Enjoying Outside, Inside - Online Maps and Mapping Tools
Amy Boyer • October 25, 2022
Vegetation cover in California (CalFire)
Sometimes maps are the next best thing to being actually outside. They let us imagine journeys, prepare for disaster, and make unexpected connections. There are an unbelievable number of maps online that allow us to explore our world. Here are just a few maps and mapping tools to dive into.
For hikers there are a couple of highly interactive resource that allow you to build your own maps:
- Caltopo lets you build, save, and print amazingly detailed maps. Hit the "Start mapping" button to build your map. First zoom in on the area you want, then select your base map, and then choose overlays, which can give you everything from a fairly crude geology map to cell phone coverage to a wind plot for a time of your choosing up to 36 hours in the future.
- Topobuilder at USGS helps you to build your own custom 7.5 minute topo map. If Ithere a place you want to hike that runs over two topo maps, this pilot program allows you to select an area that is the same size as the classic 7.5 minute topo map and build a map that has just as much detail. Be aware that you may need some ingenuity to print your map at a workable resolution. They have a detailed user guide too.
To explore California on a large scale, try the maps at CalFire's Fire Resource Protection Program. They have numerous high-resolution pdf maps that immediately stimulate questions and thought. They also have GIS data for pro mappers. Here are a few highlights:
The ownership map shows public lands in California and makes it easy to locate parks.
The vegetation cover map shows wildlife habitat types throughout the state.
The fire perimeters map shows areas for large wildfires from 1950 to 2021.(This one is download-only; click on Fire Perimeters.)
Speaking of fire, Inciweb shows wildland fires across the nation, including prescribed burns. Zoom in to see active California fires. Clicking on incidents gets you to the most recent public updates and perimeter maps. Airnow.gov has a specialized fire and smoke map that shows especially active plumes and where air quality is good or poor.
You can also see the latest earthquakes in the US or around the world at the USGS: how big, how recent, and how close to populated areas.
Check out this previous Enjoying Outside, Inside article for more maps!
-Amy Boyer
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We are excited to announce the dates for next year's Certified California Naturalist courses! Our multi-week course will be held Fridays, January 16 to March 6 with three field trips held on Saturdays. Our one-week immersive course at Wilbur Hot Springs Resort is April 12 - 17 . Tuleyome’s Certified California Naturalist (CalNat) program trains members of the public to become California Naturalists. No advanced degree or previous naturalist experience is required – Tuleyome teaches you everything you need to know to become certified. Our course is focused on the northern inner Coast Range mountains, specifically the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region. The program, developed by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, is designed to introduce Californians to the wonders of our unique ecology and engage the public in study and stewardship of California’s natural communities. The California Naturalist program uses science curriculum, hands-on learning, problem-solving, participatory science, and community service to instill a deep appreciation for the natural communities of the state and to inspire individuals to become stewards of their local resources. Courses combine classroom and field experience in science, problem-solving, communication training and community service, taught by an instructor and team of experts. Check out the Certified California Naturalist page for more information. -Nate Lillge (nlillge@tuleyome.org) Tuleyome Adventures and Engagement Director Certified California Naturalist
Tuleyome thanks Kim Longworth for her work as part of Tuleyome’s volunteer Board of Directors. Kim joined Tuleyome’s Board of Directors to advance our mission to conserve, enhance, restore, and enjoy our public lands in Northern California, specifically the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region. She took on many tasks during her tenure on the Board including assisting with grant writing and educational programming. Although Kim is stepping down from the Board, she is not parting ways with Tuleyome. She will continue to support Tuleyome’s mission as an event participant and in other ways. Thank you, Kim! -Bill Grabert (Volunteer Tuleyome Board Member) and Nate Lillge (Adventures and Engagement Director)
As the tenth anniversary of the establishment of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, July 10 th , approaches, I find myself reflecting on how we got here and what our public lands mean to us as individuals and as a nation. Our lands defined, and define, our nation. “O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!” At a time when our nation is getting more partisan and we see more anger in the news, it's important to remember that our public lands are not a partisan issue. They belong to all of us, they are important to all of us, and they are for everyone. Our public lands are for hikers and bikers, hunters and photographers, people and puppy dogs, wheelchairs and OHVs. They are for Republicans, Democrats, Independents, decline to states and folks that don’t care about politics. They are for people of all colors, genders, religions, shades and stripes. They are for citizens, immigrants and visitors. They are for mountain lions and tadpoles, bears and hummingbirds, otters and spiders. They are our public lands. The belong to all of us and we belong to them. Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument represents America – a diverse community of people with different interest and beliefs who came together to protect something special. It started out as a mere idea. First, it was just a handful of kindred folks but then more and more joined in soon creating a crescendo of motivated and united voices. It grew until it was a community, a movement, fighting together to protect a place that we all love. We all fought for our Monument. People from all walks of life: hunters, politicians, decision-makers, conservationists, recreationists, scientists, businesses, veterans, community and tribal leaders. Government officials from all levels of government and all parties joined us. Dreamers and planners, lovers and fighters locked arms. We all stood together and fought for Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and Molok Luyuk. And look at what we accomplished together! We protected 344,476 acres in the heart of the Northern Inner Coastal Range. We protected a place whose geology and botany are so magnificent that people come from the world over to see and study them. We protected a place so beautiful it takes your breath away with its rare wetlands and meadows full of wildflowers, its vistas that last for hundreds of miles and its night sky that illuminates every detail of the Milky Way. We protected a place where major rivers flow and streams wander throughout the countryside. We protected tule elk, bald and golden eagles, perch, frogs, bears and salamanders. We protected a place steeped in millennia of Native American culture and history and that is one of the most linguistically diverse in California. We protected our special places, our public lands. And we did it, all of us together. This is what we can do when we remember that despite all of our differences, we are one nation, indivisible. America the Beautiful O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! O beautiful for pilgrim feet, Whose stern, impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law! O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness, And every gain divine! O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! by Katharine Lee Bates Happy 4 th of July! -Sandy Schubert Executive Director