- Author: Grace Dean
Through a brand-new application design, the Forest Stewardship team has made it easier to view forestry community stories
The Forest Stewardship team has revamped their Forest Stewardship Story Map, first published in summer 2023. The new application hosts a slew of new features, which provide a more user-friendly experience and allow users to learn about the forestry education programs offered by UC ANR.
The new application, built using ArcGIS Experience Builder, is live and can be viewed at https://bit.ly/ForestStoryMap.
Follow along as we go through the new Forest Stewardship Story Map, highlighting key new features, and giving voice to small forest landowners.
User-directed story map
The Forest Stewardship Story Map homepage hosts the user-directed story map and directional information. The page offers background on the Forest Stewardship workshop series, and users can click through to view directions on how to use the map. Scrolling down will reveal the map.
This new interface allows users to select stories via two methods: based on county locations or the story map list. The new story map list also hosts the ability to filter stories by landowner, professional, and county – making it easier to spotlight each interviewee's distinct relationship with California forestland.
Scroll to the top to click on the brand-new page “Educational Programs.”
Educational Programs
The new Educational Programs page provides background and information on the Forest Stewardship Education Program and the Post-Fire Forest Resilience Program. Both workshop programs are designed for California landowners who are seeking management information for pre- and post-fire forestland. Readers will be able to distinguish the differences between the two programs in both mission and implementation through viewing the impacts of each program.
The Story Map also hosts upcoming event information for both Forest Stewardship and Post-Fire Forest Resilience programs, giving users opportunities to engage with UC ANR. It is important to Kim Ingram, forest stewardship academic coordinator, and Katie Reidy, post-fire forest resilience academic coordinator, that Story Map visitors are able to access information that has aided the landowners who shared their stories with us.
“Forest landowners express to us a huge need for forest management education and outreach,” said Ingram. “However, knowing where to start can often be confusing. Our hope is through the Story Map, landowners can see themselves in the stories of others, and take that all-important first step.”
Users can also connect with forestry professionals highlighted on the Story Map by clicking on the tab titled “Connect with a Professional.”
Connect with a professional
Introducing workshop participants to their local natural resource professionals is a hallmark of both the Forest Stewardship Education and Post-Fire Forest Resilience workshops. Each program facilitates knowledge sharing between landowners and professionals at weekly online workshop meetings and in-person field days. Now, the Story Map provides another avenue for landowners to connect with their local forestry professionals.
Landowners are able to contact professionals who provided their stories via email on the “Connect with a Professional” page. Users can also visit the website for each professional's organization and use the “Find Your UCCE Office'” tool to locate their county's UC Cooperative Extension Office.
Looking to the future
As the Forest Stewardship Education Initiative and the Post-Fire Forest Resilience programs expand to new areas in 2024, more stories from community members will be spotlighted. The new Story Map has added stories from Santa Cruz County forest landowners, UC ANR fire advisors and Post-Fire Forest Resilience workshop participants.
Though the application's shell has been altered, the mission of the Story Map remains the same: to showcase stories that will inspire landowners to take management action and connect with a statewide network of forestry resources, including UC ANR's Forest Stewardship Education and Post-Fire Forest Resilience workshop programs. Join us and share your story!
Registration is open for the next Forest Stewardship Education workshop in Fresno and Madera counties. Sign up at ucanr.edu/forestryworskhopregistration.
Registration is open for the next Post-Fire Forest Resilience workshop in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. Sign up at https://ucanr.edu/sites/forestry/Post-fire_Forest_Resilience/Post-fire_Forest_Resilience_Workshops/.
