CAHSS Faculty Articles

Greening the Globe, One Map at a Time

Publication Title

The Community Literacy Journal

ISSN

1555-9734

Publication Date

2009

Abstract

Literacy is often conceived as the literacy of community members, but rarely as these members’ literacy of their communities. Although our sense of community has become increasingly separated from geography, our local environment is a critical resource for developing the eco-literacy necessary to imagine sustainable futures. The Green Map® movement offers a model for how educators can encourage such literacy through engagement with the local community. Green maps are maps of local green living resources, including sites of cultural, natural, and civic significance. These maps are created by local citizens with support from the Green Map® organization, which has inspired a new era of grass-roots cartography. By involving students in the production of green maps, educators can encourage an eco-literacy that is grounded in the local community and focused on designing shared visions of responsible co-existence.

Volume

4

Issue

1

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