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Tools and Resources

Science and Data

Two works inspect drum-like water monitoring devices in the middle of a farm field.
Water monitoring TNC staff checking water monitoring devices for wetland ponds near Lexington, Illinois. © Mark Godfrey/TNC
A man looks up from the wide trunk of an old-growth tree in a forest.
Oregon Exploring an old-growth forest. © TNC

Bridging data creators and practitioners to make information more accessible

Greenprints compile data from multiple sources, synthesize the relevant information in one place, and translate the results into meaningful maps, charts, and descriptions that end users can access without special training or software.

By making a wide variety of data readily available and comprehensible, greenprints make it easier for a variety of audiences to find and use the information they need.

Data in a greenprint might include cutting-edge scientific data like climate change projections or output from hydrologic models, but a Greenprint user does not need to be an expert on climate science or hydrology to use this information to make land use decisions. The role of the greenprint is to translate scientific research into information that can be used by anyone to guide decisions.

Satelite image showing algal bloom on a lake.
Great Lakes Algal bloom in the western basin of Lake Erie. © NASA
Rolling countryside with forest and open meadows at sunset.
O’Connell Ranch Sunset colors rolling oak woodlands on the O’Connell Ranch, located in Santa Clara County, California, in the Mount Hamilton wilderness area. © Gary N. Crabbe

Greenprint Themes

The data and metrics within a greenprint are often organized into themes: broad categories that provide structure to the data.

Themes should be intuitive so users can easily connect with information and data related to a theme. The themes for each greenprint will depend on the specific resource goals identified in the process of creating the greenprint. For example, a greenprint focused on watershed health may include themes on water quality.

Resource goals and themes are described in more depth in key questions under “Goals.” Some common themes in greenprints are listed below, but each greenprint is unique, and many greenprints will include a relevant subset of these themes or other themes not listed here.

Common Themes and Datasets

Examples of themes found in greenprints across the U.S. and Internationally.

  • Water rushing through the gates of a dam.

    Water Quality and Supply

    Ensuring access to clean water is essential for people, agriculture, diverse species, and healthy ecosystems. Datasets that support this theme include: watersheds, stormwater runoff, rivers and streams, and groundwater recharge zones.

  • Closeup of a butterfly on a plant.

    Biodiversity and Habitat

    Conserving habitats and the natural linkages between them will allow plants and animals to thrive. Datasets that support this theme include: species habitat, rare species occurrences, and habitat connectivity.

  • A lush field of crops grows under a blue sky.

    Rural and Working Lands

    Working lands, including farms and ranches, produce food and fuel, provide jobs and support the local economy. Datasets include: farm and ranch land data, areas for fishing, hunting, or foraging, rural character, viewsheds and dark skies.

  • California wildfires in 2018.

    Climate Resilience

    Building resilience to flooding, wildfires, and heat islands will strengthen communities and ecosystems. Datasets for this theme include: carbon sequestration, flood risk, extreme heat risk, wildfire risk, coastal protection, and air quality.

  • Plants in a city park are illuminated by the sun.

    Parks and Open Space Access

    Open space provides wildlife habitat and benefits our health via air quality, space for recreation and reducing extreme heat. Datasets include: publicly accessible protected lands, access to parks and trails, and access to nature-based programming.

  • Men working outside in a forest.

    Cultural and Historic Resources

    Cultural resources are crucial for providing a sense of community and understanding the historical value of the place. Datasets include: indigenous traditional territories, sacred sites, and designated historic sites.

  • Two people sit on a bench in a forest.

    Health and Equity

    Environmental hazards unduly impact marginalized communities. Datasets include: air quality and pollution, socioeconomic vulnerability, food and healthcare access, housing, employment, transportation access, health inequity and poor health outcomes.

  • Volunteers work outside along a coastline.

    Partnership and Funding Opportunities

    Strategic partnerships and funding opportunities build support and resources to achieve goals. Datasets include: places to partner with Indigenous groups, service area overlaps for agencies and organizations, and priority areas for funding sources.

Screenshot showing a color-coded map with filters of Santa Clara County, California.
Science and Data Screenshot of webmap and data from Bay Area greenprint. © TNC

Spatial Analysis

Most datasets in a greenprint can be displayed spatially and should correspond to a resource goal or a theme. Relevant datasets can be gathered from experts in different fields as well as crowd sourced from end users, partners, and anyone else engaged in developing a greenprint.

After gathering a comprehensive list of potential data that represents all resource goals, narrow down the list by identifying the most recent, high-quality, trusted, and relevant crucial data for your targeted user groups and chosen geography. It is worth noting that in the United States, there are many national-scale datasets, but local sources may have higher accuracy and resolution and therefore may be more useful to and trusted by local decision-makers and advocates.

In a greenprint, the chosen datasets can be conveyed to users in two ways:

  1. As spatial layers displayed on a map;
  2. In a report summarized into metrics for an area of interest.
How the Bay Area counties are compared to surrounding counties
Natural Resource Dashboard How the Bay Area counties are compared to surrounding counties

Greenprint Metrics

Metrics summarize and interpret the data for an area of interest. Metrics (sometimes called measures or outputs) can be presented in a table, a chart, or as a numerical value with associated text. For example, for a resource goal of “protecting water quality,” one metric could be “10.2 miles of impaired streams are within the area of interest.” Knowing the extent of impaired streams can help users determine where to prioritize water quality improvements.

Each dataset can be summarized in many ways, leading to multiple options for metrics. To list a few examples of basic metrics for the above example of water quality, the greenprint could report on:

  1. The number of impaired streams
  2. The total length of impaired streams, or
  3. The percent of streams in the area that are impaired.

Metrics should be chosen that will be most interpretable and useful for the audience of each greenprint.

Metrics can be more than “just the facts.” They can include trends or contextual information that help convey the significance of a natural resource. The following are types of metrics that help explain why a certain quantity of a resource is or is not important using the “impaired streams” example.

  • Just the facts (“X miles of impaired streams”)
  • Regional significance (“This area contains X% of the impaired streams in the state”)
  • Landscape context (“X miles of impaired streams are within protected areas that house threatened species.”)
  • Risk level to the resource (“X miles of unimpaired streams are in an area at risk of development, which could lead to more water pollution.”)
  • Inequitable distribution (“There are X more miles of impaired streams in low-income communities than in high-income communities.”)
  • Historical trends (“The number of impaired streams has increased by X% over the past 20 years.”)
  • Thresholds that can impact ecological or human health. (“Having more than X amount of impaired streams may have an impact on local drinking water sources.”)

Sharing this contextual information with end users could lead to users implementing different actions. For example, if users know that a resource is inequitably distributed, they may want to focus restoration efforts in low-income or pollution-burdened communities.

Greenprints may provide solely descriptive metrics (as highlighted above), that summarizes information to describe conditions of a resource on the landscape.

Greenprints can also be designed to provide action-oriented metrics that offer solutions or recommendations related to resources. For example, a descriptive metric would report that “there are 10 acres in this area impacted by urban heat island effects”; whereas an action-oriented metric would add that “planting street trees in this area can help cool temperatures to address the effects of urban heat islands.” Deciding whether to use descriptive or action-oriented metrics depends on the goals, users, and developers of the greenprint.

In order to provide transparency and build trust with potential users, each dataset and metric should also be linked to a data definition and a source.

An extended hand works with a device sitting on the ground.
Working in the field Research and field work at the Canyonlands Research Center at Dugout Ranch in Utah. © Stuart Ruckman

Science in Action

The section below shows examples of how data can be translated through the greenprinting process in order to make the information presented meaningful to users.

How data and metrics support the broader category of themes that address greenprint questions
Themes, Metrics and Data How data and metrics support the broader category of themes that address greenprint questions
Examples of Metrics and Data that support Themes and address Key Questions
Theme Key Question Metric Data
Water Quality Where does our drinking water come from? Project area includes a drinking water source area. Pollution in this area could impact drinking water quality. Drinking water source areas in Oregon from the Department of Environmental Quality
Are there natural lands that help enhance water quality? Acres of natural lands buffering streams and rivers. National Hydrography Dataset Plus; National Land Cover Data
Biodiversity and Habitat Which areas are critical for species moving in response to climate change? Acres of land within a climate linkage. Connectivity and climate flow from The Nature Conservancy Resilient Land Mapping Tool
What is the richness of plant and animal species? Number of species observed within project area. India Biodiversity Portal
Rural and working lands Where are the most productive agricultural soils? Acres of prime agricultural land Irrigated Capability Class from the USDA Soil Survey Geographic Database
Where are opportunities to expand access to healthy foods? Number of community gardens within 5 miles. GreenThumb Community Garden Map from NYC Parks
Climate Resilience Which areas are at high risk of wildfire? Acres with very high likelihood of wildfire. Wildfire Risk to Communities from the USDA Forest Service
Where is carbon stored in the landscape? Metric tons of CO2 equivalent stored in vegetation. Wildland carbon storage in California from Gonzalez et al. 2015
Which areas are at risk of flooding? Acres within the 100-year floodplain. FEMA Flood Maps
Park and Open Space Access Where is the potential to expand access equitably to outdoor recreation? Acres with a very high need for park access (residents in that area are currently more than a 10 minute walk from a park). Priority areas for new parks from the Trust for Public Land
Where is there high urban heat risk due to insufficient open space and tree canopy? Temperature difference between urban centers and surrounding rural areas. Urban Heat Island in 5 cities from the Sustaining Urban Places Research Lab
Cultural and Historic Resource Which indigenous people traditionally inhabited this region? The traditional territories of the project area. Native Land Digital
Does the area contain designated historic sites? Number of registered historic places within the project area. National Register of Historic Places from National Park Service
Health and Equity What is the exposure level to air pollution in this region? The national percentile of PM2.5. Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool from US EPA
Is there equitable access to public transportation? The statewide percentile of transportation access. Transportation Equity in Massachusetts from MassROUTES
Partnership and Funding Which governement agencies manage lands in the area? Ownership of public lands adjacent to the project area. Protected Area Database from USGS
Are there priority development areas that have financial benefits? Whether or not the project area falls within an Opportunity Zone. Opportunity zones in Chicago from the City of Chicago

Water Quality

    • Metric: Acres of natural lands buffering streams and rivers

    Natural land cover in the active river area filters excess sediment and pollutants from surface runoff before the runoff enters rivers thereby benefiting water users downstream by maintaining or enhancing water quality.

    • Dataset (US): National Hydrography Dataset Plus; National Land Cover Data
    • Metric: Your project area includes a drinking water source area. Pollution in this area could impact drinking water quality.
    • Dataset (local): Drinking water source areas in Oregon from the Department of Environmental Quality

Biodiversity and Habitat

    • Metric: Acres of land within a climate linkage.

    These linkages are the last remaining natural lands within a modified landscape, and they also connect current climate conditions to similar conditions in the future. Maintaining habitat connectivity within these linkages will help facilitate species movement through climate change.

Rural and Working Lands

    • Metric: Number of community gardens within 5 miles. In urban areas, community gardens can provide access to healthy foods.
    • Dataset (local): GreenThumb Community Garden Map from NYC Parks

Climate Resilience

    • Metric: Acres with a very high likelihood of wildfire. Fuels management and controlled burns can help return fire to its beneficial role.
    • Dataset (US): Wildfire Risk to Communities from the USDA Forest Service
    • Metric: Metric tons of CO2 equivalent stored in vegetation. Vegetation in this region is at risk of development, and any disturbances in this area would release greenhouse gas emissions.
    • Dataset (local): Wildland carbon storage in California from Gonzalez et al. 2015
    • Metric: Acres within the 100-year floodplain.

    Climate change may increase the extent of flooding. Green infrastructure can help mitigate the impacts of flood water to urban areas.

    • Dataset: FEMA Flood Maps

Parks and Open Space Access

    • Metric: Acres with a very high need for park access (residents in that area are currently more than a 10 minute walk from a park).

    Many parks in this region are inequitably distributed, with more access to parks in higher income communities. Parks have health and recreation benefits, and it is important to increase accessibility to parks for all urban residents.

    • Metric: Temperature difference between urban centers and surrounding rural areas.

    Urban heat islands, due to impervious surfaces and lack of canopy cover, can lead to heat-related illness and death. Planting trees can provide shade and cooling.

Cultural and Historic Resource

    • Metric: The traditional territories of the project area. Knowing the historical and ongoing presence of Indigenous peoples in the region acknowledges their connections to the land.
    • Dataset (US): Native Land Digital
    • Metric: Number of registered historic places within the project area. Historic places may have special protections or restrictions on development.
    • Dataset (US): National Register of Historic Places from National Park Service

Health and Equity

    • Metric: The national percentile of PM2.5.

    High levels of PM2.5 can cause health problems, such as respiratory issues, especially for vulnerable populations. Vegetation can help filter out air pollutants including PM2.5.

    • Dataset (US): Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool from US EPA
    • Metric: The statewide percentile of transportation access.

    In general, marginalized communities have lower access to public transportation, but are also more impacted by harmful air pollution from the transit system.

    • Dataset (local): Transportation Equity in Massachusetts from MassROUTES

Partnership and Funding

    • Metric: Ownership of public lands adjacent to the project area. Nearby agencies may be interested in engaging in a partnership.
    • Dataset (US): Inventory of protected areas from USGS
    • Metric: Whether or not the project area falls within an Opportunity Zone. Developments in communities identified as Opportunity Zones may be eligible for tax incentives.
    • Dataset (local): Opportunity zones in Chicago from the City of Chicago
Water tumbling over huge boulders in forested mountainous terrain.
Cheat Canyon The Cheat River, Cheat River Canyon, West Virginia. © Kent Mason