Does your family have a favorite outdoor site to spend a fun afternoon together? Do you know a neglected spot with beautiful views that deserves protection?

Historic Macon Foundation will soon begin identifying priority places for preservation, conservation and recreation across Macon-Bibb County, creating a Scenic Preservation Index in the process. One of the goals is to tap into residents’ knowledge and experiences, getting them to think about community preservation in a big-picture way by looking beyond brick and mortar.

The new project, a first for Macon, is being supported by The 1772 Foundation, a national preservation philanthropy focused on historic structure and land conservation.

A community kickoff and public input session will be held Tuesday, Sept. 24, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Historic Macon Foundation office, located at 338 Poplar St. A light reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., with the program starting at 6 p.m.

Among the questions that will guide Historic Macon’s search are: Is there an outdoor area here that’s important to me, the community or the environmental identity of Macon? What places are part of our cultural identity that we need to protect? What about the neighborhood spaces that surround our historic buildings or important places we may have taken for granted?

The Trust for Public Land and Hanbury Preservation Consulting are also helping guide the Scenic Preservation Index’s development and progress. A local steering committee will provide oversight and help with outreach efforts to ensure broad community participation.

The 18-month project will draw heavily on community contributions and also use statistical and geographic data to identify opportunities for land conservation, preservation and park or trail development.

The Scenic Preservation Index will result in a community report, a web-based “story map,” and a computer-based mapping tool that can be used to identify and plan for preservation and conservation of sites that are important to the culture, community and environmental identity of Macon.

These tools will complement other existing maps and community planning efforts and build on the assets identified by a wide variety of community members who participate in the processes.