Build technology that improves information sharing, communicates the value of the urban forest, and engages communities in creating greener, more livable urban environments.

Government Entities:

The Urban Forest Map will serve as a one-stop repository for tree data, allowing information from many government agencies to be viewed together while maintaining the data integrity of the different organizations. This broader view of the urban forest will improve management efforts and aid in planning future growth of the urban forest. Citizen participation may make up for budget shortfalls by providing inventory information, helping track pests and diseases, and providing feedback on management needs.

IN 140 CHARACTERS Check out the @UrbanForestMap! Will improve management efforts and aid in planning future growth of the urban forest.

Tree Advocates:

The Urban Forest Map will help visualize the state of the urban forest, improving planning and outreach efforts and allowing citizen groups to target their efforts to critical areas. The emphasis on citizen input will encourage grass-roots participation. Organizations will be able to  use the Urban Forest Map as their own tool to track inventory, avoiding the need for expensive, proprietary software.

IN 140 CHARACTERS The Urban Forest Map will help visualize the state of the urban forest (@urbanforestmap). http://urbanforestmap.org

Software Developers:

The Urban Forest Map is a fully open-source project—the source code, html/css, and data are freely available for download. Developers are encouraged to participate in whatever ways they wish, including improving functionality and creating server-side plug-ins and client apps.

IN 140 CHARACTERS The @UrbanForestMap is a fully open-source project—the source code, html/css, and data are freely available for download.

Citizen Foresters:

By participating in the Urban Forest Map project, tree allies are taking a critical step to improve their urban environment and make our city a more green and liveable place. The information added to the Map will be used by planners and municipal foresters to plan for future growth and planting opportunities, improve wildlife habitat, maximize ecosystem services, and grow a strong and healthy urban forest. While helping achieve those goals, citizen foresters are helping make their own environment better.

IN 140 CHARACTERS San Francisco citizen foresters! Add trees to the Urban Forest Map http://urbanforestmap.org (@urbanforestmap)

Scientists:

The data collected for the Urban Forest Map will be freely available to scientists of all stripes. Hydrologists will find value in understanding the stormwater management capacity of the urban forest, biologists will be able to plan for improved wildlife habitat, solar engineers can use the GIS capabilities of the Map to target ideal solar power opportunities, entomologists will be able to track pests and diseases that target urban trees, and climate scientists will have a better understanding of the contributions of the urban forest in reducing levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases.

IN 140 CHARACTERS The @urbanforestmap, helping scientists understand the contributions of the urban forest. http://urbanforestmap.org

“The City of San Francisco is dedicated to being one of the greenest cities on the planet. This Urban Forest Map is an exciting opportunity for our community to create an online forum to become more actively involved in the greening of the city. Not only will this technology make the city’s maintenance procedures easier to perform, but our citizens now have a place where they can come together to make a difference to the urban landscape.” --San Francisco Mayor, Gavin Newsom  

“Most people don’t know that the tree in front of their home absorbs a significant amount of storm water, but now with the Urban Forest Map, for example, residents can add critical information about their trees and in return see the gallons of storm water their trees absorb and the financial benefit associated.” -Amber Bieg

“One of the coolest things about the Urban Forest Map is its calculations of the environmental benefits trees provide. Once you’ve added a tree to the Map, it calculates the energy the tree is conserving, the pounds of air pollutants and carbon dioxide being removed from the air, and the gallons of stormwater that are being filtered. Your tree’s benefits are added to the city’s total." - Kelaine Vargas

“There’s a growing understanding of the value of “citizen science.” Science isn’t just the realm of professionals and people with doctorates anymore. We all have something to offer: a glimpse into the world just outside our windows, documentation of our environment. This information is really valuable for planning and improving and just understanding the world around us.” - Kelaine Vargas

“For many people, the urban forest is their closest connection to nature. We should celebrate that. The trees along our streets and in our backyards are part of the great fabric of our natural world. They weave the connection from cities to small towns through farmland to our glorious wild forests. They are no less an expression of nature than the great old redwoods of Yosemite.” - Kelaine Vargas

“Green technology is the wave of the future and San Francisco is at the forefront of development. The Urban Forest Map is one way to put computers and networks to work to help green our city.” - Kelaine Vargas

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