Are you fascinated by maps? Have you ever made one yourself?
During the pandemic, Anton Thomas, a resident of Melbourne, Australia, embarked on what would become a remarkable three-year project: A hand-drawn world map with no national borders and but lots of wonderful wildlife and geographic details. The Times writes:
In July 2020, his universe shrunk to a two-bedroom apartment by a rattling train line, Anton Thomas pulled out an H pencil and opened a portal to the world.
At once, his days of solitude were filled with New Zealand’s native birds; cavorting dolphins, turtles and whales; and polar bears on ice floes. Three years, approximately 2,602 working hours and 1,642 animal species later, “Wild World” is a hand-drawn map of our planet that both inspires and celebrates wonder.
What’s your reaction to Mr. Thomas’s story and his remarkable cartographic achievement?
What are your favorite memories of maps? What have you learned from them? What would you include on an illustrated map of the world, if you were to create one?
Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more about Mr. Thomas’s artistic journey and to see more detailed images of his extraordinary map, “Wild World.”
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
