GrassrootsMapping
Grassroots Mapping Gulf Coast Oil Spill
Volunteer Here
Donate to support our efforts
Please help us to cover some of the costs of the Gulf Coast mapping effort
What is going on?
We’re not trying to duplicate the satellite imagery or the flyover data (though we’re helping to coordinate some of the flyovers and trying to make sure the data is publicly accessible). We believe it’s possible for citizens to use balloons, kites, and other simple and inexpensive tools to produce their own documentation of the spill… and that such imagery will be essential for environmental and legal reasons in coming years.
We’re organizing mapping ‘trips’ to the coast. If you’re interested in leading a trip, please contact us at the mailing list, and we’ll help you get started. (equipment, training, finding volunteers, etc.)
Team
Local team
- Shannon Dosemagen? - LA Bucket Brigade (shannon@labucketbrigade.org)
- Kris Ansin? - local trip coordinator, local lead (krisansin@gmail.com)
Mapmaking leads, trainers
- Oliver Yeh? (makeshifthoop@gmail.com)
- Stewart Long? (stewart@gonzoearth.com)
- Jeffrey Warren (warren@mit.edu)
For questions, please email our mailing list.
Contact information
- Grassroots Mapping Mailing List: link to site - please join, this is the only way we have to reach you with meeting announcements, etc.
How can you help?
- BOATS to Chandeleur Islands and other affected areas
- Volunteers in the area to fly balloons/kites, make maps Volunteer Here
- Help sort our aerial imagery at MapMill
Equipment:
- Canon cameras or Android phones (see Camera Options)
- Weather balloons (5 feet diameter or more)
- 100-gallon trash bags
- string, lots of string
Mapping Resources
- NOAA’s latest prediction maps – PDFs available for 24, 48, and 72 hour horizons
- Latest MODIS imagery - often cloud-obscured
- etc. mapping resources– pulled from posts to grassrootsmapping google group
Other mapping efforts
- LA Bucket Brigade Ushahidi instance - see below for more on LAFB
- CrisisCommons: Dr. Eric Frost, “Viz Lab” at SDSU San Diego: bio, crisismapping profile
- Skytruth is doing regular analysis of satellite imagery of the spill.
LA Bucket Brigade
website - 4226 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119 (504) 484-3433.
How-to Mapping Guides
Look at our 4-page PDF guide to get started.