In New York City's East Harlem, young people at All Saints Roman Catholic Church worked with Bob Zuber (Green Map System's Senior Education Specialist) and staff from the Center of International Learning to create a Green Map of the geographic "parish" of All Saints. The map focuses issues of importance to East Harlem residents -- recycling and waste disposal, traffic hazards, child-friendly areas, community gardens, locations for eating and purchasing healthy food, and parklands (including the refurbished Marcus Garvey Park). The map also highlights many Opportunity Sites, giving young people a chance to speak their mind about the kinds of ecological and cultural resources that they would like to see more of close to home. The map is accompanied by a wonderful album of neighborhood photographs taken by participating youth.

Thanks to Dr. Robert Zuber for sharing this first-hand experience in East Harlem NY:

Imagine an urban neighborhood featuring brightly colored school buildings and people offering melons and boiled peanuts for sale. Imagine a place that combines wonderful historical monuments and sites, green markets, riverfront parks, well-kept community gardens tucked away on side streets, architecturally and spiritually significant churches, and a large park where squirrels breed, birds pass through on their way to feeding grounds, and the laughter of children is absolutely contagious.

It sounds like a wonderful place to live, doesn't it? Well, those of us who work with the Center of International Learning (CIL) and worship at All Saints Church think so! We understand all too well that East Harlem is known in the broader U.S. public for its "toxic hotspots," abandoned buildings, rat-infested lots and troubled schools. Even so, there is a wealth of positive, healthful resources in these neighborhoods, resources that are completely unknown to disinterested outsiders, but also to many of the people who call East Harlem home. As CIL and All Saints do their part for healthier, more sustainable neighborhoods, we realize that residents must come to know much more than they do know about their own community - what we have, what we don't have, what we need. Realizing this, we decided to create a "Green Map," a visual representation of the resources in our geographic parish.

Our East Harlem Parish Green Map is being directed by Sr. Virginia Dorgan with the help of the Boy and Girl Scouts of All Saints. Under supervision, young people have walked the streets of our neighborhoods, making notes and taking photographs of important ecological and cultural sites. Young people were not only encouraged to locate sites, but to narrate them. What takes place here? Why is this place important? How does it contribute to the general health and well-being of the community? Is this something we want more of? By posing questions and making judgments, our young people are learning about important resources close to home, but also about their responsibilities for making communities healthier, more sustainable places to live.

Once the investigations had been completed, we set out to make a map of our parish using the Green Map System's global green site icons and a large "base map" furnished by the NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Copies of the map were made available to neighborhood residents and tourists, and the map was displayed at All Saints Church and presented to members of the local Community Board to help inform them about ecological resources and problems in our neighborhoods. We even sent the completed map, along with a photo album, to Ghana as part of CIL's "sustainable communities initiative." A place on the Green Map System web site will be established to "house" the on-line version of the map, helping provide our youth with the chance to show people around the world just how good life in our community can be.

Our map will join others made by young people in communities from Brooklyn to Buenos Aires....

Editor's note: Due to technical difficulties, this terrific black and white Green Map can only be show in part on this website. We are proud to have a copy in our office! CIL is now called Network for Peace through Dialogue and continuing its important work.