NBW is partnering with the Smithsonian Institute’s Changing Landscapes Initiative (CLI) in their mission to help municipalities and other organizations envision and steward the future of Virginia landscapes surrounding Shenandoah National Park. Through scenario modelling, CLI scientists are empowering local governments and other organizations to gain insight into the often surprising possibilities and profound consequences that can result from thousands of land use decisions.
Widespread, individual decisions can powerfully combine to impact the welfare of both communities and ecologies. Wildlife connectivity, clean water, species habitat and diversity, natural beauty, viewshed preservation, cultural histories, and economic resilience, are all part of an interconnected fabric that spans across county boundaries. CLI and NBW are partnering to communicate and provide tools that will help to ensure the health of this vital tapestry.
A major goal of the project team is to identify effective ways to combine data, narratives, and compelling visuals to engage audiences, raise awareness across the region, and offer beneficial models for other organizations and initiatives nationally and internationally.
Link to GIS StoryMap here.
