Grassroots Mapping is a series of participatory mapping projects involving communities in cartographic dispute. Seeking to invert the traditional power structure of cartography, the grassroots mappers used helium balloons and kites to loft their own “community satellites” made with inexpensive digital cameras.

This site has been merged into Public Lab

At Public Lab, we've grown the Grassroots Mapping community into a broader effort to enable communities to understand and respond to environmental threats with DIY techniques.

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Lima, Peru: Kite Making/Ballon Mapping Workshop, U. of San Marcos

February 2nd, 2012 by anita

We held a Ballon Mapping and Kite Making Workshop on the Campus of San Marcos on Jan. 28, 2012 with a group of about 10 people from: Open Street Map Peru, Saberes Nomadas, and San Marcos Univ. (physics, geography, sociology, and geographic engineering depts.)

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Lima, Peru: Kite Making/Ballon Mapping Workshop, U. of San Marcos

February 2nd, 2012 by anita

We held a Ballon Mapping and Kite Making Workshop on the Campus of San Marcos on Jan. 28, 2012 with a group of about 10 people from: Open Street Map Peru, Saberes Nomadas, and San Marcos Univ. (physics, geography, sociology, and geographic engineering depts.)

read more

Efficient Image Sorting with Finder & Preview (Mac)

January 30th, 2012 by mathew

I've made an instructional video on efficient image sorting with Preview and Finder, for quickly winnowing down big groups of images to small sets, ready for MapKnitter:

Efficient Image Sorting with Finder & Preview (Mac)

January 30th, 2012 by mathew

I've made an instructional video on efficient image sorting with Preview and Finder, for quickly winnowing down big groups of images to small sets, ready for MapKnitter:

using a knot to trigger cameras

January 29th, 2012 by mathew

This is for use with the PET Bottle Rig

Instead of using a balled up piece of tape, a pebble, or some other thing to hold down my camera's shutter, I've gone to using a knot. This makes it easy to hold in place, and makes setting it easier. I prefer a rubber band, but tape also holds it down. tape may be more useful for bulging, non rectangular cameras.

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using a knot to trigger cameras

January 29th, 2012 by mathew

This is for use with the PET Bottle Rig

Instead of using a balled up piece of tape, a pebble, or some other thing to hold down my camera's shutter, I've gone to using a knot. This makes it easy to hold in place, and makes setting it easier. I prefer a rubber band, but tape also holds it down. tape may be more useful for bulging, non rectangular cameras.

read more

Helium high: balloon mapping in the Philippines

January 25th, 2012 by maning

This post has been syndicated from EPSG4253.wordpress.com

Today, we had a balloon mapping experiment. For a very brief airtime, we got some really impressive images.

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Helium high: balloon mapping in the Philippines

January 25th, 2012 by maning

This post has been syndicated from EPSG4253.wordpress.com

Today, we had a balloon mapping experiment. For a very brief airtime, we got some really impressive images.

read more

GrassrootsMapping on Kickstarter: Get a balloon kit

January 9th, 2012 by Jeffrey Warren

Georectifying in the Wetlands

January 4th, 2012 by Stewart Long

cross-posted from PBS's IdeaLab. Making maps from balloon and kite flights in the dynamic coastal wetlands areas.

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