Embedded Files
Grenada National Ecosystem Assessment
August 2020–August 2023
CANARI-NEA-Report-2023_Final.pdfI worked with the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI)—in partnership with the Government of Grenada—to develop all of the map resources for the Grenada National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA). This project was part of a global initiative on supporting decision making and building capacity and Grenada served as the first Caribbean country, the first small island developing state (SIDS), and as an important pilot for the Caribbean region.
Key outputs of the NEA included: assessments on the status and threats to key ecosystems including impacts on relevant sectors; policy support tools and methodologies to guide and enhance conservation and sustainable management of ecosystems; a national multi-stakeholder platform to provide ongoing communities of practice facilitating a science-policy interface; and a series of case studies and lessons learned.
I volunteered my time as the Publication Cartographer to work with authors from all of the chapters of the NEA to accurately develop consistent cartographic resources to supplement the discussed data including: geologic features, Pre-Columbian sites, coastal ecosystems, sea turtle nesting sites, marine and terrestrial protected areas, terrestrial land use, watersheds, seabird colonies, invasive species on offshore islands, major hurricanes, and sargassum incidence.
Gaea Conservation
June 2019–August 2020
I mapped general mangrove species distributions across sites on the main island of Grenada based on surveys by Moore et al. to help Gaea Conservation with their efforts to advise management decisions in resource management and the sustainable use of natural resources.
Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines
January 2013–present
Juliana Coffey and I first met when we lived on Union Island, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in 2011 and bonded over our shared interest in birds and local knowledge. We have both lived and worked throughout the islands intermittently ever since and have collaborated on a variety of projects, most notably seven years researching and writing Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines: a comprehensive, user-friendly identification field guide featuring scientific and local ecological knowledge and folklore from Grenadine citizens, photographs taken within the Caribbean, and 14 detailed maps illustrating conservation areas and local toponyms on more than 50 islands and cays.
We conducted extensive literature and field research to ensure that this guide is regionally representative of the natural, cultural, and historical contexts of the islands. Local bird names, knowledge, and lore are highlighted throughout the book: compiled through consultation with over 100 stakeholders throughout the transboundary Grenadines.
We were awarded funding for this research from BirdsCaribbean, the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands' (CFVI) Judith A. Towle Environmental Studies Fund, and Optics for the Tropics.
This book can be purchased within Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada or ordered online!
Mayreau and Tobago Cays Map 2-Page Spread
Carriacou Map 2-Page Spread
American Flyways
Transboundary Grenadines
Canouan, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Ins & Outs SVG 2023.pdfIns and Outs of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Magazine Article
2023
Zing Article 2015.pdfZing (Liat Airlines In-Flight Magazine) Article
2015
Ins and Outs of SVG 2015.pdfIns and Outs of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Magazine Article
2015
BirdsCaribbean
April 2014–present
I have worked with BirdsCaribbean for over a decade as it has grown from the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB) into today's BirdsCaribbean. I've created maps for BirdsCaribbean blogs, articles, and print products (even a coloring book!) and edited and designed new maps for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO). I've helped with social media, pulled together blog posts, created electronic bird jigsaw puzzles, and designed our 30th anniversary logo.
I have helped grow the Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT) into the incredible resource it is today (developing and maintaining our interactive map), touching the entries for almost ever single birding site highlighted on the CBT. I've pitched and executed a complete redesign of our Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT) Tour Guides and Operators directory and assisted with the facilitation of our conferences in Jamaica, Cuba, and Guadeloupe and a CBT interpretive guide training in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and served as a mentor in our mentorship program. I've corresponded and collaborated with hundreds of Caribbean nationals and had the pleasure of working with incredible colleagues across the region.
CARTO Interactive Map for the Caribbean Birding Trail
Caribbean Endemic Birds Coloring Book Map
Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) Counts in 2019
Endemic Whistling Warbler PROALAS Point Counts and eBird Sightings
BirdsCaribbean Hurricane Relief Efforts Following Irma and Maria
Developments at Levera, La Sagesse, and Mt Hartman, Grenada Damaging Mangroves
Brochure Highlighting Birding Sites in Grenada
Brochure Highlighting Birding Sites in Jamaica's Cockpit Country
Environmental Protection in the Caribbean
June 2015–present
I have worked with Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) for almost a decade, starting with the Protecting Seabirds in the Transboundary Grenadines project and expanding to outdoor recreation maps in Sint Maarten and St Martin. I have made maps, analyzed data, planned and facilitated workshops, assisted in preparing grant reports, and coordinated on-the-ground conservation efforts.
CARTO (expired) Interactive Map of Environmental Protection in the Caribbean Project Locations
Protected Areas and Important Bird Areas in the Transboundary Grenadines
Infographic Highlighting the Seabirds of the Transboundary Grenadines
Contemporary Presence of Non-Native Mammals on Uninhabited Grenadines Islands
Environmental Protection in the Caribbean Project Locations
Flora and Fauna Species Assessment in Sint Maarten
Hiking Map of the UTS Ball Trail in Sint Maarten
More maps available on Avenza Maps
Grenadine Seabird Patrol Members with Maps in the Field
Trailhead Map for the Natural Pool Trail, Sint Maarten
Testimonial
"Anytime our non-profit organization needs to visualize data, we know we can rely on Aly to create professional, aesthetically pleasing, and accurate maps. She delivers quickly and incorporates edits right away. She creates products we are proud to share with our partners and to use in conservation campaigns. We will continue to use Aly’s excellent services and have recommended her to many partners."
- Natalia Collier, Co-Founder, Board Member, and Program Director, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean
Participatory Mapping in the Transboundary Grenadines
July 2011–February 2013
DeGraff_Baldwin_2013_GrenadinesHeritageMapping.pdfUniversity of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) Technical Report
I received a prestigious, fully funded fellowship from the Compton Foundation to facilitate a transboundary participatory mapping project to develop a comprehensive local knowledge GIS database in ArcGIS of important historical, cultural, and ecological heritage sites.
I conducted interviews, community meetings and workshops, and intensive data collection and fieldwork working with over 300 stakeholders across 26 islands and cays and recorded data and photographs for more than 320 sites. This information filled data gaps and served to strengthen the joint application of the countries as a mixed (natural and cultural) marine transboundary UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I also assisted The Nature Conservancy and the Sustainable Grenadines, Inc. with geospatial data analyses (in Marxan with Zones and Esri ArcGIS) and community meetings and workshops to develop a collaborative zoning plan to increase capacity to protect, manage, and sustainably use the resources of the Grenada Bank.
National Geographic Education Programs GeoStory (expired) Media Spotlight
MapBox (expired) Interactive Grenadines Heritage Map
CARTO (expired) Interactive Grenadines Heritage Map
Google Earth Grenadines Heritage Sites KML
Old Providence Island
January–May 2010
My senior year at Middlebury College I spent my January-term (J-term) on the island of Old Providence, Colombia meeting with CORALINA (Corporación para el Desarrollo Sostenible del Archipiélago de San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina), collecting geospatial data with a GPS, and informally interviewing locals to develop a detailed map of the island, its local toponyms, protected areas, roads, and trails.
I paired that on-the-ground research and map development with a final paper on the historical conflicts that led to the archipelago's current social, economic, and ecologic issues for my Geography of Mexico and Central America course, discussing how San Andrés and Old Providence have struggled to maintain their identity throughout their complicated colonial history. I published an article on this research in the winter 2010 issue of Middlebury Geographic.
Map of Old Provindence Island
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