Turning the Page: How a County GIS Team Introduces New Possibilities

By Maxine Herr, NDACo Communications Specialist

A stroll through a park can inspire the best ideas. For Bonnie Foster's GIS team at McKenzie County, it spurred a transformative partnership.

When the county's GIS team learned about the McKenzie County Library's Walk and Wonder storybook project-a partnership with Watford City Parks and Recreation and the Rough Rider Center-they saw an opportunity to add an interactive digital component. They built an online map that allows children and families to explore the storybook as they move through the park, clicking on locations, turning the pages and following the story.

What started as a fun project also became a chance to demonstrate how GIS can be used in unexpected ways while opening the door to new possibilities for the county.

Scan the QR code to watch the story and see how a children's book, a park and a little GIS creativity came together.