Nature: Floraspecial trees/native flora: trees that have historical importance, or are especially beautiful, large, old or rare. May be old growth, virgin trees (never cut by humans), ancient, sacred or medicinal trees or native plants. Could be indoors.
parkland/recreation area: green spaces that offer places to relax and play. May include sports fields, running paths, canoe rental, or children's play equipment, along with vegetation and a pond, creek or other water feature. Some parklands may be publicly-owned and free, others might be private and charge admission.
public forest: publicly-owned and accessible to all. A wide variety of natural areas can use this symbol. Balance your emphasis of forests with parklands to discourage the over-use of natural areas.
public garden: generally, larger gardens that are maintained by public agencies or organizations instead of the community. May be indoors or outdoors. Calgary suggests indicating nature of the species in the garden, pesticide use or entrance fees.
community garden: often on public or formerly abandoned land, community gardens allow people to plant and grow their own vegetables and flowers in small plots. People also grow relationships and a close connection to the land/city. Sometimes fenced and locked, gardeners have keys. Sometimes threatened by development. Text should include contact numbers.
special community garden: especially nice. Along with a diversity of plants, may have a stage, artwork, solar powered water features, nice seating, or other amenities. Publicly assessable and cooperatively run. This Icon can be used to indicate a special garden that, though private, can be easily seen by pedestrians.
bioregional site/indigenous plants: places where connection to the topography or waterways of the larger region are evident/plants native to the bio-region. Text can discuss bio-regional boundaries in/near the Map's area. Could be a layer on a GIS map or the whole Green Map could be based on bio-regional boundaries instead of political limits.
greenway: generally, places where interconnections between the natural and built environments are evident. Greenways often follow river or stream beds, ravines or steep hills, and are left in natural state (more or less).
Other possible categories include: Bioremediation Site.
revised 2-4-99
text from the Green Map System's Guide to Green Mapmaking, ©Modern World Design 1999