Increasing Awareness of Natural Areas on the Elizabethtown College Campus through Digital Story Maps

Poster Presentations

The campus of Elizabethtown College includes multiple types of ecosystem—forests, meadows, wetlands, streams, and ponds. These areas can serve as outdoor extensions of the classroom, presenting convenient settings for research projects. They are also a valuable recreational resource. To increase student awareness of the natural areas of the campus, we are utilizing ArcGIS technology to create a story map of trails on campus, to be used for self-guided tours or tours guided by student volunteers. Story maps define the path and draw attention to notable or ecologically interesting locations along the path. Photos and detailed descriptions in the story map act as a starting place for students who want to know more about features of campus related to sustainability. We are creating two mapped versions of the trail—they vary in length, type of terrain, difficulty, and intended audience. The more basic trail, which only covers paved and packed gravel terrain, will be accessible to prospective students and families interested in learning about Etown’s natural lands and the learning opportunities they offer. The second trail is a more rigorous hike through densely wooded areas, best suited for those with a desire to learn and a willingness to make the more challenging trek. In addition, we are planning ecological restoration of a section of forest. Restoration will involve removal of invasive plants and planting with selected native species, with the objective of increasing plant and animal biodiversity of the restored area. Our goal is for the area we restore and the process we follow to serve as a model for future student restoration projects.