Maps by Erica Simek Sloniker, GIS & Visual Communications
Written by Julie Morse, Regional Ecologist
Here at The Nature Conservancy, we love maps. So much so, that one of the best features of our new office is a big beautiful conference table made of reclaimed 100 year old fir timbers and recycled steel beams from the building. And welded into the steel beams table legs are perfect cubby holes, just for maps. While admittedly we don’t use big paper maps like we used to, they still seem to be infused in our culture and even made their way into the design of our new office.
Maps help us tell a story. They help us see the story. They guide us to the story. Maps help us interpret the story.
These new climate maps illustrate just how powerful maps can be in helping us tell a story about how climate change will impact Puget Sound. While we know climate change will affect all of us, these maps help us get smarter and sharper about where and when impacts will be the greatest. They help us plan accordingly and make smarter decisions.
Unfortunately, these maps don’t give us a crystal ball into the future. They can’t tell us exactly where abig flood in 10 years will be, and how deep the waters will get. They don’t tell us how many salmon will survive warmer waters and lower flows during a summer drought 30 years from now. But they do help inform our conversations with agencies, in for example, moving towards better regulations that addresssea level rise. They do catalyze conversations with local communities who are grappling with the magnitude of change in water availability or increasing flood risk.
These maps are our bread and butter. Conversation starters. And insights into stories of our future.
