
The NYC Community Garden Mapping Project (CGMP) gives visitors the opportunity to view interactive maps of Community Gardens. Since 2001, the CGMP web site has provided detailed information about community gardens and open spaces within the context of their surrounding neighborhoods – e.g., vacant lots, abandoned buildings, schools, housing, etc. The web site is used by the general public, urban planners, community boards, city gardeners, and others interested in New York City land use to help inform neighborhood planning and development decisions.
To access the web site, click here.
Using a web browser, users of the NYC Community Garden Mapping Project can:
The data, photos, and maps are updated periodically by CENYC using information provided by the gardeners themselves, GreenThumb, and other sources. Our partners have assisted in this effort.
The Community Garden Mapping Project is a part of OASIS (Open Accessible Space Information Systems), a larger internet-based interactive mapping and data analysis application to enhance the stewardship of open space in New York City. OASIS is a cooperative effort of over 30 not-for-profit organizations, city, state and federal agencies, and corporations.
Funding and technology training/support for the Community Garden Mapping Project has been received by the Council on the Environment, Inc. from the Youth, Community Gardens and Urban Environment Initiative of the Philanthropic Collaborative, Inc., the Levitt Foundation, the Conservation Technology Support Program, Environmental Systems Research Institute and Urban Resources Partnership and the NYC Open Accessible Space Information System (OASIS).
The Neighborhood Tree Project at CENYC 2007
From 2003 to 2007, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders from PS 45 left their classrooms with tape measures, meter sticks, diameter tape measures and handheld computers to map and measure the trees in their neighborhood. From one 3rd grade class participating in 2003 to 10 different classes in 2007 the students joined CENYC’s Lenny Librizzi to create a map showing the location of 158 trees along with spreadsheets showing the data they collected.
Children as young as first grade but primarily 3rd
and 4th graders utilize map reading skills, learn the use of
measuring tools, identify trees from their leaves and other characteristics,
use estimating skills to determine foliage density and rate the tree as either
excellent, good, poor or dead. The trees are located on a local area map that
includes streets and buildings. The data is entered into handheld computers and
maps and spreadsheets are generated to show the information.
The information is also sent to the NYC Open Accessible Space Information
Systems (OASIS) www.oasisnyc.net
where maps and collected data are included on this website devoted to open
space in NYC. The raw data is also be used by the Northeast Research Station of
the USDA Forest Service to calculate the amount and value of pollution
collected by trees.
As a Science project the NTP became the outdoor laboratory
session for the study of plants and living things. The measurements the
students were asked to make were correlated to the math curriculum. The NTP
also offered connections to Geography, Social Studies, Art and Writing.
One teacher had her 4th graders work on a persuasive writing project by writing letters to Councilmember Michael McMahon
asking for trees to be planted in 4 empty tree pits that her students noticed
in their survey work. Thanks to the Councilman’s help, 4 trees were planted in
the fall of 2005. Another tribute to the success of the project is that PS 45
and PS 31 have included the NTP in their Comprehensive Educational Plans, a
planning tool to guide administrators, teachers and parents for the upcoming
school year.
The
Neighborhood Tree Project successfully uses technology to help bring students
in contact with nature. Handheld computers, GIS and other computer software are
joined with fieldwork where a student has to actually touch a tree and make
observations. An added benefit is that teachers can use the students’ real
world experiences as a basis of classroom lessons in a variety of subjects. The
students and the world can see the results of their research on the web on
OASIS. This is something that students can point to with pride and can share
with others while also learning a lesson about sharing information and working
collaboratively. They can also see how computers and the Internet can be used
for something fun and interesting besides games.
Follow this link for a PDF of the latest map and spreadsheet of the data collected for PS 45.