Celebrating 25 Years of GIS Day | November 2024


This year marks the 25th anniversary of GIS Day. In celebration, this year’s theme — Mapping Minds, Shaping the World: 25 Years of GIS Excellence — reflects the profound impact of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) on how we perceive, understand, and shape our planet.

Explore the Special GIS Day 2024 Issue of StoryScape to register or find an event near you. Browse promotional and learning resources. And count down to GIS Day — November 20, 2024 — with 20 Esri employees. To celebrate geography and the GIS community, each of the 20 employees highlights an inspirational map, application, or story. Explore the picks and share them with your mappy friends.


FEATURED STORY

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Learn what Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is all about. Discover the history, how it works, and why it matters.

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GIS Day — November 20, 2024 is a day dedicated to showing, teaching, and inspiring others. Join the celebration and inspire a new generation to address our greatest challenges and discover data-driven solutions by using a geographic approach and employing GIS tools.

Find an event — or host your own.

On November 18, 1999, Jack Dangermond, Dr. Roger Tomlinson, and a few dozen students celebrated the first GIS Day at Murch Elementary School in Washington, D.C. Twenty-five years later, the annual GIS Day celebration continues with thousands of events worldwide. Explore the map to find GIS Day events near you.

Ready to host your own event? Head on over to gisday.com and register now.

2024 GIS Day Registration Form_public

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Meet the people behind the maps.

"I pushed a button to make a dot density map...I'm looking at this model of the world coming to life before my eyes, and I thought, this is magical." —John Nelson, Esri

What was your "aha" moment? What sparked your passion for geography and GIS? In this video, Esri employees — from cartographers to product engineers — share the inspiration behind their impactful work.

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A collage of the six storytellers featured in the GIS Day 2024 Issue of StoryScape

Get inspired by a geographic approach...

...to your golf game, a woodworking project, or a virtual museum exhibit.

Discover fun and innovative uses of GIS from six storytellers. Hear, in their own words, what inspired them to conjure up their unusual applications and why outside-the-box approaches are important to the field of geography.

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A person wearing sunglasses, smiling, and holding a mobile phone against a circular-shaped pattern of earth imagery with the words Celebrate GIS Day displayed

Celebrate GIS Day in style.   

You've put your GIS Day event on the map! Now make it spatial with free learning resources and promotional materials. Get started with the GIS Day 2024 story. Then browse the media kit for posters, stickers, templates, social media assets, and more.

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FEATURED STORYTELLER

Head on over to @Esrigram, Esri's Instagram account for the mappiest people on earth. Travel the ocean floor, fly through cityscapes, or go back in time with a digital twin. Discover wildfire activity, global biodiversity trends, even PB&J hotspots near you. 

Peer through the dot density, humor, and hashtags and you'll find the wizard behind the curtain — Michael Fernandez.

Michael is a Social Media Specialist at Esri and oversees content strategy for the corporate Instagram account, better known as @Esrigram. Perhaps more than anyone, Michael understands the power of the right image.

For him, it was a superhero map.

Five years ago, Michael — then a youth coordinator at the Boys and Girls Club in Redlands, California — herded a captive group of middle schoolers into a GIS Day event where something unexpected happened: As the hosts unveiled map after map, the teenagers and Michael were wowed by the visuals, the messages behind them, and the fun of geography. And the rest is history.

The StoryMaps team and Michael recently chatted about his initial GIS Day experience, his time with Esri since then, and the important insights gained each day through GIS and the geospatial approach.
Meet the storyteller

Countdown to GIS Day


Have you recently seen a beautiful or innovative map, story, or app and thought — I wish I’d thought of that? We asked 20 Esri employees that question. And they delivered! Enjoy their answers in a countdown to GIS Day that highlights the power of GIS for positive change.

Explore the picks and share them on social — with #GISDay2024. Plus follow the daily countdown on Esri's social media channels and @GISDay X and Facebook.

A rectangular gallery card with the number 1, a photo of Dr. Dawn Wright, and a 3D digital ocean scene from the 3D mapping of ocean variables on the Portuguese coast story prominently displayed against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Dawn Wright

Chief Scientist

My inspiration: 3D mapping of ocean variables on the Portuguese coast by Telmo Dias, a student at Nova University Information Management School, in collaboration with the Portuguese Instituto Hidrográfico (Institute of Hydrography)

As a co-leader of the open Ecological Marine Units 3D “digital ocean” for understanding our ocean and creating solutions for its best use and protection, this story shows one of the best customizations for a small region that I’ve ever seen. In a way, it’s exactly as we had originally intended for the application.

Explore the story
A rectangular gallery card with the number 2, a photo of John Nelson, and a close up of the Fram expedition map against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

John Nelson

Cartography and UX, ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World team

My inspiration: Fram expedition by Markus Brustad

Markus uses many techniques to create a period-specific feel for a historical theme, including subtle coastal fades and waterlines, land features that interrupt the neatline, all while representing the expedition progress clearly.

Explore the map
A rectangular gallery card with the number 3, a photo of Heather Smith, and a close up of The valley of the moon map against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Heather Smith

Principal GIS Content Engineer, Tutorials team

My inspiration: The valley of the moon by Shira Ellenson, Dewberry

I love this map for a lot of reasons. Its controlled color palette, its curved labels, its simplicity and clarity. But the thing I love most about this map is how it captures my imagination. Looking at it, I feel like I can imagine myself walking through these canyons, looking up at the high rocks. I can feel their sandstone texture and the dry heat on my face. I feel like I'm there. (Watch Heather's video about the map.)

Explore the map
A rectangular gallery card with the number 4, a photo of Dr. Este Geraghty, and a close up of a dot density map of clinical trail locations in the U.S. against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Dr. Este Geraghty

Chief Medical Officer

My inspiration: Cancer clinical trial locator by Amanda Stanko, Esri

Clinical trials offer hope to those facing critical illness, providing a path to new treatments and better outcomes. This GIS-based prototype app inspires me with its simplicity, integrating data, filters, and maps to make finding trials easier and more accessible.

Explore the application
A rectangular gallery card with the number 5, a photo of Owen Evans, and a map of the Titanic's route against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Owen Evans

Lead Product Engineer, StoryMaps team

My inspiration: Geography, class, and fate: Passengers on the Titanic by the StoryMaps team...a long time ago

Let’s all hop in a time machine! “Geography, class, and fate: Passengers on the Titanic” is a custom story created by the original StoryMaps team way back in 2012. It is the first story map I remember seeing, and it immediately hooked me on the concept of map-based storytelling. The simple act of mapping some information from a Wikipedia article and adding a little interactivity brought this historical event to life in a way that astounded me!

Explore the story
A rectangular gallery card with the number 6, a photo of Andria Olson, and a map of  close up of Pù Mát National Park, Vietnam, against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Andria Olson

Senior Content Specialist, StoryMaps team

My inspiration: Community-based wildlife crime prevention case study: A place-based crime script of professional hunting around Pù Mát National Park, Vietnam by Elle J. Xu, Meredith L Gore, and Judith Rakowski, University of Maryland; Laure Joanny, Luan Van Nguyen, and Ha.Anh Nguyen, Flora & Fauna; and James Slade and Andrew Tilker, ReWild

Perhaps it’s just my affinity for crime documentaries, but I was fascinated by this submission to our 2023 ArcGIS StoryMaps competition. I found their method of presenting a crime script and then going into the geography of wildlife crime intriguing, and their use of maps, map actions, and images was highly effective in making the topic understandable.

Explore the story
A rectangular gallery card with the number 7, a photo of Warren Davison, and a satellite view of the 2023 Canadian wildfires against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Warren Davison

Senior Content Specialist, StoryMaps team

My inspiration: How Widespread Was Canada’s Historic 2023 Wildfire Season? by Peter Atwood on maps.com

Creating a map to communicate phenomena is one thing, but artfully animating a map and choreographing the cartography is a whole other task. Peter's animation of the 2023 Canadian wildfire season is stunning. Not only does it visualize the sheer quantity and scale of the fires and the far-reaching smoke, but it achieves this with beautifully rendered visuals that trigger a visceral response. I can't help but feel like the map itself is on fire. Crafting a map that connects with and evokes a reaction from the audience is a vital skill in communicating and sharing the work we do with GIS.

Explore the map
A rectangular gallery card with the number 8, a photo of Ashley Du, and a map of Indigenous lands in Columbia against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Ashley Du

Senior Content Specialist, StoryMaps team

My inspiration: Living territories by Amazon Conservation Team

This story resonated with me because it highlights the importance of sharing stories about Indigenous communities around the world. The use of interactive maps and custom graphics really brings it to life, in addition to providing important information about the groups working daily to protect sensitive areas throughout Colombia.

Explore the story
A rectangular gallery card with the number 9, a photo of Joseph Kerski, and a close up of his walkability map against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Joseph Kerski

Education Manager, Education team

My inspiration: How walkable is your community? by Joseph Kerski, Esri

This resource shows the power of web GIS by connecting four components: A field survey, a web map, a dashboard, and a story map. I have used it from middle school to university levels, showing viewers that they can use the same idea to map and analyze trees, water quality, noise, historical homes, weather, and many other phenomena.

Explore the story
A rectangular gallery card with the number 10, a photo of Jess Altamira, an illustration of a dinosaur skeleton, and a map of fossil finds around the world against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circle

Jess Altamira

Senior Solution Engineer, GeoExperience Center

My inspiration: Digging up dinosaurs by Warren Davison, Esri

What really stood out to me was the awesome graphics and animation in the story. This story seamlessly blends adventure and science and deepens my love for dinosaurs. It kept me hooked from start to finish.

Explore the story
A rectangular gallery card with the number 11, a photo of Lisa Berry, and a close up of a wildfire within the Wildfire aware application a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Lisa Berry

Senior GIS Engineer and Living Atlas Evangelist, ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World team

My inspiration: Wildfire aware by Emily Meriam, Esri

This map is a beautiful representation of a terrifying topic. Emily has designed a multi-scale experience with a fully customized basemap that provides the right contextual elements at the right scale. As you zoom into the map, you gain additional information to help you view terrain, forests, rivers, fire outlines, and factors that are critical for understanding the impact and contributing elements related to wildfires. The app itself was designed by multiple Living Atlas team members, and it portrays key metrics related to each wildfire, such as reported acres, containment, weather, population, ecosystems, and more.

Explore the map
A rectangular gallery card with the number 12, a photo of Joshua Stevens, and a purple and green spike map against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Joshua Stevens

Cartographic Editor of Maps.com and Senior Digital Content Strategist, Digital Experience team

My inspiration: Spike mapping by Warren Davison, Esri

What I love so much about Warren’s map is that, as in so much of his work, it has many layers of utility. It is a fantastic map in and of itself. But Warren goes on to show readers exactly how this map was made, and how others can apply these same techniques to their maps, down to the Arcade expressions that power them. Lots of people make great maps.

Warren is also in the habit of creating great cartographers. This map exemplifies his dedication to well-designed maps and the people who make them.

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A rectangular gallery card with the number 13, a photo of Kristi Licera, and a pastel map of bird migration routes across North America and a map of fossil finds around the world against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Kristi Licera

Manager of Web Writing, Content Marketing team

My inspiration: Bird migration explorer by National Audubon Society

Wonder. That is what this map stirs in me. Vivid illustrations capture the nostalgia of classic encyclopedia. Modern data visualizations illuminate the paths of more than 450 avian species that grace our skies.

It reminds us to stop. Listen. Look up.

Explore the application
A rectangular gallery card with the number 14, a photo of Marcus Seepersad, and a swipe map of tourist trends on one side and income on the others against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circle

Marcus Seepersad

Marketing Automation Specialist, Digital Experience team

My inspiration: Have money, will travel by Esri's StoryMaps Team

This story is cool because it highlights the correlation between income and travel, showing how wealth enables global exploration. Travel enriches life experiences and fosters respect for different cultures, deepening one’s reverence for diversity through meaningful interactions.

Explore the story
A rectangular gallery card with the number 15, a photo of Raynah Kamau, and a map of the U.S. with multiple states highlighted in red against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Raynah Kamau

Lead, GeoEquity Cross-Sector Practice

My inspiration: She did that! by Black Girls MAPP

This story is a powerful example of how GIS can be a tool for social empowerment, specifically highlighting the critical role of Black women in the geospatial field. I deeply resonate with its mission to elevate and celebrate the contributions of Black women in GIS. This story not only tells their stories but also underscores the importance of representation, mentorship, and leadership within the industry. By combining personal narratives with actionable insights, it reflects our shared vision of creating spaces where Black women can thrive in tech, fostering diversity and inclusion in a traditionally underrepresented field.

Explore the story
A rectangular gallery card with the number 16, a photo of Angelique Samaro, and an image of a glowing computer server room against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Angelique Samaro

Associate Product Marketing Manager, Product Management team

My inspiration: ArcGIS Monitor by the Monitor Development Team

ArcGIS Monitor is a great tool for anyone using ArcGIS Enterprise. It monitors your system's health, performance, and usage, and proactively identifies possible issues. This means less system downtime, improved efficiency, and big savings, both in time and in money. That's why I love ArcGIS Monitor...Check out our success stories to see how Monitor is making an impact across different industries. (Watch Angelique's video about ArcGIS Monitor.)

Explore the stories
A rectangular gallery card with the number 17, a photo of Lauren Bennet, and a map of library deserts in the U.S. against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Lauren Bennett

Product Engineering Director, Spatial Analysis and Data Science team

My inspiration: Library deserts by Esri's StoryMaps team

I love this story because it's a great example of using geography, GIS, and storytelling to help improve lives and advocate for change. So many of the big challenges that our communities face have a spatial component; using maps to help tell stories and compel people to act can be particularly effective. Libraries and the resources that they provide, from knowledge to a safe place to hang out after school, are absolutely crucial to our communities and our society. Writing about it, showing charts and tables, and even interviewing people, can be effective communication tactics, but there is something about a map that can really speak to people in a way that few other mediums can.

Explore the story
A rectangular gallery card with the number 18, a photo of Jason Sawle, and a map of seafloor crustal layers against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Jason Sawle

Global Industry Manager for Schools

My inspiration: Seafloor crustal age in MapMaker by National Geographic Education and Esri

The Sea Floor Crustal Age map can help students understand the dynamic processes that shape the Earth.

In MapMaker, students can explore the map and click on different locations to see the different geologic ages of the sea floor. What pattern do they see? What processes could they describe to explain this? It's a great tool for critical thinking and a way to help immerse students in the subject matter.

Explore the application
A rectangular gallery card with the number 19, a photo of Lauren Tierney, and dot density map of visitation to national parks in the U.S. against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Lauren Tierney

Senior Product Manager of Mapping and Cartography, Product Management team

My inspiration: Chesapeake Bay National Recreation Area: Establishing a new national park unit by Amy Tian, National Parks Conservation Association

I love Amy's map of the Chesapeake Bay! The combination of illustrations and inset maps really bring this project to life and draws the viewer in to learn more about the Chesapeake Bay. The color palette across the maps and illustrations ties the whole piece together in a beautiful way. Cartography is not just about maps (infographics and illustrations are important too!) and this project really drives that home. Living so close to the Chesapeake Bay this map makes me want to get out and explore the ecological, historical, and cultural landscape of the region.

Explore the map
A rectangular gallery card with the number 20, a photo of Esri President Jack Dangermond, and a U.S. map displaying real time weather conditions against a black background sprinkled with small bright blue and green circles

Jack Dangermond

President

My inspiration: Mapping the U.S. in near real time by Esri's StoryMaps and Living Atlas teams

Maps are the language of geography and understanding. They invite collaboration and action. Real-time web maps are rapidly becoming an exciting language for communicating everything at many scales, informing not only citizens but also policy-makers and decision-makers.

This story presents examples of real-time geography, and suggests what real-time awareness about everything will be like in the future, creating better social cognition and consensus. Geography will increasingly support everyone: policy-makers like ambassadors and government leaders, organizational administrators, and the general public. This rapidly emerging medium will enable spatial literacy, with maps and story maps fueling Geo-news and Geo-journalism.

Explore the story

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