mapgiving

Natural Earth Data v.1.4 released

2011-08-19T22:06:00.003-05:00

As of today, the data have been updated in Natural Earth Data. Through the hard work of many dedicated people, this public domain map dataset continues to be updated and remains one of the best sources for tightly integrated vector and raster data to make beautiful maps. According to Nathaniel Von Kelso, one of the principals working on the project "Natural Earth has been downloaded more than 250,000 times and is closing in on 1 million page views since launching in the final month of 2009." Here's a link to a full list of features and edits in this release. Congratulations to all who have contributed and who have used this data set to make beautiful maps!

Submit your beautiful maps!

2011-03-05T09:12:00.003-06:00

The U.S. National Committee of the International Cartographic Association (ICA) invites you to submit your current publications of maps, atlases, and other cartographic products to the Cartographic Exhibition at the 2011 International Cartographic Conference in France. The 25th International Cartographic Conference will convene in Paris the week of 3-8 July 2011.

The ICC Cartographic Exhibition is the premier international forum for displaying maps, atlases, and other cartographic products. It provides an excellent opportunity to feature the superior quality and diverse range of American cartography. Awards will be given by an international panel of judges to products exemplifying excellence in cartography. We encourage you to contribute to this exhibit.

Entry Forms must be submitted no later than March 15 to reserve space for your entry. A separate entry form should be submitted for each item. The information on these forms will be included in a printed catalog of exhibit items for conference participants.

What to enter:
U.S. Map Exhibit items must be received by April 15th, 2011.

Please provide:
two copies of any maps or panel displays
one copy of any table display (atlases, globes, etc.) or digital products

After completing the online Entry Form, send exhibit items to the U.S. Map Exhibit coordinator at this address by April 15, 2011:

Tanya Buckingham
Assistant Director
Cartography Laboratory
University of Wisconsin-Madison  Science Hall, M390
550 N. Park Street
Madison, WI 53706
 email: tbuckingham@wisc.edu 
phone: 608-262-1363

Digital maps:
Digital map entries may be submitted on a CD/DVD (or via digital file transfer) to the U.S. Map Exhibit coordinator. Each CD or DVD must be labeled with the map titles, and simple, explicit directions on how to view the map. Send CDs or DVDs to the address above.

Entry restrictions:
Although we are encouraging all entries, space allotted to the United States portion of the Map Exhibition in the Paris meeting is restricted. Therefore, please limit your choices to your most outstanding products. Any item produced after January 2009 that was not exhibited at a previous ICA conference is eligible for the exhibition. All items selected for display will be donated to university libraries in Paris following the conference.

Seeking Maps for International Children's Map Exhibit

2011-02-16T14:13:00.008-06:00

The Barbara Petchenik Map Exhibition aims to promote children's creative representation of the world, to enhance their cartographic awareness and to make them more conscious of their environment.

Students across the United States are invited to participate in the exhibit. Six maps will be selected from the maps received. Those maps will be displayed during the ICA conference as part of the International Map Exhibition, held as part of the 25th International Cartographic Conference of the International Cartographic Association in Paris, France, July 3-8, 2011

The theme of the exhibit for 2011 is: "Living in a globalized world"

Entry information:
The map must be produced by children under 16 years of age. Any item produced after January 2009 that was not exhibited at a previous ICA conference is eligible for the exhibition.

The international judging will focus on three criteria:
1) a recognizable message
2) cartographic content
3) the quality of execution.

Parameters of the entries:
1) the maximum size must not exceed A3 (420 mm x 297 mm or 17 x 11 inches)
2) the surface should be flat and pasted-on objects may not be higher than 5 mm or 0.2 inch and have to be thoroughly fixed.
3) the map can be made using any unbreakable material (thus no glass).
4) no moveable or folding-out parts covering sections of the drawing (Note: the submissions will be photographed or scanned and the complete drawing has to be visible in one scan or photo).
5) no perishable materials (like leaves of plants) may be used.
6) do not plasticize or laminate the drawings because that disturbs the physical appearance of the drawing.

Each map must have the following information on a label attached to the back side of the representation, in either French or English (the ICA's official languages):
1) author's name
2) author's age
3) school and address
4) author's country
5) map title

Please send map submissions by March 15, 2011:
Tanya Buckingham
Assistant Director
Cartography Laboratory
University of Wisconsin-Madison  Science Hall, M390
550 N. Park Street
Madison, WI 53706 
email: tbuckingham@wisc.edu
phone: 608-262-1363

If the entry is individual (not sent by a school) the author’s legal representatives (e.g. parents) will decide to make or not public their personal address. If the representatives do not agree to make it public, the official address of the ICA National Commission will be used for future contacts.

The winning entries will be submitted to international organizations (UNICEF International Art Committee or others) by the ICA Executive for consideration as greeting card designs or other kind of publication that might best showcase the maps created for the Competition. ICA may use them as well. Any participant must agree that his/her representation may be reproduced by the ICA or other international organizations, or scanned for publication on the Internet by Carleton University (on behalf of the ICA) without consultation or copyright fees.

Advertise the exhibit, by downloading the flyer.

Please peruse the digital collection at Carleton University Library. The work created by the children is incredible. While looking through the entries notice the diversity of countries involved in the exhibit.

More information:
A teacher's introduction to the Barbara Petchenik International World Map Design Exhibit.

Official rules

Not a child, but still want to display your work internationally? There is a Map Exhibit at the International Cartography Conference for everyone.

Need a map?

2010-10-01T13:22:00.002-05:00

mapgiving is looking for clients.

We have had several people contact us in the past few months wanting to share their talent with you. From GIS professionals to people experimenting with 3D modeling.

We are looking for great organizations to match with these expert mapmakers.

If you can't think of a way that your group could use a map, email us for information on how a map can help achieve your goals: info@mapgiving.org

Natural Earth Data web site now online!

2009-12-03T20:43:00.004-06:00

Along with Nathaniel and Tom, Tanya and I are pleased to further announce the immediate availability of Natural Earth, free vector and raster map data at 1:10m, 1:50m, and 1:110m scales. This is a NACIS and MapGiving co-branded product with assistance from the University of Wisconson-Madison cartography lab, Florida State University, and others.

Nathaniel and Tom outline what this new collection of data are all about and go into detail about the why these efforts were undertaken. Get the full story on Nathaniel's blog: Kelso's Corner.

And you can get right to downloading this incredible (FREE!) cartographic data at: NaturalEarthData.com

Natural Earth Vector

2009-06-12T18:46:00.004-05:00

We're excited to be helping with the next installment of Natural Earth data, Natural Earth Vector. A preview can be seen at: www.kelsocartography.com ...the unveiling will be at NACIS 2009 in Sacramento, and then available to share with the world.

Technology, Trends and cartographyNEXT

2009-05-28T12:50:00.001-05:00

Invitation to participate in a special issue of Cartographic Perspectives:
Technology, Trends and cartographyNEXT.

The approach and use of maps has dramatically shifted over recent years. This free, digital issue will provide an opportunity to begin closing the gap between theory and technology. It will discuss production techniques, open source/access data & software, knowledge & empowering people through maps.

So, what types of submissions are we looking for?
• critique a map: evaluating DESIGN and production METHODOLOGY, discuss or defy CONVENTIONS
• review open source or open access SOFTWARE, pros/cons and what's involved to make it work
• share your process for map PRODUCTION, describe your work-flow or specific style or treatment
• identify sources for FREE DATA and TOOLS. do you have a favorite widget or library/data warehouse?
• what do you do best? share that KNOWLEDGE and experience
• provide an EDITORIAL on your OPEN SOURCE experience (i.e., journals, software), why is it better? what are the challenges?

All submissions are due to Tanya Buckingham cartographyNEXT@nacis.org by August 1, revisions will be due four weeks later.

This additional fourth issue for 2009 will be released during the NACIS annual meeting in Sacramento, California, 7-10 October.

Get involved in what's NEXT.

Cartographic Perspecitives is the international journal of the North American Cartographic Information Society devoted to the study and practice of cartography in all its diversity. All content is peer-reviewed and indexed by Elsevier and via EBSCO Academic Search Complete.

Can't wait to see them...

2009-05-15T22:21:00.002-05:00

I got a call from Tanya today saying that the batch of maps for Room to Read have been delivered to the client. The hard work of the wayfinders at XNR Productions should be up to see on the Room to Read web site soon... things are happening! More exciting mapgiving work to be featured soon...

Still working on it!

2009-02-05T20:31:00.002-06:00

We are working. We've been busy with project work, both finishing the first project and thinking about how to tackle the exciting new projects that have come our way.

We feel honored to be working with some wonderful people in the field and we're excited to be supporting not only community groups, but also our field.

Still working...

2008-12-08T11:53:00.003-06:00

mapgiving has been humming quietly in the background of some big changes for me. We are moving along with the paperwork and clients have been contacting us, both through referrals and in response to some initial contacts that we made.

In the last few weeks, I have started work at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, Cartography Laboratory. My days are full of many different tasks. However, we are rolling along.

Bill Buckingham has some exciting new work that he'll be updating us about soon, in addition to some projects that are just getting off the ground now.

Geographic education

2008-10-17T12:31:00.007-05:00

tanya
As part of the mission of mapgiving we would like to encourage everyone to become involved in geography and cartography. One of our current projects will be promoting the Barbara Petchenik Children's Map Competition. I am the national coordinator of the competition and will be collecting maps throughout the year to submit to the International Cartographic Association in the spring, the conference will be held in Santiago, Chile.

In addition to organizing the national competition, I would like to continue the discussion I began with the Library of Congress for the last competition to create a repository of all of the maps that are submitted from students throughout the United States.

For more information about the competition please contact me: tanmabuck@gmail.com.

Here are the five maps selected from more than 100 submissions for the 2007 competition.

The last one...

2008-10-17T11:21:00.001-05:00

Please feel free to download the third map produced during the kick-off event. We will be working with the client to make adjustments over the next couple of weeks.

Asking questions...

2008-10-16T15:20:00.003-05:00

It turns out that we have many more questions than answers at this point in the process. How do we start, who do we talk to? We started by contacting a patent lawyer, we will plan to speak with an accountant shortly and we are defining clearly and concisely what mapgiving is and what the mission is. We will share our lessons and bumps in the road as we progress through this process.

One of the print maps...

2008-10-14T18:24:00.002-05:00

The larger scale print map can now be downloaded. The map showing the trail extension will be posted after a few tweaks.

I am reminded of how much I love these people...

2008-10-14T11:14:00.002-05:00

In the whirlwind of mapgiving, the planning, the production, the enormously excited reception that we had, and then the busy days of the conference following the event, I did not have time to really think about what had happened.

As things begin to settle in Madison, and I return to my daily tasks, I've had some time to process the events of the past week and several months. We have asked the Wayfinders to provide some feedback about their experience and how they see the organization of mapgiving growing and formalizing from this point. We are just beginning to read through these comments, and reliving the event through their words fills my heart. We really have something here and we will spend the next couple of weeks asking questions, and finding answers. The company where I work, XNR Productions, is extremely supportive of this mission and is supporting me in this exploration process. I couldn't be happier to have such a supportive network of people, through NACIS, XNR and the amazing group of people who participated in the kick-off event and those who have expressed interest in furthering the mission of mapgiving. The mission of cartographic and geographic education, collaboration and communication.

Web team map

2008-10-14T11:11:00.002-05:00

To see the web team map, visit mapgiving. The print maps will be on display later today.

the Wayfinders speak...

2008-10-14T11:10:00.001-05:00

Nick Springer of Springer Cartographics talks of his experience.

Local coverage of the mapgiving kick-off

2008-10-08T06:15:00.002-05:00

The Missoulian Newspaper, on-line and print showed up to cover the event...see the video.

A few favorites from the later hours...

2008-10-08T06:10:00.012-05:00

Notice the celebration of Nick and Jim finishing their tasks. Also, notice the smirk on Jeremy's face. He knows he has hours of work left to complete.

Brandon, heckling the participants...and trying to help.

Everyone is hard at work!

What is that?

Astounding data issues...5 layers of this lake, and none of them line up properly.

Nice!

Lou had enough mapping and decided to nap on the map twister.

A brief glimpse of one of the print team maps.

And...that's a wrap

2008-10-08T05:14:00.005-05:00

We are done...well, almost. Jeremy is still programming and there are few tweaks to be made tomorrow before the presentation, but the maps look good and we are impressed with the teamwork that we witnessed and the dedication to the project. We leave this event feeling very fortunate to have had the opportunity to have worked so closely with this amazing group of people.

Thank you for following the kick-off event,
Lou and Tanya

Working... Working...

2008-10-08T02:52:00.001-05:00

We are just so impressed with the commitment and the determination for making a great map that the wayfinders continue to exhibit. The music is back on, and everyone is working so very hard...

WARNING: using the word FINAL in a filename...can be very dangerous

2008-10-08T02:45:00.002-05:00

Web team: "We have just named our file 'web based final.ai' and we're handing-it-off to the Jeremy (after we increase the symbol representation for the roads"...

Phrases such as "sweet casings" and "I love the cake" have preceded....the "I think we're done"...

we say... "YOU'RE DONE?!"

they say... "well Jeremy is not done..."

web: almost ready for the hand-off

2008-10-08T02:33:00.002-05:00

checking in with the web team and Nick confirms that they are almost ready to hand-off the basemap to Jeremy who will integrate the map with the interface. There are smiles and chuckles, from the boys on the web side...Jeremy is a very patient mapgiver.

Donna is providing local reference for some of the print wayfinders..."it is highway 18" she says.

ping-pong balls are being tossed about...second (or maybe third wind for some) settling in.

I don't like the wasabi crakers...but Donna and Tanya do. David is smart NOT to try them.

Hair envy...and victory

2008-10-08T01:25:00.002-05:00

It's amazing Neil Allen's hair is just as loft and perfect as when he arrived at 3pm yesterday. As we beckon for more caffeine, I have just won and unprecedented 'rock-paper-scissors' battle with Donna over who will make the next pot of joe. My scissors best her paper after 10 rounds...

What's your vector, victor?

2008-10-08T01:18:00.003-05:00

Tanya has finished the road digitization for the incomplete sements and is handing the layer off to Martha who will then prepare it for Nat, who will "make it purty"... David is working on north arrows and scale bars.

The trail will take you there...yes, it has.

hitting the wall

2008-10-08T01:03:00.002-05:00

Runners tell the tale (I only run when chased, by something larger and with sharper teeth than me)...of getting to the point in a marathon where they hit the wall...all the excitement and enthusiasm has given way to 3-second blinks and serious looks on faces. We have realized that we have but 4 hours left in this mapgiving...the music has faded and tasks are now being refined...the chorus of now is hushed voices, rapid mouse clicks, deep exhales, and Tanya's voice now conducting this murder of crows.

A like the economy... the print team needs a bailout

2008-10-08T00:13:00.002-05:00

So, the print team has a need for digitizing roads...Tanya has declared this a state of mapgiving emergency and has stepped in to take this task on so that the other wayfinders can stay on task.

the veep tweets...

2008-10-08T00:00:00.003-05:00

Brandon Plewe Professor of Geography at Brigham Young University is also the NACIS vice-president and has served as our resident spectator since very early in the process. He has now started to tweet (excuse you) follow along if you want a update on the mapgiving playlist or whatever else he is heckling us about.

he is bplewe...

What to do?

2008-10-07T23:58:00.006-05:00

Web: Where's our data?

Print: How do solve the data questions? Changing gears???

Map status

2008-10-07T23:48:00.002-05:00

map layers are being worked on independent of each other...

Neil is working on water
Nick R. is all about the roads
David has the neighborhoods ready to go
Ginny is workin' on the shoreline
Martha is adding proposed trails
Glen is knee deep in the water too
Nat went out for a breath of fresh air and came back with novel concept for next year*
Jim is keeping Nick S. focused
Nick Springer is wondering...
Jeremy fails to respond because he is in his own little world of code and headbobbin' to some groovy tunes
Donna has a case of the tweets

* next year Nat proposes that we do maptaking - instead of creating a new map for non-profits, let's take an open source map product and turn it into a hideous commercial map product. Nice.

Glen guilds the Illy

2008-10-07T22:38:00.002-05:00

Glen has taken the lead of the master Illustrator file, after running into many holes in the data. Too many to continue with the original plan. Meanwhile, the web team grows anxious while waiting for the print team to develop a solution.

didn't drink the kool-aid

2008-10-07T22:01:00.001-05:00

Margaret, while intrigued by the project she has not accepted the t-shirt and therefore departed to places unknown. Thanks for stopping by. We still love you Margaret. xo

I'm a PC...I'm a Mac...

2008-10-07T21:49:00.007-05:00

Mac folks using PCs...PC folks using Macs...it's chaos! Computer swapping...focus...WOW!

it's all about the interface...

2008-10-07T21:20:00.005-05:00

Update from the web team - Nick Springer confirms that "we're working on the interface" - and in the corner...code is being written...just look at the intense concentration on Jeremy's face... Nat Case and Jim Meacham are sorting the points of interest (in mapspeak that's "POI")...

I love these people...LOVE THEM!

2008-10-07T21:03:00.005-05:00

I am amazed by how hard everyone is working...the ideas, the collaboration...FANTASTIC!

and now 11...

2008-10-07T20:34:00.002-05:00

Margaret Pearce, Assistant Professor of Geography at Ohio University has sat down at the web team table. It's catching on... and the only prescription is more giving! we're going to need a few more seats at the presentation table tomorrow night...

Gurgling coffee pot...second 12 cup pot has just finished brewing... the aroma is divine - Thanks Donna!

Map progress!

2008-10-07T20:32:00.003-05:00

The print team has decided on a scale and the dimension.

Scale: 1:11K
Dimension: 14 x 26 (revised)
Fold: accordion fold

...and then there were 10

2008-10-07T20:24:00.002-05:00

So, one of our friends and long-time NACIS members, Jim Meacham (director of the University of Oregon's InfoGraphics Lab) who we had originally approached to join us as a wayfinder (and wasn't sure he was going to be able to make it) has arrived and moved from the audience to the web team. Welcome Jim!

It's like catching a fever - you just can't sit by and watch! We are loving the enthusiasm and all the creative juice that is overflowing!

refueling...and picking up a few other generous map lovers along the way

2008-10-07T19:31:00.009-05:00

So, here we are...working...and the audible stomach growling was getting in the way of the creative process. What is the go to food and drink combo for late night production? Pizza and soda of course. So a special thank you to a few of our colleagues that have joined us tonight that have provided support for tonight's event. Jenn Milyko part of the NACIS 2008 local arrangement team from Adventure Cycling Association (ACA) here in Missoula, suggested "The Bridge" for pizza... She and Chris Anderson from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in Florida, picked up the delicious pies. Donna Genzmer from University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (UWM) has been our coffee and ice water maven tonight keeping us caffeinated and well hydrated. Susan Peschel, also hailing from UWM, and our NACIS business manager, has also provided a wake up call for one of our emergency nappers (Martha!) and is, as always willing to lend a hand with a lot of love for the team and the mapgiving effort...Joined by Jenny Marie Johnson, Map & Geography Librarian at University of Illinois, in a room nearby, they're assembling the various conference related necessities for tomorrow's morning rush on the registration table. Thank you all!

Donna and the joe...

Jenn and Chris with the pie

Susan and Jenny

UPDATE: Pizza arrives...and whoa! we forgot tables...for the food. So, the audience gives up their seats...

thigh-high buffet

in case you're wondering...the teams are hard at work while they devour the pizza...VERY HARD at work.

The project

2008-10-07T19:04:00.002-05:00

http://www.hankaaronstatetrail.org/

The teams come together...

2008-10-07T18:35:00.005-05:00

Coordination begins...will we have one team by the end of the night?

Tweet, tweet... follow along on Twitter...

2008-10-07T17:13:00.010-05:00

Follow the Wayfinders on Twitter as they attack this mapping task.

Glen: macmapman
Nick R.: NickRamirez
Martha: mlb_1975
Lou: LouCross
Tanya: tanmabuck
Nancy: nancyaten
Donna: DonnaGenzmer

We will update this list as the Wayfinders sign up.

Conference call...

2008-10-07T17:00:00.003-05:00

We're on the conference call with Nancy and Bob. They're briefing us on the background of the trail and the present day state of the area. We've got a few familiar faces in the audience too...and some other folks that have stopped by to check it out...

9 of 9

2008-10-07T16:44:00.001-05:00

tanya
Both teams full strength...Nat Case is here!

8 of 9

2008-10-07T16:06:00.002-05:00

tanya
Neil Allen has arrived...the print team is here!

Um...the web team...where are they.

Maptwister

2008-10-07T16:02:00.003-05:00

one of the many ways to keep busy when not being tasked with the map - we've got a few distractions like...mapTangle (Twister's cartographic cousin).

7 of 9

2008-10-07T15:58:00.000-05:00

tanya
David Barnes is here too!

6 of 9

2008-10-07T15:45:00.000-05:00

tanya
Ginny Mason is here!

i can't keep up...

2008-10-07T15:13:00.002-05:00

tanya
Right now...this is what I'm doing:

• blogging (posting a blog...which has come out as blosting a few times recently...so, I am blosting about kick-off)
• on phone with Wayfinder shuttle (Lou)
• informing Wayfinders of the days logistics
• finishing data prep—yes, this is still going on
• trying to figure out why blogger won't allow me to post images
• getting geocoded data from Bill (thank you, thank you)
• trying to remember the 15 other things I wanted to get done in the next 45 minutes

Thank you Wayfinders!

2008-10-07T15:00:00.004-05:00

tanya
Everyone who has agreed to be a Wayfinder is making some big sacrifices to be here early, to give up on much needed rest before multiple days of intense map talk. We wanted to be sure they were all well cared for. In their goody bags, we have included some mini cliff bars, some sort of chocolaty treat, a t-shirt, special name tags that will show their commitment as Wayfinders throughout the conference and an "i love maps" button.

5 of 9

2008-10-07T14:58:00.000-05:00

tanya
Nick Springer is here! A little weary and definitely hungry.

4 of 9

2008-10-07T14:56:00.001-05:00

tanya
Glen Pawelski has arrived, turns out he was on a flight with nearly half the conference (well, a few of them anyway)!

shuttle calling base station

2008-10-07T14:51:00.002-05:00

tanya
Lou is on his way to the hotel with a van full of Wayfinders and other NACIS attendees.

beyond the 9

2008-10-07T14:44:00.002-05:00

tanya
Bill Buckingham of the UW-Madison Applied Population Laboratory is our remote data prep volunteer. He is geocoding the points of interest along the trail for us prior to the Wayfinders showing up for production.

3 of 9

2008-10-07T14:43:00.000-05:00

tanya
Martha Bostwick has just stopped by.

2 of 9

2008-10-07T14:01:00.003-05:00

tanya
Jeremy White is on the ground. He just stopped by to pick up his bag of goodies.

1 of 9

2008-10-07T13:22:00.003-05:00

Nick Ramirez has arrived... we're wondering where Martha Bostwick is... it's raining today - good thing the kick-off is inside today.

Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out

2008-10-07T13:05:00.012-05:00

tanya
Thanks to the Beastie Boys, another stop at Break Espresso this morning and a whole lot of excitement, the Madison Room at the Holiday Inn is bursting with energy. Just waiting for the Wayfinders now.

It's really happening...

The trail, part 2

2008-10-07T02:20:00.002-05:00

tanya
A little more about the trail, from the client.

The area has been a historic gathering place, lush marshland, and vast natural resource. From the mid-1800s to the 1920s, it had also become the industrial center for the city, employing tens of thousands of workers from vibrant neighborhoods on the surrounding bluffs. During the second half of the 20th century, its economic position declined. The once-vibrant natural ecosystems and then vital industrial center became a large expanse of devastatingly altered land, contamination, and vacant buildings.

As conceived, this trail would be much different from other state parks and trails typically preserving an area of obvious natural beauty; this trail would be located on the state’s largest brownfield--importantly, within a 15 minute bike ride of over 400,000 residents.

Today, broadening the vision inspired by the trail, the area is in the midst of an ecological and economic resurgence. Quality jobs are being created close to those in need, with buildings built and operated with sustainable practices. Environmental quality has improved dramatically, the river is once again the heart of the community and wildlife is increasing. Hundreds of people participate each year in planning and stewardship activities, creating an extraordinary sense of community ownership.

I know that we can seem gushy and mushy; we care a lot, and we like to emphasize the positives. Part of this is because of needing to transmit optimism because there has been a vast amount of historic (and even some in more recent years) negative attitude to this place – some earned, some simply not deserved. Part of this is to support our own need to be persistent to an extreme in the real world of trying to get anything good done. Part of this is because there really are amazingly wonderful parts of the project that we want everyone to know.

Something on my mind all the time… is attention to detail and concern for getting to a critical mass of "cared for". It is the nature of brownfield remediation and building trails and restoring native landscapes and cleaning up rivers that they have a rough first several years, and people don't like how they look (even when formerly brownfield). I know that those of us who are in the place all the time sometimes miss an eye for perceived problems... our rose-colored lenses are pretty good at tuning them out. I get so used to my work space under the viaduct and the dust that I can forget how it seems to others. So I know people new to the site have responses that I may have forgotten how to predict. And it is a fine line between fighting against what my friend lorrie otto (an elder in the environmental community) calls "the tyranny of the tidy mind" that wants concrete and turf and expressing enough beauty to let people love a place (a kind of place and a kind of beauty unfamiliar to most people) and learn its health. We emphasize our own kind of beauty, including the spotted eggs in a ground nest, the reflection of the viaduct when it rains, a particularly gorgeous leaf, artist glass panels, kids on bikes, fisherpeople in waders in this urban river, employees in the city having greenspace for a lunchtime walk, return of leopard frogs, a dance performance in the wetlands. Your mapgiving project can help give us a large boost in the critical mass of "cared for"... beauty and detail and function and helpfulness and communication and story-telling, with complete respect for the context… helping reveal the latent potential and beauty of this complex urban place.

The trail, part 1

2008-10-06T23:51:00.001-05:00

tanya
We asked our client to give us a little more information about the trail and how the map will be put to use. Please read part one of the history of this great space and the mission.

Our place and our project…has involved a few giant leaps of faith in the last decade. We have kept at it by, essentially, telling stories. This has been crucial in slowly building civic and community support and collaboration. Now we have a trail (first half) within a 15 minute bike ride of over 400,000 people, many in economically challenged neighborhoods underserved by green space, by transportation options, by family-supporting-wage jobs, and by a healthy environment. (One of the first big steps in this larger project was the research and documentation by a local community health center connecting constituent health problems with environmental health of the river and the air in our communities).

And yet… our trail and its environs is still a secret to many, or has longstanding perceptions that keep people away. (At one meeting in summer of 2006, city officials were shown a recent projected image of the park from the viaduct looking west down onto the river, restored banks looking green and healthy, the river looking its sparkling best… and an alderperson asked which river that was… mostly, I think, because the thought of it being our river was out of their realm of possibilities).

We know that continuing to tell stories, and sharing the love, is how we reach the community and trail users, how we engage stewards, how we persuade funders, and how we inspire equally challenging projects in other cities. You, mapgiving, can enrich the stories, tell them more effectively, and reach people more effectively. And with a big trail extension in the works that doubles the length of the trail and will finally connect to the state trail network really effectively… we’ve got an even bigger story to tell.

This trail was just a gleam in people's eyes for many years. We’ve got a ways to go, but already the trail is actively used by commuters, kids, families, runners, employees on lunch breaks, and school classes.

Advance team checking it out...

2008-10-05T19:55:00.005-05:00

lou
Finally here in Missoula...and since it was raining today, I decided to skip the flyfishing and get a jump start on the logistics on-site. This evening at Break Espresso - refueled by a few cups of coffee (necessary conditioning for Tuesday's kick-off) and a slice of pumpkin cheesecake, Tanya and I met and have made a few more lists of to-dos, and to-don't-forgets so we are ready for the other wayfinders to arrive on Tuesday. We found a great cache of organic chocolates, fruits and nuts at the Good Food Store down the street. Once we confirm coffee supply, we should be well stocked for the event. It's no surprise that when surveyed as to what fuel they would prefer for the span of the 12 hours nearly everyone requested chocolate and coffee...

46.8682N 113.9938W

2008-10-04T20:44:00.011-05:00

tanya
After planning for so long, and anticipating this kick-off event, it is hard to believe that I am finally in Missoula.
I began my trip with a climb up UM's M. The weather is beautiful...cool and breezy, as I was hiking the trail, I could see the clouds and rain coming in from the southwest and knew I would be soaked by the end of my excursion. Check out more photos.

We have more data!

2008-10-02T14:22:00.006-05:00

tanya
Thanks to the kind folks managing this amazing set of data, we should have more than enough information to supply our teams with everything they need to complete their tasks.

Sifting and sorting now. How do you prepare hundreds of megabytes of data and months of communication with a client for 10 people who have 12 hours to complete an advanced task of mapping, when they haven't seen any of the information?

I'm a cartographer.

2008-09-30T15:03:00.029-05:00

tanya

"So, what do you do?"
"I am a cartgrapher."

"What's that?"
"I make maps"
"OH! I LOVE MAPS!"
"Yes, I get that a lot and it is a great job."
"But wait, hasn't everything already been mapped?"

This is how it often goes, but as cartographers this is one of the most enjoyable exchanges we have.

It's hard to find someone who doesn't love maps. In our day to day activities we see people who take it even one step further. I work with people who are nuts over road maps, they actually get updates to highways emailed to them. I work with people who are fanatical about boundaries and can instantly pick out the improper boundary of Finland, for example, depending on the year of the map. This is what we do, and we love it. Photoshop addicts, who think about the best way to bring out the shading of a hill. Energy like this will be gathering in one week from today for the mapgiving kick-off. The Wayfinders will be uniting, some meeting for the first time, to apply the love of this craft to our very deserving client.

Do you love maps too? We're considering making some additional buttons if there is interest.

Bits and bites

2008-09-29T21:39:00.029-05:00

tanya
In sorting through the hundreds of megabytes of data, I realized around 3 pm that I'd neglected to eat even one bite of food all day. We are excited to have so much data in-hand, yet we went on hunt to find more. Our client informed us of a group in the Milwaukee area that has an extensive collection of data.

So we searched, contacting some colleagues that might have had some more information about this data, and after a little more sleuthing, we found the data we were looking for. Now, we are working with this group to obtain, a more manageable sub-set of these data. While we want to be prepared, we must balance the desire to have more than what the teams really need to complete the maps, with having too little data, or worse, not having the right data for the job. If we get too much data, it would likley lead to unecessarily large file sizes, making it difficult to work with when trying to map the area of interest.

On the way to the fax machine I made a desperate effort of rummaging through my bag in search of something edible, as luck would have it, I found a lonely Cliff Bar (black cherry almond) buried below a CDs, a collection of "to-do" lists, and books. I do like Cliff Bars, don't get me wrong, but It's amazing how good something can taste when it's the first thing you had to eat all day.

Once we receive this set of data (truly incredible to find all of this in one place), we will pause to ask ourselves, "To trace or not to trace?". Is it too detailed, does the detail interfere with the purpose of the map? If so, Lou and I will need to decide if this is a task that is manageable for the ten Wayfinders, within the twelve hour time frame that we have established with all of the other things we are asking them to do.

The goodies

2008-09-28T22:06:00.001-05:00

tanya
Tonight we are organizing data. As we dig through the information that we have, we are dividing it up based on each Wayfinder's specialty, as they have indicated to us in our communication with them. The captains, will then be handed all of the information and will direct the production.

the (un)usual suspects

2008-09-26T15:12:00.012-05:00

lou
Are you curious as to who the wayfinders are for the kick-off event? Without giving away all of the juicy details, we would like you to meet the team...

Neil Allen (captain, print) Allan Cartography
David Barnes ESRI
Martha Bostwick Maps.com
Nat Case Hedberg Maps
Ginny Mason National Geographic
Jim Meacham UO InfoGraphics Lab
Glen Pawelski XNR Productions
Nick Ramirez Humbolt State University
Nick Springer (captain, web) Springer Cartographics LLC
Jeremy White Blueshirt and University of Wisconsin-Madison

Putting the pieces together

2008-09-24T20:34:00.011-05:00

tanya
The meeting with the client today was great. We are excited to get all of the information organized and start sharing it with you. We received the standard base map information (which we're very grateful to have) and some wonderful surprises too (e.g., historic photos, cultural data).

We will continue to offer you pieces of the puzzle over the course of the coming week, in anticipation of seeing the teams come together.

Aquisitions

2008-09-23T19:41:00.002-05:00

tanya
Tomorrow I head back to Milwaukee, after a successful conference call last week. We decided it is beneficial for me to meet with the client. The purpose of the meeting will be to secure data and assets for our teams. The client is extremely excited about the proposed approach and had many great ideas to add.

Can you hear me now?

2008-09-18T15:00:00.002-05:00

tanya
After a few weeks of trying to connect all of the necessary parties, we were finally able to get the two representatives from the client's side and Lou and I all on the phone together this afternoon.

We felt super-charged after the conference call to have had the chance to share our ideas and hear the client's hopes and uses for the maps. We are encouraged because there will be more data to work with than we had anticipated. Next week, I will be going to Milwaukee to meet with the client to sift through all of it. The packet of information that the teams receive on October 7 will be a goldmine of information.

There is no catch.

2008-08-18T19:59:00.000-05:00

lou
So, I am describing mapgiving to a friend and she asks, "What's the catch?" and I shake my head and reply, "There isn't a catch...we really just want to do what we do best, because we want to make a difference for people that are in need of better maps to promote their good work and don't have the resources to commission professional work." her rebuttal, "There's always a catch."

It leaves Tanya and I asking, "Why is it often difficult to give something to someone, especially of value without this idea of a 'catch' lingering?"

mapgiving is the the thing, the place, where the unknown and the known have come together to provide a great service, a beautiful culmination of sharing our talents with those doing great work around the world, to help them to be able to do that just a little bit better.

What you have to understand about this is, everyone who participates in mapgiving benefits. Cartographers get to do something they love, they get to expand their portfolio, they get to work with other experts in the field, fostering new relationships. All cartographers are welcomed to join mapgiving and donate a few hours here and there throughout the year. This includes cartography and geography students, which would provide a place to do client work possibly for the first time. Helping to build their portfolio and experience.

The client benefits by receiving a map that is directed to his or her specifications to support the work that his or her group is doing.

Simply put...there is no catch.

collaboration not competition

2008-08-18T15:55:00.002-05:00

lou
When Tanya told me about her ideas, I immediately began thinking about several years of sharing creative work once a year with other people who love maps at the NACIS annual meeting. For decades some of the most talented people in our profession have gathered to discuss all things map related. It is a network where collaboration and innovation between academics, students, government agencies, and professionals is fostered. Along with NACIS, there have been other meeting places, such as the Map-Mac list serve, and a the recent addition of CartoTalk which have broadened the network internationally, in addition to other professional organizations.

Tanya and I had participated in previous events at the NACIS annual meeting, namely MapOff. MapOff was a non-competitive exercise, if you will. Five cartographers were given the same task and asked to produce his or her own map. The map was then presented to the entire organization and critiqued. This was once done for a client, but was always done outside of the conference, and always as individuals, or within offices.

This kick-off event is not MapOff and it is not simply a replacement for MapOff. mapgiving is much larger. It is not something we are gathering to do just for this conference. But, it is an embodiment of NACIS, encouraging people within the field to work together. It only seems right to bring the two together for this event, and hopefully for many future endeavors.

Instead of working parallel to one another, as MapOff had done, mapgiving will pool cartographic talent to see what all of these great minds can produce. This mission will continue, as we work to get the word out there to let organizations know we are here, ready to help them. We will be asking cartographers to donate some time to join us in this.

Why 12 hours and why all in one night?

We decided to do the kick-off event in one night, because it was the most we felt we could ask people to go out of their way around the time of the conference. Most professionals arrive the day before Practical Cartography Day, so we wanted to capture this time.

Previously, cartographers were asked to prepare something ahead of time. We did not want them thinking about this ahead of time, we did not want them to be forced to find time to fit this in with their client work. Additionally, we wanted to foster new relationships with these professional colleagues, getting to know one another on a much more personal level than trading files via email and ftp.

Hosting this high-energy kick-off event allows us to really demonstrate how much fun and how much excitement we have for mapgiving, and to share it with the world. While, at the same time, encouraging more cartographers to become involved in this cause.

A beautiful Friday

2008-08-18T12:25:00.017-05:00

tanya
Thanks to a summer schedule that has allowed it, and a generous gesture, all of us at XNR have had a rotating cycle of Fridays off through August. I spent my day away from the desk to map work on the trail. A glorious day of low humidity, light breeze and mid-70s made for a great afternoon to do a little ground truthing.

I packed up my bike and headed over to the trail, ill-prepared for the short ride I had for the day, but my lack of preparation certainly added to the adventure. I cycled through the city and found my way to the client's office where they were celebrating with a brat cookout. We met briefly, while he prepared and served food to the interns who were one their way back to school. I gathered more information from him about the project and a shared the approach the captains have decided on: one team for the print product and one for the on-line. He is quite excited.

We will plan to speak with the organization to determine a more focused list of goals for the project this month and will then begin collecting the data from them in early September.

Client meeting and ground truthing

2008-08-14T12:56:00.009-05:00

tanya
Tomorrow I will be meeting with the client for the kick-off event and touring the area that the Wayfinding teams will be mapping.

In the meantime, we are continuing to help the captains establish their teams. It's exciting to see all of these talented individuals coming together.

You will be able to keep up with the kick-off event, as we blog, hourly here. Also, we will be posting regularly to Twitter, and will encourage the team members to do the same, throughout the evening. More information will follow as October approaches. If you want to get a head start on catching our tweets find us on Twitter: LouCross or tanmabuck.

Wayfinders

2008-08-09T21:59:00.018-05:00

tanya
What qualifies someone to be a mapgiving team member (a.k.a. wayfinder)? First of all, you've got to be someone who loves maps enough to sit in a room with other talented cartographers for up to 12 hours working towards the common goal of creating an outstanding map for a client you've just met. Sound like fun? We're counting on it.

We'll take care of wayfinders while they're working...They'll be well fed and watered, as they embark on the challenge of collaborating with their professional colleagues...and plotting a course for project completion.

The logistics of it all: Each team member must come prepared with his or her own laptop and appropriate software, or be able to borrow one, could be a teammate, who isn't required to be working on the project at the same time. This can be coordinated with the team captain. The mapping will begin at 4 pm MDT on Tuesday, October 7, 2008, and can last until 4 am, if necessary. Team members only need to be present for their specific task, but are encouraged to hang around throughout the process.

The info, as it was sent to the captains:

"Thank you for agreeing to be a captain for the mapgiving kick-off. Now it’s time to assemble your team. Once your roster is set, you will not need to do anything until Tuesday, October 7.

A few rules and guidelines for team membership:
• Each team must have at least one student team member
• No more than two members on a team who are currently employed by the same organization
• Teams can be up to 6 people
• Team members, must have access to a laptop and necessary software
• Team members do not need to be present for the entire Kick-off, but will need to be present to complete their mapgiving expected goals (as determined by the captain)
• Mapping will begin at 4 pm on Tuesday, October 7 (orientation at 3 pm MDT) and can last 12 hours
• All team members will receive a digital copy of the final map(s)
• The final map will be given to the client to use as they wish

A bit about the client:
• State trail in Wisconsin
• Client is looking for a “snappier” map than what they currently have, would like to include things like running/biking routes, points of interest that the trail connects, as well as points of interest along the trail, mile markers
• The initial use of this product will be for an on-line map, with simple interactivity (e.g., a link to the websiteof the point of interest), there is potential for it to be used in the future as a printed product
• There will be two scales of the map, this is where the team division will be

A bit about the setup:
• We will camp out in a room within the hotel
• Internet will be available, necessary data will be provided to you at the orientation
• Food and drinks will be provided throughout the event (please alert us to dietary requirements and preferences)"

It's coming together now...

Clients and Captains

2008-08-01T15:36:00.009-05:00

tanya
Lou and I had a great conference call with our first client last week on Friday. Early on in the conversation we realized that there is plenty of work for two teams to tackle with this one project. For the kick-off we'll have one client. Two teams will work on different aspects of the project resulting in two finished maps.

The client will remain anonymous until the kick-off on October 7, in Missoula. We have given the captains some general information about the project so they can recruit the right talent to join their teams.

The team captains for the kick-off event received their invitations to the mapping marathon this week. As we had hoped, the response from the captains was quite enthusiastic.

Invitation text:

"Dear X,

You are cordially invited to be one of two captains for the mapgiving kick-off event to be held on Tuesday, October 7 in Missoula, Montana.

As a captain your responsibilities would include, assembling a team of cartographers who can complete a mapping project, which we will describe upon receiving your acceptance of our invitation. On Tuesday, October 7, when you arrive to the hotel, you will find your way to the mapgiving location for the evening. Food, drinks and a whole lotta fun and camaraderie will fill the evening. You and your team members can come and go as you wish. However, as a captain you will need to be present for the orientation which will begin at 3 pm MDT on Tuesday, production is expected to begin at 4 pm and can last up to12 hours.

The goal is to work with diverse group of cartographers to complete a task for an organization that is doing good work. The results of this session will be presented at the opening session where the teams and captains will have a chance to talk about the experience and process.

For a little more background, visit: www.mapgiving.org, which will direct you to our blog. As soon as we have received your confirmation, we will fill you in on more details and assist you in setting up your team. Please respond to: info@mapgiving.org.

Sincerely,
Lou and Tanya"

Two more have joined the effort... a few more to go...

Kick-off event!

2008-07-14T23:59:00.013-05:00

tanya
On Wednesday, October 8 a group of cartographers will be gathering in preparation for an annual meeting. The day before, will be the big mapgiving kick-off event. We are hoping to finalize details with the nonprofit clients we have contacted.

The next task is to find the captains of the two teams!

The event will be a high energy mapping jam-session for a good cause:

• Teams arrive in Missoula

• Set up workstations at mapgiving headquarters

• Food, drinks, and camaraderie to be had

• Final products will be unveiled at the opening session of the conference on Wednesday

Plan to follow along, here, as we go through the evening. Festivities to begin at 3 pm MDT on October 7.

Finding our way

2008-06-21T00:10:00.008-05:00

tanya
It is actually more difficult than one would think to give stuff away for free. As I search through Charity Navigator for ideas about who to contact, I see potential for maps and geographic analysis in nearly every group that I read about.

At XNR, this map was created for a local community organization who had recently moved.

Locating the physical space that a building occupies or an event on a map is not the only way to use a map for your group. We can analyze data, look at where you are doing your work, who it's affecting. We can help you get the word out and show people where your work is being done.

Just ask us, we can tell you how a map would enhance what you are doing!

Creating our map

2008-06-20T22:58:00.018-05:00

tanya
I saw a map on the kitchen table today. It's one that my husband drew—a cartographer by title, a spatial data analyst, student and teacher by passion—for a recent weekend outing. The map is on a piece of yellow legal paper, a pen with a line drawn quickly across the middle and arrowheads on both ends. There are four labels on the map.

Some would say that this does not qualify as a map. But, he represented the information he needed, eliminated unnecessary data and clearly portrayed the spatial relationship to the intended audience, himself.

If only my search for starting mapgiving had been so direct, we would have donated hundreds of hours by this point, to groups who could have benefitted from our services. But, along the way, I have learned a number of lessons, I spent a lot of time without a map exploring the world and landed with a clear picture of what I'd like the destination to look like.

I began my search by contacting well-respected professors on the topic of geographic education and community involvement. Most advice was the same, "Go back to school, get a PhD, write a book."

While this path is clear and could be easily followed, it doesn't match my interests. I make maps, and I really love making maps, and I don't want to get away from that.

Eventually, I began talking to other professional colleagues. Many of them sounded interested in participating in a similar experiment. I began nearly every conversation with: "I don't know what I'm going to do about it, but I'm going to start a geography revolution." When I spoke with Lou Cross, a colleague through a professional society, he was as excited as I was. He started rattling off ideas the minute I told him about it. That was over a month ago and still, I can barely get a word in. We finally had a chance to sit down and sketch out some ideas—over coffee, of course—in May, after the North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS) board meeting. mapgiving was born.

We don't know how the path will go, but we know that we are standing at Point A and we know what Point B is. We're doing what we love and writing it down to tell you about it, unsure of how we'll get there or what we will pass along the way.

C'mon follow us on our journey, get involved, and add some notes to the map while we go.

You don't need anything fancy to make your map, work with whatever you have to record your trip.

The idea

2008-06-12T15:01:00.004-05:00

tanya
At home, stuck on the couch while fighting the flu, I turned on the television to watch Oprah—sounds like a regular sick day for most people. It just happens that during this episode, Oprah is interviewing people who had given up high paying jobs because they wanted to pursue something larger and more fulfilling than a hefty paycheck. Something resonated for me.

I'd been searching for an opportunity to combine my skills as a cartographer with my interest in sharing time, money, and education. I just hadn't quite figured out how a map would be that vehicle. This day, sick, at home, on the couch; it hit me. It was so simple. I could make maps for people who are doing good work. People and groups who can't afford to devote money to have the maps made, because they must allocate their financial resources to the mission of their organization, not to the advertisement or geographic analysis of their work. My giving, would be done by donating what I love to others who are giving,

The next day, I took it to my boss. I asked if it would be possible to incorporate this idea into part of our company plan. A portion of our time, spent donating our expertise to the world: sharing our talent, our craft and our skills. She told me to go for it, find people who need what we do.

Room to Read is the first group that I contacted. What I've learned through the process of trying to give something away for free, is that everyone is a little suspicious of it. Even groups who spend all of their time doing just that. Room to Read responded with a series of questions, and a lot of interest. On a conference call, I could hear how excited they were. They are displaying maps found in the CIA World Factbook on their website—perfectly respectable reference maps—but, what Room to Read really needs is to highlight the great work they are doing in many countries: providing education to children through building schools and libraries.

Our relationship was formed. We are now in the stage of developing a style for the Room to Read maps, working with their staff to make sure the maps contain the content and provide the 'feel' that connects viewers and supporters of their work with the actual locations of where the work is being completed.

Getting Started

2008-06-10T05:21:00.000-05:00

Connecting non-profit groups in need of maps with cartographers interested in donating time. More to come soon!

-Tanya Buckingham (tanmabuck@gmail.com)