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Join the Call Live»

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other sandbox stuff

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Join the Call Live»

Use the chatroom below to discuss and ask questions.

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Connect with us in a chatroom below

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other sandbox stuff

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Join the Call Live»

Use the chatroom below to discuss and ask questions.

---

Connect with us in a chatroom below

---

other sandbox stuff

---

This is one of a series of guides for collaborative environmental research and advocacy projects. Setting Goals starts with listening to individual interests and priorities and builds toward establishing a shared, group agenda. This guide covers a sequence of asking individuals to write down their goals, then looking for similar goals, voting for important goals via dot, and finally choosing which are most important to measure progress towards. NB: this activity could be generalized to include interests in other types of environmental investigation such as documentation, management, monitoring, etc.

---

Planning this event

Ahead of time:

• Pick a time for a 2 hour session that is convenient for the most people involved
• Find a space, it may be useful to be indoors with enough chairs, restrooms, and some wall space, etc
• Send invites two weeks to a month in advance

Materials to have on hand:

• If available, the group's mental map from the Start Here activity.
• post-it notes or regular paper cut into smaller pieces and stacked.
• if using paper, bring tape
• large chart paper or a roll of paper
• colored dot stickers
• consider nametags

---

Activity 1: Hello and Introductions!

Go around the room with everyone saying their name and introducing themselves in a sentence. Going up to three or four sentences is OK, use your judgement regarding the time you have available and the importance of hearing from everyone, because understanding a bit about where everyone is coming from is important to this activity.

---

Activity 2: My goals Our goals

Note: this activity is organized so that during different moments in this activity people may be doing individual work, coming together in small groups, or discussing as an entire group. This style is sometimes referred to as "One, Some, Many."

As facilitator, you may want to respectfully capture some photos of people during the activities.

ONE: People write out their ideas on their own on post-it notes / small pieces of paper. Pass out post-it notes / small pieces of paper and ask the group "what are you interested in doing with the garden project this year?" Suggest that they write no more than 3, but some might not be able to restrain themselves. As people get started, if it seems like prompts would help, you could suggest the following questions to consider:

• What are we going to plant?
• How much do we want to grow of these plants?
• Who do we want to visit the garden?
• Who do we want to help with the garden?
• Who hasn't participated that we want to participate?
• What animals do we want to visit the garden?
• What kinds of fun do we want to have in the garden?
• other good things?

SOME: People share ideas with one or two neighbors (stay seated). While they do this, hang a large piece of paper on the wall with the headline "GOALS"

MANY: Share amongst themselves as a whole group. Each person stands up and reads their goals and sticks them on the wall-paper. As facilitator, looks at which goals are overlapping and move them near each other. Once everyone has presented, observe which goals are widely held.

To conclude this portion of the event, you will help people decide on what goals we share as a group and will prioritize this year. Pull out the dot stickers and tell people they have three "dot votes" each. Ask people to come up one or two at a time and put a dot next to the goal they think are most important. When everyone has voted via dots, stand back and everyone review the page. (Optional: Allow a moment for people to rearrange their dots if anyone desires.)

If critical members are not there, consider leaving this part of the activity "open" for them to give input later.

---

Activity 3: Choosing which goals to measure progress toward

Tell the group that we are transitioning to the next part where we choose which of these is important that we track progress towards. Explain that the goals we choose to track progress towards should have the most at stake in terms of benefits to be gained (knowledge) or in communication to those outside the garden (funders, policy makers, neighbors, etc), and aim to choose a minimum number. This may open up into a discussion or you may want to go around the room and ask people individually. [TO DO: Link to facilitation help]

---

Looking ahead to next steps:

The next guide will describe how for each of the goals that the group chose to measure progress toward, you can choose how you want to measure, then design fun, "field-proof" measuring activities. [TO DO: add link to next guide]

---

other sandbox stuff

---

This is one of a series of guides for collaborative environmental research and advocacy projects. Setting Goals starts with listening to individual interests and priorities and builds toward establishing a shared, group agenda. This guide covers how to do this with individuals writing their own goals, consolidating similar types of goals, voting via dot, and choosing which are most important to measure progress towards. NB: this activity could be generalized to include interests in other types of environmental investigation such as documentation, management, monitoring, etc.

---

Planning this event

Ahead of time:

• Pick a time for a 2 hour session that is convenient for the most people involved
• Find a space, it may be useful to be indoors with enough chairs, restrooms, and some wall space, etc
• Send invites two weeks to a month in advance

Materials to have on hand:

• If available, the group's mental map from the Start Here activity.
• post-it notes or regular paper cut into smaller pieces and stacked.
• if using paper, bring tape
• large chart paper or a roll of paper
• colored dot stickers
• consider nametags

---

Activity 1: Hello and Introductions!

Go around the room with everyone saying their name and introducing themselves in a sentence. Going up to three or four sentences is OK, use your judgement regarding the time you have available and the importance of hearing from everyone, because understanding a bit about where everyone is coming from is important to this activity.

---

Activity 2: My goals Our goals

Note: this activity is organized so that during different moments in this activity people may be doing individual work, coming together in small groups, or discussing as an entire group. This style is sometimes referred to as "One, Some, Many."

As facilitator, you may want to respectfully capture some photos of people during the activities.

ONE: People write out their ideas on their own on post-it notes / small pieces of paper. Pass out post-it notes / small pieces of paper and ask the group "what are you interested in doing with the garden project this year?" Suggest that they write no more than 3, but some might not be able to restrain themselves. As people get started, if it seems like prompts would help, you could suggest the following questions to consider:

• What are we going to plant?
• How much do we want to grow of these plants?
• Who do we want to visit the garden?
• Who do we want to help with the garden?
• Who hasn't participated that we want to participate?
• What animals do we want to visit the garden?
• What kinds of fun do we want to have in the garden?
• other good things?

SOME: People share ideas with one or two neighbors (stay seated). While they do this, hang a large piece of paper on the wall with the headline "GOALS"

MANY: Share amongst themselves as a whole group. Each person stands up and reads their goals and sticks them on the wall-paper. As facilitator, looks at which goals are overlapping and move them near each other. Once everyone has presented, observe which goals are widely held.

To conclude this portion of the event, you will help people decide on what goals we share as a group and will prioritize this year. Pull out the dot stickers and tell people they have three "dot votes" each. Ask people to come up one or two at a time and put a dot next to the goal they think are most important. When everyone has voted via dots, stand back and everyone review the page. (Optional: Allow a moment for people to rearrange their dots if anyone desires.)

If critical members are not there, consider leaving this part of the activity "open" for them to give input later.

---

Activity 3: Choosing which goals to measure progress toward

Tell the group that we are transitioning to the next part where we choose which of these is important that we track progress towards. Explain that the goals we choose to track progress towards should have the most at stake in terms of benefits to be gained (knowledge) or in communication to those outside the garden (funders, policy makers, neighbors, etc).

You have a lot of leeway in directing this part, and may choose to either track goals that many

---

Looking ahead to next steps:

We can build on what we've created here and use mapknitter to share our story out more broadly. [TO DO: add link to next guide]

---

other sandbox stuff

---

This is one of a series of guides for collaborative environmental research and advocacy projects. Setting Goals starts with listening to individual interests and priorities and builds toward establishing a shared, group agenda. This guide covers how to do this with individuals who have each identified that they want to do "something" related to gardening in the coming year. NB: this activity could be generalized to include interests in other types of environmental investigation such as documentation, management, monitoring, etc.

Planning this event

Ahead of time:

• Pick a time for a 2 hour session that is convenient for the most people involved
• Find a space, it may be useful to be indoors with enough chairs, restrooms, and some wall space, etc
• Send invites two weeks to a month in advance

Materials to have on hand:

• If available, the group's mental map from the Start Here activity.
• post-it notes or regular paper cut into smaller pieces and stacked.
• if using paper, bring tape
• large chart paper or a roll of paper
• consider nametags

Activity 1: Hello and Introductions!

Go around the room with everyone saying their name and introducing themselves in a sentence. Going up to three or four sentences is OK, use your judgement regarding the time you have available and the importance of hearing from everyone, because understanding a bit about where everyone is coming from is important to this activity.

Activity 2: My goals Our goals

Note: this activity is organized so that during different moments in this activity people may be doing individual work, coming together in small groups, or discussing as an entire group. This style is sometimes referred to as "One, Some, Many."

As facilitator, you may want to respectfully capture some photos of people during the activities.

ONE: People write out their ideas on their own on post-it notes / small pieces of paper. Pass out post-it notes / small pieces of paper and ask the group "what are you interested in doing with the garden project this year?" Suggest that they write no more than 3, but some might not be able to restrain themselves. As people get started, if it seems like prompts would help, you could suggest any of the following questions to consider:

• What are we going to plant?
• How much do we want to grow of these plants?
• Who to we want to visit the garden?
• Who do we want to help with the garden?
• Who hasn't participated that we want to participate?
• What animals do we want to visit the garden?
• What kinds of fun do we want to have in the garden?
• other good things?

SOME: People share ideas with one or two neighbors (stay seated). While they do this, hang a large piece of paper on the wall with the headline "GOALS"

MANY: Share amongst themselves as a whole group. Each person stands up and reads their goals and sticks them on the wall-paper. As facilitator, looks at which goals are overlapping and move them near each other. Once everyone is done, observe which goals are widely held.

Activity 3: Choosing which goals to measure progress toward

---

other sandbox stuff

---

This is one of a series of guides for collaborative environmental research and advocacy projects. Setting Goals starts with listening to individual interests and priorities and builds toward establishing a shared, group agenda. This guide covers how to do this with individuals who have each identified that they want to do "something" related to gardening in the coming year. NB: this activity could be generalized to include interests in other types of environmental investigation such as documentation, management, monitoring, etc.

Planning this event

Ahead of time:

• Pick a time for a 2 hour session that is convenient for the most people involved
• Find a space, it may be useful to be indoors with enough chairs, restrooms, and some wall space, etc
• Send invites two weeks to a month in advance

Materials to have on hand:

• If available, the group's mental map from the Start Here activity.
• post-it notes or regular paper cut into smaller pieces and stacked.
• if using paper, bring tape
• large chart paper or a roll of paper
• consider nametags

Activity 1: Hello and Introductions!

Go around the room with everyone saying their name and introducing themselves in a sentence. Going up to three or four sentences is OK, use your judgement regarding the time you have available and the importance of hearing from everyone, because understanding a bit about where everyone is coming from is important to this activity.

Activity 2: My goals Our goals

Note: this activity is organized so that during different moments in this activity people may be doing individual work, then coming together in small groups, and then discussing as an entire group. This style is sometimes referred to as "One, Some, Many."

As facilitator, you may want to respectfully capture some photos of people during the activities.

ONE: People write out their ideas on their own on post-it notes / small pieces of paper. Pass out post-it notes / small pieces of paper and ask the group "what are you interested in doing with the garden project this year?" Suggest that they write no more than 3, but some might not be able to restrain themselves. As people get started, if it seems like prompts would help, you could suggest any of the following questions to consider:

• What are we going to plant?
• How much do we want to grow of these plants?
• Who to we want to visit the garden?
• Who do we want to help with the garden?
• Who hasn't participated that we want to participate?
• What animals do we want to visit the garden?
• What kinds of fun do we want to have in the garden?
• other good things?

SOME: People share ideas with one or two neighbors (stay seated). While they do this, hang a large piece of paper on the wall with the headline "GOALS"

MANY: Share amongst themselves as a whole group. Each person stands up and reads their goals and sticks them on the wall-paper. As facilitator, looks at which goals are overlapping and move them near each other. Once everyone is done, observe which goals are widely held.

Activity 3: Choosing which goals to measure progress toward

---

other sandbox stuff

---

This is one of a series of guides for collaborative environmental research and advocacy projects. Setting Goals starts with listening to individual interests and priorities and builds toward establishing a shared, group agenda. This guide covers how to do this with individuals who have each identified that they want to do "something" related to gardening in the coming year. NB: this activity could be generalized to include other types of environmental investigation such as documentation, management, monitoring, etc.

Planning this event

Ahead of time:

• Pick a time for a 2 hour session that is convenient for the most people involved
• Find a space, it may be useful to be indoors with enough chairs, restrooms, and some wall space, etc
• Send invites two weeks to a month in advance

Materials to have on hand:

• If available, the group's mental map from the Start Here activity.
• post-it notes or regular paper cut into smaller pieces and stacked.
• if using paper, bring tape
• large chart paper or a roll of paper
• consider nametags

Activity 1: Hello and Introductions!

Go around the room with everyone saying their name and introducing themselves in a sentence. Going up to three or four sentences is OK, use your judgement regarding the time you have available and the importance of hearing from everyone, because understanding a bit about where everyone is coming from is important to this activity.

Activity 2: My goals Our goals

Note: this activity is organized so that during different moments in this activity people may be doing individual work, then coming together in small groups, and then discussing as an entire group. This style is sometimes referred to as "One, Some, Many."

As facilitator, you may want to respectfully capture some photos of people during the activities.

ONE: People write out their ideas on their own on post-it notes / small pieces of paper. Pass out post-it notes / small pieces of paper and ask the group "what are you interested in doing with the garden project this year?" Suggest that they write no more than 3, but some might not be able to restrain themselves. As people get started, if it seems like prompts would help, you could suggest any of the following questions to consider:

• What are we going to plant?
• How much do we want to grow of these plants?
• Who to we want to visit the garden?
• Who do we want to help with the garden?
• Who hasn't participated that we want to participate?
• What animals do we want to visit the garden?
• What kinds of fun do we want to have in the garden?
• other good things?

SOME: People share ideas with one or two neighbors (stay seated). While they do this, hang a large piece of paper on the wall with the headline "GOALS"

MANY: Share amongst themselves as a whole group. Each person stands up and reads their goals and sticks them on the wall-paper. As facilitator, looks at which goals are overlapping and move them near each other. Once everyone is done, observe which goals are widely held.

Activity 3: Choosing which goals to measure progress toward

---

other sandbox stuff

---

This is one of a series of guides for collaborative environmental research and advocacy projects. Setting Goals starts with listening to individual priorities and builds toward establishing a shared, group agenda. This guide covers how to do this with individuals who have each identified that they want to do "something" related to gardening in the coming year. NB: this activity could be generalized to include other types of environmental investigation such as documentation, management, monitoring, etc.

Planning this event

Ahead of time:

• Pick a time for a 2 hour session that is convenient for the most people involved
• Find a space, it may be useful to be indoors with enough chairs, restrooms, and some wall space, etc
• Send invites two weeks to a month in advance

Materials to have on hand:

• If available, the group's mental map from the Start Here activity.
• post-it notes or regular paper cut into smaller pieces and stacked.

Activity 1: Hello and Introductions!

Go around the room with everyone saying their name and introducing themselves in a sentence. Going up to three or four sentences is OK, use your judgement regarding the time you have available and the importance of hearing from everyone, because understanding a bit about where everyone is coming from is important to this activity.

Activity 2: Highest hopes for this year

The question here is "what are you looking forward to doing in this project this year?"

Note: this activity is organized so that during different moments in this activity people may be doing individual work, then coming together in small groups, and then discussing as an entire group. This style is sometimes referred to as "One, Some, Many."

As facilitator, you may want to respectfully capture some photos of people during the activities. goal setting session!

ONE: People write out their ideas on their own on post-it notes / small pieces of paper. Suggest that they write no more than 3, but some might not be able to restrain themselves.

SOME: Share ideas with one or two people while seated

MANY: Share amongst themselves as a whole group. Notice which goals are widely held.

Questions to consider:

• What are we going to plant?
  • how much do we want to grow of these plants?
• Who to we want to visit the garden?
  • Who do we want to help with the garden?
  • Who hasn't participated that we want to participate?
• What animals do we want to visit the garden?
• What kinds of fun do we want to have in the garden?
• other good things?

---

other sandbox stuff

---

This is one of a series of guides for collaborative environmental research and advocacy projects. "Start Here" is about creating a picture of our place together. This guide covers how to do this with a group using paper and markers. For a followup activity, check out the guide to putting this info online using mapknitter.

Planning this event

Ahead of time:

• Pick a time that is convenient for the most people involved
• Find a space, it may be useful to be indoors with restrooms available, etc.
• Send invites two weeks to a month in advance
• Before the meeting,

Materials to have on hand:

• nametags
• markers
• chart paper
• a camera or phone that can take a picture

Activity 1: Hello and Introductions!

Go around the room with everyone saying their name and their answer to the following question: * "when i hear the word [place/area/landscape we identify with], i think of '_____'

---

Activity 2: Group photo

Take a picture of everyone!

---

Activity 3: Making our map

This is sometimes called a "mental mapping" exercise because you will draw important bits of your neighborhood without worrying about actual geographic space. The goal is to set our local knowledge as the context for our future work together. (For reference, see https://mapknitter.org/map/view/2014-02-12-chicago-calumet-river-industrial-corridor)

Note: this activity is organized so that during different moments in this activity people may be doing individual work, then coming together in small groups, and then discussing as an entire group. This style is sometimes referred to as "One, Some, Many."

ONE: each person receives one large piece of paper and a marker to for sketching their own map of the neighborhood. You might prompt the group by mentioning some of the following:

• homes
• businesses
• gardens
• infrastructure
• current and former factories
• pollution sources (example: incinerator, highway traffic)
• vacant lots and what used to be on them
• food stores
• others!

If people are having trouble getting started and ask for guidance, you might suggest that they start drawing a dot, rectangle or line for the first place or road that comes to mind without worrying that their paper "looks like a map". Then they can add in other landmarks without worrying about connecting it all together. Writing words or labels can be good to get some folks going.

You might also prompt the group with questions like: what's worth putting on the map? Are there any sites that we have concerns about, and if so how does that relate to our neighborhood? What's going on here that we are proud of? What are things we would like to improve?

SOME: small groups get together and share their maps. Note what was in common, and what was unique.

MANY: As facilitator, you will tape 6 big sheets together to make one giant sheet and either hang it on the wall or lay it in the center of the group's circle. Then, look at all the maps together and ask people to say what their maps were centered around. Make a quick assessment of what an "average" idea of what the group considers to be the center, and draw that big on the giant sheet. Then ask people to come up a few at a time and fill in the things they had on their maps.

Review and wrap up:

---

Looking ahead to next steps:

We can build on what we've created here and use mapknitter to share our story out more broadly.

---

MOVE BELOW TO GOAL SETTING ACTIVITY

Activity 4: Highest hopes for your this year

, OR "what are you looking forward to doing in the garden this year?"

goal setting session!

ONE: scribble out their ideas on their own on paper

SOME: share ideas with one or two people while seated

MANY: share amongst themselves as a whole group

Questions to consider:

• What are we going to plant?
• how much do we want to grow of these plants?
• how to we want to visit the garden?
• who do we want to help with the garden?
• who hasn't participated that we want to participate?
• what animals do we want to visit the garden?
• What kinds of fun do we want to have in the garden?
• other good things?

---

other sandbox stuff

---

This is one of a series of guides for collaborative environmental research and advocacy projects. "Start Here" is about creating a picture of our place together. This guide covers how to do this with a group using paper and markers. For a followup activity, check out the guide to putting this info online using mapknitter.

Planning this event

Ahead of time:

• Pick a time that is convenient for the most people involved
• Find a space, it may be useful to be indoors with restrooms available, etc.
• Send invites two weeks to a month in advance
• Before the meeting,

Materials to have on hand:

• nametags
• markers
• chart paper
• a camera or phone that can take a picture

Activity 1: Hello and Introductions!

Go around the room with everyone saying their name and their answer to the following question: * "when i hear the word [place/area/landscape we identify with], i think of '_____'

---

Activity 2: Group photo

Take a picture of everyone!

---

Activity 3: Making our map

This is sometimes called a "mental mapping" exercise because you will draw important bits of your neighborhood without worrying about actual geographic space. The goal is to set our local knowledge as the context for our future work together. (For reference, see https://mapknitter.org/map/view/2014-02-12-chicago-calumet-river-industrial-corridor)

Note: this activity is organized so that during different moments in this activity people may be doing individual work, then coming together in small groups, and then discussing as an entire group. This style is sometimes referred to as "One, Some, Many."

ONE: each person receives one large piece of paper and a marker to for sketching their own map of the neighborhood

• our homes
• important businesses
• our gardens
• current and former factories
• pollution sources (example: incinerator, highway traffic)
• vacant lots
• food stores

How to get started: start for drawing the first place/road you think of that is at the heart of your neighborhood. Add in landmarks and places you go to and think of.

Questions to consider: what's worth putting on the map? Are there any sites that we have concerns about, and if so how does that relate to our neighborhood? What's going on here that we are proud of? What are things we would like to improve?

SOME: small groups to share maps and see what we had in common

MANY: tape 6 big sheets together to make mental map (many: draw it all together onto one)

Questions to consider: how might our garden support things we like? How might our garden improve the things we don't like?

---

Looking ahead to next steps:

We can build on what we've created here and use mapknitter to share our story out more broadly.

---

MOVE BELOW TO GOAL SETTING ACTIVITY

Activity 4: Highest hopes for your this year

, OR "what are you looking forward to doing in the garden this year?"

goal setting session!

ONE: scribble out their ideas on their own on paper

SOME: share ideas with one or two people while seated

MANY: share amongst themselves as a whole group

Questions to consider:

• What are we going to plant?
• how much do we want to grow of these plants?
• how to we want to visit the garden?
• who do we want to help with the garden?
• who hasn't participated that we want to participate?
• what animals do we want to visit the garden?
• What kinds of fun do we want to have in the garden?
• other good things?

---

other sandbox stuff

---

This is one of a series of guides for collaborative environmental research and advocacy projects. "Start Here" is about collaboratively creating a picture of our place. This guide covers how to do this with a group using paper and markers. For a followup activity, check out the guide to putting this info online using mapknitter.

Planning this event

Ahead of time:

• Pick a time that is convenient for the most people involved
• Find a space, it may be useful to be indoors with restrooms available, etc.
• Send invites two weeks to a month in advance

Materials to have on hand:

• nametags
• markers
• chart paper
• a camera or phone that can take a picture

Activity 1: Hello and Introductions!

Go around the room with everyone saying their name and their answer to the following question: * "when i hear the word [...], i think of '_____' " where [...] is

---

Activity 2: Group photo

Take a picture of everyone!

---

Activity 3: Making our map

This is sometimes called a "mental mapping" exercise because you will draw important bits of your neighborhood without worrying about actual geographic space. The goal is to set our local knowledge as the context for our future work together. (For reference, see https://mapknitter.org/map/view/2014-02-12-chicago-calumet-river-industrial-corridor)

Note: this activity is organized so that during different moments in this activity people may be doing individual work, then coming together in small groups, and then discussing as an entire group. This style is sometimes referred to as "One, Some, Many."

ONE: each person receives one large piece of paper and a marker to for sketching their own map of the neighborhood

• our homes
• important businesses
• our gardens
• current and former factories
• pollution sources (example: incinerator, highway traffic)
• vacant lots
• food stores

How to get started: start for drawing the first place/road you think of that is at the heart of your neighborhood. Add in landmarks and places you go to and think of.

Questions to consider: what's worth putting on the map? Are there any sites that we have concerns about, and if so how does that relate to our neighborhood? What's going on here that we are proud of? What are things we would like to improve?

SOME: small groups to share maps and see what we had in common

MANY: tape 6 big sheets together to make mental map (many: draw it all together onto one)

Questions to consider: how might our garden support things we like? How might our garden improve the things we don't like?

---

Looking ahead to next steps:

We can build on what we've created here and use mapknitter to share our story out more broadly.

---

MOVE BELOW TO GOAL SETTING ACTIVITY

Activity 4: Highest hopes for your this year

, OR "what are you looking forward to doing in the garden this year?"

goal setting session!

ONE: scribble out their ideas on their own on paper

SOME: share ideas with one or two people while seated

MANY: share amongst themselves as a whole group

Questions to consider:

• What are we going to plant?
• how much do we want to grow of these plants?
• how to we want to visit the garden?
• who do we want to help with the garden?
• who hasn't participated that we want to participate?
• what animals do we want to visit the garden?
• What kinds of fun do we want to have in the garden?
• other good things?

---

other sandbox stuff

---

---

This is part of a series of guides for collaborative environmental research and advocacy projects. "Start Here" is about collaboratively creating a picture of our place. This guide covers how to do this with a group using paper and markers. For a followup activity, check out the guide to putting this info online using mapknitter.

Planning this event

Ahead of time:

• Pick a time that is convenient for the most people involved
• Find a space, it may be useful to be indoors with restrooms available, etc.
• Send invites two weeks to a month in advance

Materials to have on hand:

• markers
• nametags
• chart paper

Activity 1: Hello and Introductions!

Go around the room with everyone saying their name and their answer to the following question: * "when i hear the word [...], i think of '_____' " where [...] is

---

Activity 2: Group photo

---

Activity 3: Making our map

This is sometimes called a "mental mapping" exercise because you draw important bits of your neighborhood without worrying about actual geographic space. The goal is to set our local knowledge as the context for our future work together. (For reference, see https://mapknitter.org/map/view/2014-02-12-chicago-calumet-river-industrial-corridor)

Note: this activity is organized so that during different moments in this activity people may be doing individual work, then coming together in small groups, and then discussing as an entire group. This style is sometimes referred to as "One, Some, Many."

ONE: each person receives one large piece of paper and a marker to for sketching their own map of the neighborhood

• our homes
• our gardens
• current and former factories
• air pollution sources from urban infrastructure (incinerator)
• vacant lots
• food stores

Questions to consider: what's worth putting on the map? How does the site we're concerned with fit into our neighborhood? Whats going on in our neighborhood that we are proud of? What are things we would like to improve?

SOME: small groups to share maps and see what we had in common

MANY: tape 6 big sheets together to make mental map (many: draw it all together onto one)

Questions to consider: how might our garden support things we like? How might our garden improve the things we don't like?

---

Activity 4: Highest hopes for your work in the garden this year, OR "what are you looking forward to doing in the garden this year?"

• garden goal setting session!

ONE: scribble out their ideas on their own on paper

SOME: share ideas with one or two people while seated

MANY: share amongst themselves as a whole group

Questions to consider:

• What are we going to plant?
• how much do we want to grow of these plants?
• how to we want to visit the garden?
• who do we want to help with the garden?
• who hasn't participated that we want to participate?
• what animals do we want to visit the garden?
• What kinds of fun do we want to have in the garden?
• other good things?

---

Looking ahead to next steps:

We can build on what we've created here and use mapknitter to share our story out more broadly.

---

This is part of a series of guides for collaborative environmental research and advocacy projects. "Start Here" is about collaboratively creating a picture of our place. We do that by gathering and presenting what we each know about the place we're in together. This guide covers how to do that on paper. For a followup activity, check out the guide to putting this info online using mapknitter.

Planning this event

Ahead of time:

• Pick a time that is convenient for the most people involved
• Find a space, it may be useful to be indoors with restrooms available, etc.
• Send invites two weeks to a month in advance

Materials to have on hand:

• markers
• nametags
• chart paper

Activity 1: Hello and Introductions!

Go around the room with everyone saying their name and their answer to the following question: * "when i hear the word [...], i think of '_____' " where [...] is

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Activity 2: Group photo

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Activity 3: Making our map

This is sometimes called a "mental mapping" exercise because you draw important bits of your neighborhood without worrying about actual geographic space. The goal is to set our local knowledge as the context for our future work together. (For reference, see https://mapknitter.org/map/view/2014-02-12-chicago-calumet-river-industrial-corridor)

Note: this activity is organized so that during different moments in this activity people may be doing individual work, then coming together in small groups, and then discussing as an entire group. This style is sometimes referred to as "One, Some, Many."

ONE: each person receives one large piece of paper and a marker to for sketching their own map of the neighborhood

• our homes
• our gardens
• current and former factories
• air pollution sources from urban infrastructure (incinerator)
• vacant lots
• food stores

Questions to consider: what's worth putting on the map? How does the site we're concerned with fit into our neighborhood? Whats going on in our neighborhood that we are proud of? What are things we would like to improve?

SOME: small groups to share maps and see what we had in common

MANY: tape 6 big sheets together to make mental map (many: draw it all together onto one)

Questions to consider: how might our garden support things we like? How might our garden improve the things we don't like?

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Activity 4: Highest hopes for your work in the garden this year, OR "what are you looking forward to doing in the garden this year?"

• garden goal setting session!

ONE: scribble out their ideas on their own on paper

SOME: share ideas with one or two people while seated

MANY: share amongst themselves as a whole group

Questions to consider:

• What are we going to plant?
• how much do we want to grow of these plants?
• how to we want to visit the garden?
• who do we want to help with the garden?
• who hasn't participated that we want to participate?
• what animals do we want to visit the garden?
• What kinds of fun do we want to have in the garden?
• other good things?

---

Looking ahead to next steps:

We can build on what we've created here and use mapknitter to share our story out more broadly.

---

---

A page for experimentation, etc.

---

'Dashboard' "And this"

????????????????

there can only be one of these toggles on a page

other Toggle

Toggle

---

Simple, appropriate technologies for great garden outcomes

Meeting your environmental goals is easier when you track your progress and use what you learn to improve your practices--and results--over time. The basic cycle of "adaptive co-management" (pardon the jargon) is goal setting, action, monitoring, reflection, and adaptation. This toolkit comes in two parts:

• Part 1: event guides for Doing It Together
• Part 2: how-to guides for keeping track of environmental resources

---

Part 1: event guides (6)

Start Here

Collaboratively create a picture of your place.

event guide

---

Set Goals

Define your goals and choose which ones you want to measure progress towards.

event guide

---

Choose how to track your progress

Choose how you want to measure, then design fun, "field-proof" measuring activities.

event guide

---

Schedule the season

Schedule out daily and occasional events across the whole season.

event guide

---

Reflect on the season

Come together to review and reflect on a season's worth of observations.

event guide

---

Plan for next season

Take stock of last year's outcomes and make adjustments as needed.

event guide

---

\//\/\///\/\////\/\/\////\//\/\//\/\//\/\//\/\/\/\//\///\/\\\/\//\/\//\/\/\/\\/\//

---

Part 2: how-to guides (3)

---

1. Pole aerial mapping

Change your perspective! Map your garden plot to plan the season and track changes through the years.

how-to guide

---

2. Infrared imagery guide

See plants photosynthesizing. Experiment with cultivation methods and see which types of plants thrive.

how-to guide

---

3. Program tracking guide

Growing tons of food? Diverting compost from the waste stream? Coordinating work among lots of volunteers? If you're tackling these or other programs in your garden, barn.farmingconcrete.org has simple methods that you can use.

how-to guide

---

---

A page for experimentation, etc.

---

'Dashboard' "And this"

????????????????

there can only be one of these toggles on a page

other Toggle

Toggle

---

Simple, appropriate technologies for great garden outcomes

Meeting your environmental goals is easier when you track your progress and use what you learn to improve your practices--and results--over time. The basic cycle of "adaptive co-management" (pardon the jargon) is goal setting, action, monitoring, reflection, and adaptation. This toolkit comes in two parts:

• Part 1: event guides for Doing It Together
• Part 2: how-to guides for keeping track of environmental resources

---

Part 1: event guides (6)

Start Here

Collaboratively create a picture of your place.

event guide

---

Set Goals

Define your goals and choose which ones you want to measure progress towards.

event guide

---

Choose how to track your progress

Choose how you want to measure, then design fun, "field-proof" measuring activities.

event guide

---

Schedule the season

Schedule out daily and occasional events across the whole season.

event guide

---

Reflect on the season

Come together to review and reflect on a season's worth of observations.

event guide

---

Plan for next season

Take stock of last year's outcomes and make adjustments as needed.

event guide

---

\//\/\///\/\////\/\/\////\//\/\//\/\//\/\//\/\/\/\//\///\/\\\/\//\/\//\/\/\/\\/\//

---

Part 2: how-to guides (3)

---

1. Pole aerial mapping

Change your perspective! Map your garden plot to plan the season and track changes through the years.

how-to guide

---

2. Infrared imagery guide

See plants photosynthesizing. Experiment with cultivation methods and see which types of plants thrive.

how-to guide

---

3. Program tracking guide

Growing tons of food? Diverting compost from the waste stream? Coordinating work among lots of volunteers? If you're tackling these or other programs in your garden, barn.farmingconcrete.org has simple methods that you can use.

how-to guide

---

---

A page for experimentation, etc.

---

'Dashboard' "And this"

????????????????

there can only be one of these toggles on a page

other Toggle

Toggle

---

Simple, appropriate technologies for great garden outcomes

Meeting your environmental goals is easier when you track your progress and use what you learn to improve your practices--and results--over time. The basic cycle of "adaptive co-management" (pardon the jargon) is goal setting, action, monitoring, reflection, and adaptation. This toolkit comes in two parts:

• Part 1: event guides for Doing It Together
• Part 2: how-to guides for keeping track of environmental resources

---

Part 1: event guides (6)

Start Here

Collaboratively create a picture of your place.

event guide

---

Set Goals

Define your goals and choose which ones you want to measure progress towards.

event guide

---

Choose how to track your progress

Choose how you want to measure, then design fun, "field-proof" measuring activities.

event guide

---

Schedule the season

Schedule out daily and occasional events across the whole season.

event guide

---

Reflect on the season

Come together to review and reflect on a season's worth of observations.

event guide

---

Plan for next season

Take stock of last year's outcomes and make adjustments as needed.

event guide

---

\//\/\///\/\////\/\/\////\//\/\//\/\//\/\//\/\/\/\//\///\/\\\/\//\/\//\/\/\/\\/\//

---

Part 2: how-to guides (3)

---

1. Pole aerial mapping

Change your perspective! Map your garden plot to plan the season and track changes through the years.

how-to guide

---

2. Infrared imagery guide

See plants photosynthesizing. Experiment with cultivation methods and see which types of plants thrive.

how-to guide

---

3. Program tracking guide

Growing tons of food? Diverting compost from the waste stream? Coordinating work among lots of volunteers? If you're tackling these or other programs in your garden, barn.farmingconcrete.org has simple methods that you can use.

how-to guide

---

---

A page for experimentation, etc.

---

'Dashboard' "And this"

????????????????

there can only be one of these toggles on a page

other Toggle

Toggle

---

Simple, appropriate technologies for great garden outcomes

Meeting your environmental goals is easier when you track your progress and use what you learn to improve your practices--and results--over time. The basic cycle of "adaptive co-management" (pardon the jargon) is goal setting, action, monitoring, reflection, and adaptation. This toolkit comes in two parts:

• Part 1: event guides for Doing It Together
• Part 2: how-to guides for keeping track of environmental resources

---

Part 1: event guides (6)

Start Here

Collaboratively create a picture of your place.

event guide

---

Set Goals

Define your goals and choose which ones you want to measure progress towards.

event guide

---

Choose how to track your progress

Choose how you want to measure, then design fun, "field-proof" measuring activities.

event guide

---

Schedule the season

Schedule out daily and occasional events across the whole season.

event guide

---

Reflect on the season

Come together to review and reflect on a season's worth of observations.

event guide

---

Plan for next season

Take stock of last year's outcomes and make adjustments as needed.

event guide

---

\//\/\///\/\////\/\/\////\//\/\//\/\//\/\//\/\/\/\//\///\/\\\/\//\/\//\/\/\/\\/\//

---

Part 2: how-to guides (3)

---

1. Pole aerial mapping

Change your perspective! Map your garden plot to plan the season and track changes through the years.

how-to guide

---

2. Infrared imagery guide

See plants photosynthesizing. Experiment with cultivation methods and see which types of plants thrive.

how-to guide

---

3. Program tracking guide

Growing tons of food? Diverting compost from the waste stream? Coordinating work among lots of volunteers? If you're tackling these or other programs in your garden, barn.farmingconcrete.org has simple methods that you can use.

how-to guide