The Beach to Bay Heritage Area, a lower shore nonprofit whose mission is to promote, preserve and protect the cultural heritage, historical linkages and natural assets of the lower eastern shore, was awarded a grant from the Rural Maryland Council through the Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund (MAERDAF). The BBHA was one of only 39 organizations statewide to receive funding.
The BBHA will be working with Salisbury University’s Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative (ESRGC) to produce a digital storytelling product.
ArcGIS StoryMaps are a digital storyteller product that add narrative to enhance data and inform an audience. StoryMaps provide the context and background information, creating a link between the narrative and maps – telling the story behind the data. The narrative and other media in the StoryMap create a stronger sense of place and illustrate spatial relationships all in one visually appealing product.
Utilizing GIS technology, StoryMaps guide users through a digital story to create a clear and holistic picture of the presented data. A creative option for data and map presentation, a StoryMap is an ideal product for an immersive cultural heritage experience aiming to build local capacities and understand best practices for designing and packaging cultural heritage tourism experiences.
The ESRGC will identify existing GIS data and will work with the Beach to Bay Heritage Area team to develop new data to be used in the StoryMap. Interactive web maps will be developed to be included in the StoryMap and the ESRGC will work with the Beach to Bay Heritage Area team on the language to be included in the StoryMap. The Beach to Bay Heritage Area StoryMap will be organized to include; museums & historic sites, state scenic and national byways, farmer’s markets, historic markers, African American historic places and people, breweries, wineries and distilleries and Arts & Entertainment Districts.
Each topic in the StoryMap will present the data/areas of interest, explain the importance of the category, and showcase what makes it unique to the Beach to Bay Heritage Area. The StoryMap will include a variety of media (photos, maps, videos, or audio files) to engage and inform users. The developed StoryMap product will be supported for desktop and mobile use and can be embedded into any website, allowing users near and far to experience the history and beauty of the Beach to Bay Heritage Area. To learn more about the Beach to Bay Heritage Area visit www.BeachesBaysWaterWays.org.
