Lakeshore preserve Web site wins ‘Best of 2007’ award

The interactive Web site for the University of Wisconsin–Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve has garnered another national award.

This time, the site has been named the "Best Web Site of the Year" for 2007 by PlacesOnLine.org, a map-based Web portal sponsored by the Association of American Geographers. PlacesOnLine.org collects notable Web sites that describe or analyze different locations in an interesting or engaging manner.

More than 325 pages of material were compiled for the site, including resources to aid viewers’ understanding of the different aspects of the preserve. The interactive map tools included in the site facilitate effective navigation and provide spatial context. 

Judges selected the Lakeshore Nature Preserve Web site for the honor because the site allows viewers to comprehensively explore the location through the inclusion of contemporary and historic images, interactive maps and rich historical accounts of the area.

The site was created under the direction of history Professor William Cronon and funded by a donation from UW Alumni Eleanor and Peter Blitzer. A team of more than 60 members of the UW–Madison community and Friends of the Preserve contributed to the Web site, including historians, geographers, biologists and soil scientists.

The site was designed by Melanie McCalmont, a UW–Madison geography graduate and doctoral candidate in Life Sciences Communication.