Green Map Blog

Extending a Green Hand...

Green Map System — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:25:20 -0400

Saint Mary's University in Canada Extends a Green Hand Across the World (Without Ignoring Their Own Backyard)

By: Andrew Fenster, Education Trainee, GMS

As part of my education-related work this summer at Green Map System in New York, I have been reviewing various approaches worldwide. From my perspective: St. Mary's 'Green Map' Project epitomizes Green Map's education mission to empower community members worldwide on how they can get involved in sustainable community development while sharing resources/advice with other communities.

St. Mary's University’s Green Map Project, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency, is dedicated to regional, national, and international education and outreach to strengthen people’s understanding of sustainability at home and abroad through local and global Green Map projects.

The key message behind Saint Mary’s University’s ‘Green Map Project’ is that everyone can participate in finding solutions to global issues. The University has a wealth of knowledge and resources that are shared with the local community and beyond in order to help others understand and take action on global sustainability. For example, students have created local Green Maps of the St. Mary’s University campus, Kenteville, Wolfeville, Kings County, and more.

Furthermore, university students, in collaboration with youth from nations across the world, have joined forces in promoting community sustainability abroad. The Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (Green Rockers) team consisted of students from Mongolia University of Science and Technology (MUST), who were inspired after 3 of their faculty members traveled to St. Mary’s University and learned about Green Mapmaking, and then held a Mapmaking workshop upon their return. The Mongolian students created the Green Map on their own, with some financial assistance from St. Mary's. The finished Green Map product highlights how to live a “greener” lifestyle for Mongolians in the area and will hopefully help to improve the quality of life for people in the region.

Additionally, St. Mary’s students have collaborated with students in Gambia at St. Therese’s Junior Secondary with about 30 students between the ages of 10 – 15 years old. In addition to the Green Mapping workshop with St. Therese’s, the team also conducted a Green Mapping workshop with the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) Youth Fan Club. The participants were encouraged to highlight places of environmental importance and also places that posed environmental challenges, in order to open up the public/political eye to environmental degradation.

St. Mary’s ‘International Development’ students have incorporated the concept of Green Community Mapping into their curriculum and use Green Map fieldwork in other countries as a component of their educational program. Clearly, St. Mary’s students and professors understand how although sustainable community development begins at home, we truly are one global community and it is through inter-community relationships that a sustainable world can begin to become a firmer reality.

Please see St. Mary's University 'Green Map Project'
for more information on St. Mary’s growing involvement in the global Green Mapmaking Movement and how your School, University, and/or community can follow in their footsteps.

Planning Across Borders

Wendy at Green Map — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:01:48 -0400

How do Green Map projects from different countries work together to achieve common goals? This short video highlights the '4Bs Hive' -- Berlin, Budapest, Bristol and Bistrita -- European Green Map projects from Germany, Hungary, the UK and Romania and their development as a collaborative network. Watch as Ciprian Samoila, Gergo Horvarth, Peter van de Loo and Steve Parry exchange expertise and plan upcoming expansions. Special thanks to by Bjela Prossowsky and Y68 for this concise and inspiring documentary, Steve for his ongoing effort as Project Manager and to Ciprian for hosting the meeting. Follow the story at Steve's greenbristol.blogspot.com, too.

Report: Launch Events Around the Clock

Wendy at Green Map — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:16:59 -0400

We're pleased to present highlights from Open Green Map launch events in 13 cities on 5 continents! Our thanks to everyone who hosted and supported these diverse events. Find a preview at GreenMap.org/ogm-launch and click the pink bubble on the upper right to jump to our social mapping platform!

Open Green Map Launch Report

Saluting New Green Maps!

Wendy at Green Map — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:55:28 -0400

We are excited to highlight the newest published Green Map projects from different parts of the world. From the uniquely designed local Green Maps to interactive mapmaking experiences using the recently launched Open Green Map, each project has an amazing impact on the people who created as well as the community they have charted.

In addition to the first 60 or so Open Green Maps celebrated at our launch celebration on June 5th, recently published printed Green Maps chart a university campus in China, a youth initiative in Brazil, a cultural heritage site in Indonesia, a highland community in Canada, and a new cycling-oriented Green Map of Beijing's Shichahhai district. Many others are in progress!

Here are highlights:

Green Map of South China University of Technology in Higher Education Mega Center of Guangzhou is a wonderful outcome of a 3 month project.

School Children in Sao Paolo - Dedo Verde na Escola - Mapa Verde highlights the expressive vision of young people and their dreams for the future.

Green Map Mandala Borobudur is a pictorial guide to the project designed to preserve this important World Heritage site and the surrounding villages from over development. Both a map and a book have been produced as the starting point for this ongoing effort of Green Map Indonesia.

In Victoria BC, the 12th Green Map to be published highlights the Highland Community, with a launch party on the Summer Solstice. Check the UVic Community Mapping / Common Grounds Project website for details.

Our congratulations to each Green Map team!

Launching New Internship Program, Summer 2009

NYC Green Apple Map — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:43:46 -0400

Green Map System has initiated a Summer 2009 Semi-Virtual Student Internship Program involving high school and university students. The program includes training in the Green Map office, mentoring and interaction with Andrew Fenster, our Education Trainee, concluding with a presentation/exchange in mid-August. Follow the action at youthgreenmapping.blogspot.com/.

The goal of the program is for students to create themed Green Maps of their home neighborhoods, with a specific focus of their choice, such as green businesses, climate change, potential open spaces for green development, spiritual centers, etc.

Each student-created Green Map will be targeted towards a specific audience, such as students, policy makers, senior citizens, tourists, etc. Additionally, each student will create a digital and/or print map, an interactive map on the Open Green Map, and contribute to our multimedia resources, all while developing eco-literacy, communication, and civic participation skills.

For more information on this new internship program and how to get involved, please go to youthgreenmapping.blogspot.com/ or email intern[at]greenmap[dot]org.

Great Open Green Map Write Up on TreeHugger Blog

jackinthegreen — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:02:27 -0400

Why Making Maps Guides Us to Be Greener: http://bit.ly/ke1Me

Cape Town Green Map goes 'live' with a virtual launch on World Environment Day

City of Cape Town — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:18:19 -0400

The Cape Town Green Map - www.capetowngreenmap.co.za isn’t just a bunch of intersecting lines and street names. Rather it is the heart of the city, a green life-force, which sends out information via the numerous vessels and networks of the internet.

As with all maps, it provides direction – but with a difference.

No other map has attempted to chart and detail the city of Cape Town from a green angle before. The map can be used to make greener lifestyle choices, and help people to make more informed decisions on how to live sustainably. It is also different because it is on-going, evolving and constantly being updated.

The map highlights important green spaces, biodiversity hot spots, sustainable living projects, alternative energy sites, recycling projects and drop-offs, local green events, markets, eateries, responsible tourism, green accommodation, fair-trade businesses, eco-products and services, green attractions, alternative energy sites and a lot more.

And anyone can be involved in adding a site (place) to the map, either by using the 'suggest a site' form or by joining the map as a mapmaker.

The already over 80 sites have been uploaded by a combination of mapmakers that include the team at urban sprout, whose online directory serves as a source for the map's listings. They are joined by a couple of other mapmakers, a number of whom run popular green blogs. Their printed map counterpart, A&C Maps, who is responsible for a variety of maps such as the “Not the official guide to Cape Town”, the “Pink Map” and the “Food Map” will bring out a printed version of the Cape Town Green Map in October of this year.

The City of Cape Town’s Environmental Resource Management team initiated the Cape Town Green Map as part of the Green Goal 2010 programme - a programme that aims to make the 2010 Fifa World Cup™, the greenest world cup yet. They have added nature reserves, green spaces and biodiversity hotspots to the map – some of them yet to be discovered by Capetonians.

The map ultimately serves both as a source for local Cape Town residents, so that they can find the nearest green site to suit their needs, as well as for tourists and visitors who want to make their holidays “greener” and cultivate environmentally conscious consumer habits.

In October of this year, a printed version of the map will become available at tourist information sites and the airport. They will be snapped up by visitors coming to the Mother City for the World Cup.

The Cape Town Green Map is the first Green Map on the continent - a fitting status given its importance as a biodiversity hot spot. The city will lead Africa in a project that shares sustainable sites and resources online with the rest of the world.

CCMP supports developing country journalists to report on COP15

Green Map Japan — Thu, 28 May 2009 01:20:46 -0400

From Green TV-Seeking developing country journalists
The CCMP 2009 fellowships will run over a nine month period starting this July. Fellows will build and strengthen their skills in climate change reporting by drawing on a range of training resources provided by the CCMP, including expert editorial mentoring by senior environment editors, networking with other environmental journalists from around the world, a matchmaking service with hundreds of key climate experts and the opportunity to attend and report on the critical international climate negotiations in Copenhagen.
Women journalists are particularly encouraged to apply. Journalists may apply for only one of the two types of fellowship. If you know appropriate journalists, please let them know this program.
Details:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=cX9w8ID8c7MXH8bAgMwBPg%3d%3d

グリーンTVニュから、「途上国のジャーナリスト求む！」
「気候変動は途上国にとって脅威をもたらす大問題だ。なのに途上国でこの問題を伝えるジャーナリストは少なく、養成の必要がある」として、「気候変動メディアパートナーシップ(Climate Change Media Partnership)」というプログラムが始まりました。選ばれたジャーナリストはCOP15の取材費助成だけでなく、世界中のジャーナリストとのネットワークを形成した上で、気候変動の専門家や環境ジャーナリストからのトレーニングなど、9ヶ月間に渡って様々なバックアップが受けられます。お知り合いのジャーナリストがいたら是非ともご転送下さい。詳細はこちらをどうぞ :http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=cX9w8ID8c7MXH8bAgMwBPg%3d%3d

Index Awards Finalist!!

Wendy at Green Map — Wed, 20 May 2009 12:14:30 -0400

We're very pleased to announce that the Open Green Map is a Finalist for the Index Award, the prestigious European design prize!

Our entry is in the Community category. Click this link to see our entry online and to find out about the traveling exhibit that our social mapping platform will be featured in, starting in Copenhagen in August!

台灣桃園縣八德市大忠國小綠活圖團隊成果發表

DJes Bade Taoyuan Taiwan — Fri, 01 May 2009 01:58:05 -0400

各位夥伴：
　大家好，本校綠活圖團隊，經過近半年的努力，在每位夥伴分工合作下，我們已於去年底完成屬於我們在地綠活圖的製作並完成出版，我們的主題是「田頭田尾八塊厝，燕尾串起八德情」。
　我們將陸續發表我們的成果及心得，請各位夥伴拭目以待，謝謝。
　
　
　

Campus Green Mapping

Baltimore Green Map — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:36:45 -0400

Baltimore has a consortium of campuses involved in various collaborative efforts under the Baltimore Collegetown Network. Most local campuses have Sustainability Commissions these days, so we have launched the Baltimore Collegetown Green Map Challenge with a fabulous pilot project at Towson University. Print maps were the focus. The students are eloquent in speaking of the benefits they realized from doing this project in their Graphic Design Studio. Their professor, Jessica Ring, was a wonderful collaborator. Under her guidance, the number of campus-based and local resources that the students engaged was phenomenal.

Event Mapping

Baltimore Green Map — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:22:01 -0400

As an experiment, we created the Baltimore Green Week 2009 map on the OGM. It used icons to describe the topic content of events rather than to describe places, then illustrated the geographic distribution of those events. The organization Baltimore Green Works used it on their website along with a traditional Calendar of Events. Seemed successful and now is a record to refer to when planning next year's events. And we'll be able to offer it with tour routes for 2010.
http://www.opengreenmap.org/en/greenmap/baltimore-green-week-2009

Is anyone planning summer youth projects?

Baltimore Green Map — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:59:35 -0400

(or winter if you are southern hemisphere....)
Is anyone planning any youth mapping projects this summer and interested in doing an info exchange with some Baltimore 8-14 year-olds?
I think it would be cool to exchange experiences and images with young folks from an entirely different environment as we do a neighborhood mapping project here.
Thanks.
Janet
Baltimore, Maryland, USA

GYSD 2009 in China with Love Without Borders

Tianjin Green Map — Tue, 05 May 2009 06:22:26 -0400

Love Without Borders volunteers walked into the villages. We, with the hope to help the students from migrant school establish confidence, trust and responsibility, made friends with them, sang songs and played games. Then our volunteers joined into the migrant school’s bazaar. We helped to sell the donated clothes, toys, and other daily utilities to the villegers with low price, so that the villegers could afford. The second day we invited those migrant students to join us, together with our volunteers to carry out our social service. Because it is our May day holiday, we went to the park where there were a lot of trash left by the visitors, we helped clean the park, and above all we enjoyed and shared the joy of serving and helping.
PHOTO link GYSD 2009 LWB.

Website goes live in beta

City of Cape Town — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 06:17:04 -0400

The website - www.capetowngreenmap.co.za goes live in beta version on 30 March. The team is happy with its progress, although there are still a few things to iron out before the official launch of the site, such as the slide show, which remains static but will function as a dynamic slide show featuring pictures from the map and Cape Town.

In the meantime there is synergy between Cape Town's green map and the official launch of the Open Green Map system. Both are set to launch on 5 June 2009, World Environment Day!

The Cape Town Green map team begin actively sourcing and approaching partners and sponsors, who are overwhelmingly positive about the map, particularly as there is a focus on South Africa for 2010. This despite the current downward trend of the economy. It appears that whilst business is feeling the squeeze, the effort to green (or blue) our planet is still a priority.

The website's capacity to function as a PR platform for partners and sponsors is intensified by www.capetowngreenmap.co.za 's association with opengreenmap.org.

Getting Started

Omaha Nebraska — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:08:13 -0400

I'm just getting started and familiarizing myself with the tools and advice in the Mapmaker's Greenhouse. A little overwhelmed at this point, but I am still inspired by to potential for this project to illustrate the interconnection of separate community activities.

Jerusalem Earth Day Event

Jerusalem Green Map — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 03:44:35 -0400

On Thursday 23rd April Jerusalem will celebrate Earth Day with a major joint event coordinated by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel and the Municipality.
At the event there will be stools, workshops, information booths and of course presenation of the Jerusalem Green Map.
Details and pictures post-event to follow.
The event takes place adjacent to the Old City Walls between 4-8pm
At 8.10pm Jerusalem and Tel Aviv will celebrate Lights Out Hour, where all city lights will be turned off for an hour.

2009’GYSD Come on, Together! in China

Tianjin Green Map — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 22:42:48 -0400

2009’GYSD Come on, Together!
Invitation of Global Youth Service Day

Hello everyone，

Love Without Borders Beijing invites you to join our annual party “Global Youth Service Day”!

Global Youth Service Day, (GYSD) was established in 2000 in the States, which has been dedicated to serving communities and making the world a better place. GYSD is an annual celebration to celebrate the passion of young volunteers, encourage young people to join in the service, care the neighborhood, and share our responsibilities in the society. Presently young people from more than 110 countries and areas have joined in this activity, and it has been promoted by more than 223 local and international organizations.

Today, young people are with passion. They are dedicated to improving the life of communities and neighborhoods. Love Without Borders Beijing is authorized to organize GYSD in Beijing, China. The theme of our celebration in 2009 is Youth Service to the Corner. This year GYSD in Beijing starts April 30th to May 2nd during the May holidays. You will come with Love Without Borders and reach out to the Migrant Schools, Parks and Colleges to serve and celebrate.

2009- GYSD! Let’s do it!

At present, Love without Borders invites volunteers to join our celebration and also who are talented in singing, dancing or performing are welcomed to join our art group. We will go to a migrant school and hold a celebration The Share of Souls and celebrate GYSD April 30th. We are looking to provoke the confidence, responsibility and love within each of us. And on May 1st and 2nd our focus is on public share, a celebration The Sound of Love GYSD will be taken place in parks or colleges. We will sing songs and talking to people here.

Right now we are looking forward to have 50 volunteers to join this big celebration with the hope to pass our care to the world and heart to serve the society. GYSD 2009 is just a starting point.

Meanwhile, we welcome the support and participation from enterprises and companies to encourage more people to join in the big family of service.

How to Join us

Send us your name, phone number, work place, occupation and specialty, Email QQ/MSN to love.footprints@gmail.com or love.international@gmail.com
(Please write GYSD as title of your letter)

Love Without Borders -Beijing
无国界爱心（北京）
2009 April 1st

Contact us：
　
无国界爱心组织（北京）Love Without Borders (beijing)
　http://www.Love-international.org
　TEL：86-10-62225515
Email：love.international@gmail.com
Carol Wang王旭 13718452563 ；13366702086
MSN：wx020103@hotmail.com

NOW! 50% Match for Online Donations!

Wendy at Green Map — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 10:56:16 -0400

The online giving program Global Giving has selected our 2 project profiles for April's Give a Little Green Campaign!

This means your online donations of $10 or more will be matched by 50% until their pool of money runs out. If we have the most donations, we could win up to $5,000 more. Wow! Please take action today!

Boost your support of the Green Map movement by 50%! Donate $10 or more online – it's matched by Global Giving today! Click http://tinyurl.com/gg1965

Give a Little Green to Green Map's Chinese outreach effort. Give $10 or more online for a 50% match by Global Giving today! Click http://tinyurl.com/gg2167

Open Green Map Launch! June 5 Celebration!

Wendy at Green Map — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:37:08 -0400

Green Maps highlight local natural, cultural and green living sites to promote personal and community well-being. Transforming local information into global interaction, the new Open Green Map social mapping platform spurs healthy participation as it shares diverse public viewpoints. Preview our platform in progress here!

Updated: view the Launch Report here!

Open Green Map's global launch celebration will take place on Friday, June 5 - World Environment Day! On the same day, special events are being planned all over the world: Cape Town, Geneva, Jakarta, Stockholm, Baltimore, Pereira Colombia, the UK towns of Swansea, Clackmannanshire, Neath Port Talbot and other places!

Get involved and support this effort! Download a press release or slideshow and watch the video below. Help spread the word. Participate by Twitter, too. Follow us at greenmap. Include the word 'greenmap' in your tweet so it will be automatically mapped on twittermap.tv!

A report on these events will be added here soon!

In New York City, where our global headquarters is located, join Green Map System in celebrating on Friday evening June 5! Our local event will take place from 6-8:30PM at the King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center, 53 Washington Square South in Manhattan. Our thanks to NYU's Sustainability Task Force, Bobst Library and Environmental Studies Program for supporting this event. We're hoping that everyone who comes will bring a green site, comment or image to add to the map! RSVP (optional): ogm-launch.eventbrite.com/

In the US, Map Global, Celebrate Local! Join Baltimore Green Map at Rawlings Conservatory in Druid Hill Park from 5:30 to 8:30. The Friends of Druid Hill Park are the co-hosts for this event which will include music, food, Jones Falls and Towson map displays, and, of course, opportunities to add sites to Baltimore's Open Green Map! Email: rsvp [@] baltogreenmap[.]org

The Mapa Verde project in Pereira, Colombia is also celebrating the global launch! Fundación Geovida in partnership with "Espacio y Ciudad" will encourage more citizen participation and involvement using this long waited interactive mapping tool. Former Mayor and famed planner Enrique Peñalosa recently met with local leaders promoting a civic collective for livable urban environments. He can't wait to see the resulting Green Maps, specifically related to cycling and public spaces, and promised commitment and support for this local initiative.

Cape Town, South Africa is celebrating the launch of Open Green Map and the Cape Town Green Map website launch - CapetownGreenMap.co.za- at the same time! ! Pre-register here here for a Green Media Pass which can be used on 5th of June.

Members of the Indonesian Green Map network including Marco Kusumawijaya and Elanto Wijoyono will join with Bob Zuber of Green Map System from New York in convening workshops for teachers and other interested persons in Jakarta as part of Global Youth Service Day, June 6. Two days later, the same team will lead a workshop at the world-famous temple of Borobudur outside Yogyakarta, all a fitting contribution to the Open Green Map launch celebration. Find out more at GreenMap.or.id

In Sweden, come to the Stockholm Open Green Map Releasefest! In collaboration with the art gallery Candyland and art collective HAP, the event will start with a bike carnival and visit different interesting sites of the map, ending up at HAP for food, drinks and music! Details: stockholmgreenmap.se

Also in Sweden, Blekinge GreenMap team celebrates World Environment Day at the Music festival in Hoglands Park with music, speeches, organic products and exhibitions. The GreenMap team will be happy to answer your questions. Details: ekoblekinge.se/en/arkiv/250

In Grand Saconnex, just outside Geneva Switzerland, an exhibition of Green Maps from Buddhist countries is featured at the Geneva Conference Center of Buddhism, part of the citywide sustainability festival. Find details here about the opening and the debate on spirituality and environment that take place on June 5.

In the UK, Swansea Wales is celebrating the global launch of the Open Green Map while launching their latest local Community Green Map! This will take place at the same time as the launch of the Hard Rain and Vital Signs Exhibitions, two inspiring photography displays about sustainable solutions! Details to come.

The Open Green Map Launch will take place in Clackmannanshire, Scotland! In partnership with the Ochils Landscape and the BBC Breathing Places Year of Action, Clackmannanshire Green Map initiative is taking part in a number of walks, Green Mapping and BBC's "Do One Thing for Nature" activities. Details: cgmi.org.uk or download here.

In Scotland, there's also the Falkirk Communities Along the Carron Green Map Launch! Join the mapping team, getting acquainted with Open Green Map and reviewing the results of the community survey that will inform this map. Details: from 10 am to 1 pm at Falkirk Council Community Planning Partnership "Map Room 5" in Falkirk Stadium.

Open Green Map: What's Green Nearby? - Join our global launch from Green Map System on Vimeo.

Celebrating sustainability and social resources without barriers, Open Green Maps are always available, easily updated, expanded and explored in online, mobile and custom formats. Enrich today's world and envision a verdant, hopeful future with the Open Green Map platform!

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