Phenomena Maps

Getting to know your place, one phenomenon at a time.

March is mapping month!  Each week I’ll share a mapping-themed activity for you to try out at home or in your favorite location.  This week’s exercise takes a deep dive into your favorite place, mapping out the different phenomena that occur there.

The first thing I should do is to define what I mean by phenomena.  A phenomenon (singular of phenomena) is something that occurs that you can observe.  If you grew up in a culture similar to mine, you may understand this word to have a more mystical meaning, referring to things that are unexplained or unexplainable.  But it actually applies to all observable occurrences or events.

I think it will be helpful to jump right into the exercise.

In this week’s activity, we will be creating maps of a particular spot of land.  You can create these maps for any size area, but for the sake of this exercise, consider a spot that is 50 to 100 feet across.

We’ll start with a base map.  The purpose of this map is to provide a foundation for all your other maps.  It should include major characteristics of the landscape to help orient you to the location you’ll be mapping.  There doesn’t need to be a lot of detail, but it is helpful if you can make it to scale.  You can also include some map elements, such as a compass rose, a scale, title, and a legend (if it’s helpful).  Here’s an example base map:

You’ll use your base map as a template for the rest of the maps.  Each of the next maps will focus on a particular phenomenon.  Let’s start with water.