What is mapdango?

We're glad you asked. mapdango is a map mashup for U.S. National Parks that allows users to learn more about some of North America's natural treasures. The site also allows registered users to earn 'park cred' by indicating which parks they have visited (based on the honor system, of course).

In a previous life mapdango was a general map mashup that integrated all kinds of content from various types of APIs to provide users with a useful way for learning about destinations around the world. mapdango won Best Mashup at MashupCamp 6. However, since the introduction of Google Places, we've decided to refocus mapdango as a niche map mashup for U.S. National Parks.

Our goal and our hope is that mapdango will increase your enthusiasm about these public lands and that you will take action. Whether that means visiting more parks, supporting organizations such as the National Parks Conservation Association, or advocating to others about the need for preservation of nature.

How do I register and/or sign in?

You don't need to technically register for a new account. Simply click on the Sign Up/Sign In button on the top right and you will be able to select from a variety of existing account service providers.

mapdango uses OpenID, which allows users to register (and sign in) to the site without having to sign up for yet another new user name and password. OpenID is more secure too, as other providers such as Google, Facebook, and Yahoo! handle your password and all that sensitive information. Learn more about OpenID.

What is park cred?

Park cred is similar to street cred. You earn it by visiting different parks and it is based on how many parks you have visited. Earning park cred can also earn you different badges (see below).

Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges?

Well, yes, these aren't those type of badges. As with other sites that use badges to incentivize visitors (e.g., StackOverflow), we thought it would be nice to give visitors to mapdango an incentive for participating.

Check out the available badges and then start visiting parks to earn some badges.

Show off your park cred and your badges, and see who else has earned the same badges as you.

What data is available?

Right now we have 55 of the 58 national parks available on mapdango. We'll soon be adding more parks as well as other park types, including national monuments, national seashores, and more.

Each park map includes a georectified image of a National Park Service map as well as various data available from Google, including Panoramio photos, Wikipedia articles, weather, and public webcams (these are all of the things that are "mashed" up with Google Maps).

What else are you going to add?

In addition to more maps for different types of park units, we'll be adding some more community features, including forums, groups, and tighter integration with other social media.

What can I do to help?

We're glad you asked. For now, help us spread the word about mapdango. Link the site on your Facebook Wall, Tweet, or Buzz about it. The more momentum the site gains the higher we'll prioritize it over some of our other projects.

I've got a question or need more help. Who should I contact?

You can contact us here.