NACIS 2016

Participatory Mapping: Evaluating Practice in Climate Change Projects in Caribbean Small Island Developing States
Alison DeGraff, University of the West Indies
Bheshem Ramlal, University of the West Indies
Michael Sutherland, University of the West Indies
Participatory mapping is a form of intimate cartographic collaboration with communities that utilises unique local/traditional knowledge and is currently being recognised as a valuable tool to approach the impacts of climate change. This research gathered information on participatory mapping in Caribbean small island developing states and compiled a collaborative database of projects supplemented by the creation of an adaptable best practice methodology. Caribbean case studies were evaluated to determine their conformance with established best practice and a conceptual framework was designed. By integrating participatory mapping into the climate change framework, it validated the importance of local/traditional knowledge and illustrated how, in combination with scientific data, it can be used to address climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts. The significance of these results is their value to connect and educate practitioners, encourage best practice in Caribbean SIDS, and embolden the use of local/traditional knowledge in the face of climate change impacts.
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The 2015 Gunpowder Mapping Workshop
Matt Dooley, University of Wisconsin - River Falls
In October 2015, twelve NACIS members participated in the Gunpowder Mapping Workshop in River Falls, Wisconsin. This presentation highlights our adventures and showcases the artwork that resulted.
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Participatory Mapping with a Homeless Advocacy Group in Denver, CO
Kate Rigot, University of Colorado - Denver
The content of this presentation may change as work develops around this topic, but will cover participatory mapping and other supportive work done with and for members of activist group Denver Homeless Out Loud. So far, collaborative research has involved mapping the locations of publicly available restrooms in central Denver, and using various visualization strategies to easily depict how accessible they are to a homeless population. Upcoming work may involve the identification of potential sites for tiny home villages using GIS analysis, among other things.
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Expressions of Place: an interdisciplinary and interactive community event series
Diana K.B. Hoover, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
In the heart of Wisconsin, where the Menomonie people have lived for many thousands of years, in a small city that houses a medium-sized liberal arts university, some generous and visionary individuals, organizations, and corporations join forces to celebrate culture and reinvigorate community. Fueled by entrepreneurial spirit and passion for the arts, many of the creative collaborations bring together individuals representing diverse perspectives. One of these undertakings is the upcoming event series, Expressions of Place sponsored by the College of Fine Arts and Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. During this talk I will present the genesis for this project, the variety of arts and geography mash-ups in the program, some obstacles encountered as well as discoveries made while organizing this compendium on mapping, sensing, living and expressing Place.
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