Google My Map Tutorial

How to Make a Green Map using Google My Map

Google My Maps is a great resource for Green Map projects that want to create a map quickly. If you can use Google Search and Maps, you will be able use this platform. Customization is limited, but it’s designed well. This is a fun platform for all ages who want to share their findings regarding sustainability, and promote nature, culture, social and green living sites!

You can share this Green Map several ways - the Google My Map platform will let you print on paper, make a PDF, embed it interactively in any website (as shown below) or export to KML (to use on Google Earth and in other ways). You can also copy the map, which is useful for creating different views of the same location.

Here is an example, created by exporting data from the Open Green Map platform; you can also create a new Green Map. As this platform is integrated with other Google tools, you can locate sites very quickly using Search, and edit the site’s description.

We created three Google My Maps Tutorials. One is just for Green Map Makers who created a map on the Open Green Map platform (although you can adapt these instructions for other KML files).

Create a New Green Map on My Map
Importing from the Open Green Map Platform to a My Map
Sharing & Collaborating

Download these PDFs to get started. so you can comment and help us improve the Tutorials. You can also share ideas below. Get help from Google Maps Help Forum - and of course, you can Google your questions and find answers quickly. There is also a GitHub and other My Maps support online.

Our thanks to the participants of Google’s Volunteer Day 2016, for their help creating this Tutorial, and to all the beta-testers!

New in Spring 2020, here is a coastal community mapped by students working with Mariana B. González Leija, Vianey Eunise Sosa Koh and Eddy Guadalupe Fuentes Ávila at Universidad Anáhuac Mayab, Mérida, Yucatán México (read the full post here):

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