Speakers
Description
Mapping has always been a means of making the invisible visible—of translating lived, remote, or rapidly changing environments into forms that can be studied, managed, protected, and understood. This session, Map This, brings together researchers and practitioners working in diverse and often under-mapped contexts to explore how contemporary mapping practices are revealing overlooked geographies and reshaping our understanding of place. Panelists will discuss projects mapping the shifting dynamics of Arctic sea ice, the reclamation and representation of Native American lands, and efforts to document rural landscapes in India where official data remain incomplete or outdated. Through these examples, the panel will highlight the necessity of mapping these areas, the social, cultural, and technological challenges involved, and the opportunities that arise. It will also examine the collaborative tools—ranging from community-led cartography to satellite-based remote sensing—used to address these challenges. Discussion will also consider how these approaches might inform mapping in other vulnerable or data-poor regions, inviting participants to reflect on what it means to “map” a world in continual transformation.
