Some places may be very small, but if they are important for the environment, or just make you feel good about being outdoors with nature, record them for placement on your Map. You can write a few sentences about special features of the landscape, make sketches or take photos to capture the sites' key elements. Write a short survey to help gather more information from local residents, shopkeepers and other community members about wildlife, significant organizations, public transportation, cherished cultural sites, and other green places in your area. Check the library for books on local tourism, natural and cultural history. Check bulletin boards for information on eco-events and group meetings that might lead you to find more green sites or help discover greening initiatives already under way in your community.
Most communities contain threats to the health and safety of the natural environment.
As you tour the neighborhood, make note of the category, location and name of each toxic hot spot. You may need to get advice from a local environmental group to identify these polluted places contact some of the eco-resources and organizations listed on your city's Green Map or other environmental directory. Decide if your map should include toxic sites and if you need to explain why you included or omitted them on your map. If you want to keep these environmental challenges separate from the beneficial sites you've found, you can write an article about the toxic sites for the school paper and suggest actions to address pollution in your community. Research environmental justice issues, specifically the effects of pollution on poorer residents in your neighborhood.