Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology Conservation Media (CM) team is seeking a data visualization artist to create an interactive map demonstrating the importance of all the grasslands in the 48 contiguous states.

This is a freelance position.

The map will support the efforts of CM and partner organizations working to pass the North American Grasslands Conservation Act (NAGCA) in the United States Congress.

The tool will include data layers showing the following values that grasslands provide: carbon sequestration capacity (climate resilience), soil health, water regulation, support for the ranching economy, wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation. It will potentially also include changes in grasslands and sagebrush over time, as well as any other relevant NAGCA cost/benefit information strengthening the economic case for grassland conservation. The map will be designed to feature information useful for federal, state, and local policy makers. Users will be able to highlight individual congressional districts and learn what the data say about grasslands in their community.

The map design concept has similar characteristics as recent election maps created by The NY Times and NPR. The data will be collected from existing research, and the focus will be on presenting the information in such a way that it speaks to those representing people who live in the grasslands. The map will be constructed so that it can be updated as new information becomes available and/or new uses are determined.