Green Mapping is coming to the Heights

Looking for a community garden? Can't find fair trade clothing? Need Meals on Wheels for your elderly aunt? The Green Mapping movement is coming to the Heights with solutions.

"You'll be able to find the answers to those questions, and more, using the Cleveland Heights and University Heights Green Map,"said Gina Cheverine, president of FutureHeights. With help from community groups and online input from the public, FutureHeights will oversee the creation of the map.

The Open Green Map system is a global program that provides communities with the tools to chart green living, nature and culture. The map will be available on the Internet, through iPhone and mobile applications, and accessible for printing. For more information, go to www.greenmap.org.

"How the map is made is just as important as the map itself," said Cheverine. "We want to use the mapping process as a way to engage a lot of people by helping them experiencing their neighborhoods and community in a new way. Our mapping groups, many of whom will be kids, will have a lot of fun exploring the things that make our community sustainable. They'll also learn how important these assets are to a strong future in the Heights."

"We're still in the planning stages," Cheverine added. "But the potential for community and school involvement is high, and making a useful map for residents and visitors is very exciting."

FutureHeights, the publisher of the Heights Observer, creates civic engagement activities in Cleveland Heights and University Heights, Ohio. For information, call 216-320-1423 or visit www.futureheights.org.