The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Interdisciplinary Geospatial Technology Lab won two awards at the Tennessee Geographic Information Council Summit. The IGTLab was named winner of the Best Map Overall and the Best Static Map categories.
The map that won both awards highlights critical areas of conservation focus in the Greater Chattanooga region. By identifying key locations, the map aims to aid conservation groups in meeting conservation goals by 2050.
“The area shown on the map is simultaneously one of the most biodiverse and least protected lands in the southeast,” says IGTLab director Charlie Mix. “It’s critical to have a blueprint to guide conservation efforts.”
The map guides the efforts of the Thrive Regional Partnership’s Natural Treasures Alliance, a collective of more than 30 conservation, outdoor recreation and land management entities dedicated to long-term landscape preservation across the greater Chattanooga region.
The map ranks lands based on their climate resilience, intact habitat cores, wildlife corridors and proximity to other protected areas.
Source: UTC