>Map vs Explorer</strong>: Map answers <strong>“what does it look like?”</strong> — Explorer answers <strong>“where/when does it exist?”</strong>. Use <a href="https://docs.digitalearthafrica.org/en/latest/platform_tools/explorer_guide.html" target="[object Object]">both together</a>.</li>
<li><strong>WMS vs WCS</strong>: WMS/WMTS = fast <strong>images</strong>; WCS = <strong>raw pixels</strong> you can analyse. Pick WCS when you need numbers</li>
<li><a href="https://docs.digitalearthafrica.org/en/latest/platform_tools/direct_access.html" target="[object Object]">S3 access</a>: Use <code><span style="color: #339966;">--no-sign-request</span></code> and af-south-1; build HTTPS as <code><span style="color: #339966;">https://<bucket>.s3.af-south-1.amazonaws.com/<key</span></code>>.</li>
<li><strong>STAC in Python</strong>: Call <code><span style="color: #339966;">configure_rio()</span></code> to set the <strong>S3 endpoint</strong> before <code><span style="color: #339966;">stac_load()</span></code> for smooth remote reads. <a href="https://odc-stac.readthedocs.io/en/latest/notebooks/stac-load-S2-deafrica.html" target="[object Object]">odc-stac.readthedocs.io</a></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>What’s next (Session 3): Products & Data Fundamentals</strong></p>
<p>In the next session you’ll:</p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Tour the <strong>product catalogue</strong> and learn how products are structured (bands, resolution, projection, temporal cadence).</li>
<li>Check <strong>availability</strong> (where/when) in <strong>Explorer</strong>, then pull products via <strong>Direct Access</strong> and <strong>ODC–STAC</strong>.</li>
<li>Practice selecting the <strong>right product</strong> (e.g., WOfS, Coastlines, Fractional Cover) for a goal and retrieving it efficiently using the pathways you mastered today.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>You’re set up perfectly — see you in Session 3! 🚀</p>
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