‘Wild World Map’

On my 60th birthday I was given a world map by my family. But this was no ordinary map. It was a beautiful handdrawn illustrated map of the natural world - the wild world. No humans, cities or man-made structures. Just nature and wildlife. And I learned that the map was the result of years of work by artist Anton Thomas.

I have always felt more comfortable, more at home in the natural world. I live on the wild Atlantic coast of Hartland Peninsula in North Devon, England and have mostly focused my travel on conservation and wildlife. It occurred to me that the map would provide an interesting platform from which to interactively share my own personal journeys in the natural world and the stories of the people and projects working tirelessly to protect and restore it.

So join me as I journey into…the Wild World Map.

Rupert Bedford. June 2026.