By Wendy Brawer | founding director
Green Map Charts the Way to Vibrant Communities
The Green Map System (GMS) is a locally adaptable, globally shared framework for environmental mapmaking. It invites design teams of all ages and backgrounds to create Green Maps, which identify, promote and link sustainability, natural and cultural resources. Today, nearly 400 communities in 50 countries are participating, and over 300 unique Green Maps have been published.
Merging the ancient art of map making with new media tools, each of these maps creates a fresh perspective that helps residents discover and get involved in their community's environment, and helps guide tourists (even virtual ones) to successful green initiatives they can replicate back home. All Green Maps are linked on GreenMap.org.
Together, they form a powerful impression of how communities around the world are making progress toward ecological and cultural sustainability. By June 2007, you will be able to see much more about each project and its impacts, thanks to a redesigned website with a searchable content management system.
Think Global, Map Local!
Green Maps created in Indonesia, Zimbabwe, Cuba, and Brazil have already proven that inexpensive mapmaking projects have critical impacts on community networking, stewardship, education and quality of life. The network expands by over 60 new projects each year, and most recently, GreenMap.cn and MapaVerde.org have been created to involve more Chinese and Spanish speakers in the movement.
The updating of Green Map's award-winning iconography has been making slow but steady progress over the last couple of years. A special website was launched to collect concepts and feedback from the global network. Currently, we expect to finish Version 3 in late 2007- early 2008, reflecting our growing understanding of sustainability at the community level.
Help expand Green Map System's growth and reach - it's a great way to impact communities near and far!
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
