Create a Professional Catskills Hiking Habits Impact Map

By the end of the project, the volunteer will deliver a professionally designed illustrated map showing the Catskills as the starting point where hiking habits develop and how those habits travel to hiking destinations across the United States and overseas.

The completed project will include:

An accurate, recognizable map with the Catskills as the strongest visual element.
Clearly positioned destinations, including the Adirondacks, White Mountains, Katahdin, Colorado Rockies, Grand Canyon, West Coast, and European Alps.
Simple visual paths extending from the Catskills to the other destinations.
A clear connection between the Catskills and the approximately 30 million people who live within roughly a three-hour drive.
Readable typography, balanced spacing, and a professional visual hierarchy.
A desktop website version and a mobile-friendly version.
A high-resolution PNG and web-optimized files.
The editable, layered source file.
A list of the sources and licenses for outside assets used.
Full ownership rights for our organization to use, modify, reproduce, distribute, and publish the completed design and source files.

Success means viewers can understand within a few seconds that hiking habits begin in the Catskills and travel with people across the country and around the world.

Organization Mission

Mission and Principles The Preventive Search and Rescue Initiative Inc. (PSAR Initiative) exists to stop emergencies before they happen, protect the environment that sustains us, and keep public lands open for everyone. We believe prevention is the most effective form of search and rescue. Our Three Pillars of Prevention Preventing rescues and injuries in the backcountry We meet people where they are: on the trail, at summits, or at trailheads. We share food or electrolytes, help them rethink their timing, or convince them to turn back before dark. A simple conversation can prevent an emergency, and every incident avoided is a life not put at risk. Preventing environmental damage We build conservation into everything we do. Trash left behind attracts wildlife and often leads to animals being relocated or euthanized. Off-trail shortcuts erode fragile ground. Accidents in sensitive areas push regulators to close entire sections of land. Closures hurt local communities and small businesses as well as outdoor users. Picking up trash, staying on trail, and teaching Leave No Trace are all part of prevention. Preventing unpreparedness We help people before they even start. That means teaching seasonal risks, showing what to pack, and making digital resources people can keep on their phones. Many rescues never happen because someone learned what to do before stepping into the woods. Together, these pillars form a prevention triangle. Each side strengthens the others: safe people protect the land, a healthy environment reduces rescues, and preparation reinforces both.