Appendix B: Mapping a census route with Google Maps Engine
This portion of your monitoring duties is only done once. This is very important and please
do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.
We ask you map your census route online using the Google Maps Engine. Google Maps
Engine is a tool found within the Maps Application of Google. We have outlined the
procedure below. In order to create a Google Map with the Engine tool, you will have to
create a Google email account if you do not already have one. Having a Google email
account will give you accesses to several other applications as well. Once you have mapped
your census route, a link to the Google Map should be sent to the MiBN Coordinator.
Google Map Instructions: if you do not have a Google account please create an account by
using the following steps:
Navigate to www.google.com
Create a Google account by clicking on ‘Sign In’ in top right corner and then clicking
on ‘Create an Account’
3 Remember to record your username and password somewhere safe!
4 Now follow the Google Map Instructions detailed below.
1
2
Google Map Instructions if you already have a Google account:
1
Go to mapsengine.google.com. The site will then ask you to sign into your Google
account. Sign in.
2
You will be brought to the home page of the Engine. Here, you can create new maps
or open pervious maps you have made. Click on blue ‘Create a New Map’ in the
center of the page
3
Find a location close to your census route by typing it into the “Search” field near
the top of the screen. In the example below, we are searching for the Kalamazoo
Nature Center in order to get close to our census route, a prairie just south of the
Nature Center
.
4
Change your base map to satellite by clicking “Base Map” in the left side of the
screen and selecting “satellite.” Fit your census route to the screen by zooming into
and moving around the map. This can be done by clicking the “+” and “-“icons in the
lower right corner and clicking and dragging your mouse to move the map.
5
Click on the “Draw a Line” tool under the search bar. We will now draw Section A.
Click where you want to start your line. The drawing tool makes straight lines
between points. Each time you click will allow you to make a point and change
direction - use this to follow the path of your census route until you reach the end of
Section A. Double click your last point to end your line. This will bring up a window.
Name your section (ex. Section A, B, C…etc) in this window and click “Save.”
6
If you click on your new section in the window on the left side, it will highlight the
line. You can edit the name or delete the line by using the pencil or trashcan. You can
edit the color by clicking the paint can. Separate colors for sections in helpful. You
can now also drag the points in the line to alter its shape.
7
Repeat this process for each section until your census route is complete. Once
finished, give the map a title by clicking where is says “Untitled map” at the top of
the left-side window. Next, share your map! Click “Share” in the upper right corner.
8
Change who has accesses to the route by clicking “Change.” Change the setting
“public on the web.” Then click “Save.” You will be back to the previous screen.
Click the Gmail icon next to “share link via.”
9
This will bring up your email. Just like in typical email, type in the email address you
want to send the map to into the “compose” field, the link to your map is already in
the email but you can write a message too. Then, just hit send. Done!
">
