Explore stories of the great outdoors in Google Earth

By Dusty Reid, Google Earth Outreach

From its beginning, inspiring appreciation for the great outdoors has long been core to the Google Earth mission. You can often find a member of the Earth team previewing their next hike, finding the perfect campsite, or discovering that next surf break.

And so today, we’re excited to share a new series of Voyager stories dedicated to outdoor recreation and exploration. To create these first stories, we worked with two non-profit partners dedicated to showing how recreation and sustainability can go hand-in-hand: Access Fund and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.

How to be an effective steward of the environment

National parks are a major tourist destination, and as more and more visitors come to enjoy their incredible views, scenery and escape into nature, we must learn how to properly dispose of the waste we leave. The good news is, research shows that most park visitors want to be a part of this change. Leave No Trace’s story teaches future visitors how they can be effective stewards of the environment and help reduce the amount of park trash sent to landfills each year.

Explore the protected land of southeastern Utah

Next, take a trip to southeastern Utah with Access Fund’s Rock Climbers Protect Bears Ears, Utah. Told from the perspective of the climbers who’ve long enjoyed this national monument, the Voyager story dives into issues of conservation and natural resources currently affecting the area. Through data overlays, you can see the expansion of oil and gas wells in the area throughout the past century, and hear audio from the climbers and conservationists dedicated to this precious land.

We’re showcasing these stories and more in Denver at Outdoor Retailer, one of the largest gatherings of outdoor enthusiasts and nonprofits dedicated to the outdoors. If you’re there this week, stop by the Google booth to see these stories and more. And check back often to Google Earth for Chrome, Android and iOS, to see more stories of the outdoors and sustainability.