Collaborative forest restoration means doing the hard but rewarding work of coordinating with partners to manage forests, bring opportunity to rural communities, and improve landscape resilience to climate change. It also means communicating the details of this work in creative and interesting ways to garner public interest in the importance of forest and watershed restoration.
Showcasing Bluewater
In January, the New Mexico Forest and Water Restoration Institute (NMFWRI) tapped into that need for creative communication by publishing the Bluewater Showcase StoryMap detailing vegetation treatments completed in the Bluewater area (east side) of the Zuni Mountains. The Map also outlines the methods used to treat ponderosa pine forests while describing the natural history of the area.
Also read: What is a StoryMap? Digital storytelling with maps.
Click on the image above to explore the NWFWRI Bluewater Showcase StoryMap!
Highlighting the Zuni Mountains Collaborative
More recently, the Forest Stewards Guild published the Zuni Mountains Collaborative StoryMap to recount the history of this Collaborative and its goal of guiding the conservation, use, and management of lands and waters in the Zuni Mountains Landscape. Since 2005, the Zuni Mountains Collaborative has led forest restoration and community resilience efforts in the area, and the Map highlights the valuable work accomplished by the Collaborative’s diverse network of partners and its impact on local communities.
Click on the image above to explore the Guild’s Zuni Mountains Collaborative StoryMap!