Exploring Mapping Tools

Google My Maps - A Brief Review

I'm a pretty experienced cartographer, and I've been using ArcMap desktop since 2012, and ArcPro since about 2019. I was interested to hear about Google's new mapping tool, Google My Maps, and was intrigued to give it a try. Specifically I wanted to find out whether or not it would be something I'd find useful at work for making quick maps. The interface is really user friendly, and for anyone who has even a little experience with Google Maps or Google Earth - using it comes rather naturally. I like a few things about this tool. 

First, I like how quickly you can open it and get your map started. Unlike ArcPro, it's easy to make a new map without having to go through the whole "start a new project" process. I also like that you can tie your points of interest to photos easily - easier than in ArcMap in my opinion, and I like the functionality when you click on your point; just like in Google Maps/Earth, you see your description, images, and any other information you included. I also like the ease of sharing the map to your Google Drive, and the embedding capability.

Overall, I think Google My Maps is a good option for someone in a pinch or someone with less experience or no access to ArcMaps or other more complicated mapping tools. It's straightforward and with a really quick tutorial you can make a decent map. 

That being said, I still prefer my "go-to", ArcPro. The two aren't really comparable as far as functionality and geospatial analysis go, and I didn't expect them to be. I like the ease of accessing my shapefiles from the catalog and the ability to export my map in multiple different formats. I am constantly using the "add data from ArcGIS Online" feature - and that's not an option in Google My Maps. You're limited to what you upload manually or what is already shown on the basemap. The other thing I didn't like about it was that I couldn't turn off certain layers. For example, I didn't want to show the restaurant or hotel nearby in my map, and almost all the layers in color with a good amount of topographic detail included pins and markers for roads, hotels, restaurants, etc. Perhaps I need to play around with it a bit more though, to figure out how to turn those off - It has to be an option, right? 

So - I guess I could see myself using this tool if I'm out of town and in a pinch - like going hiking or going to a new city - and I want to have something quick and handy that I can keep in my Google Drive... but for me, I like all the bells and whistles of ArcPro, and I'll more likely use that for my maps. 

See the map I made below in ArcPro using some of the layers available in ArcGIS Online.

 My study area is the entire southeastern United States - so I wanted to take this opportunity to focus in on one of the areas of significant biodiversity importance - the Apalachicola River. I made a map of the Apalachicola River Wildlife and Environmental Area (ARWEA) and included things like critical habitat for several species, and some of the managed lands surrounding it. I also explored the NatureServe Maps of Biodiversity Importance (MoBI) layers through ArcGIS Online - but didn't include them because the map was already getting way too busy, but trust me - it's a major biodiversity hotspot! The Apalachicola river basin is home to several T&E mussels, over 40 species of amphibians and 80 species of reptiles, over 282 bird species, birds, over 50 mammal species, over 140 species of fish, and in total - over 30 federally threatened or endangered animal species. It also boasts an impressive 1,300+ species of plants, including 103 T&E species (Facts About the Apalachicola River Ecosystem. (n.d.)). There's a really interesting citizen science page (iNaturalist) where people track their sightings in the ARWEA, demonstrating the vast number of plants and animals that can be found here: iNaturalist: Florida Nature Trackers. The area is also recognized as one of the most ecologically significant areas in the state of Florida, and the United Nations Environmental, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated the area an International Biosphere Reserve (Facts About the Apalachicola River Ecosystem. (n.d.)). 

References: 

FACTS ABOUT THE APALACHICOLA RIVER ECOSYSTEM. (n.d.). Earthjustice. Retrieved June 23, 2024, from https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/facts20about20the20apalachicola.pdf