Wild World map by Anton Thomas.

On my 60th birthday I was given a world map by my family. And this was no ordinary map. It is 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. Inspired by the map, I decided to start this journal to share my own personal journeys in the natural world and the stories of the people and projects working tirelessly to protect and restore it.

Wild World

Being in the presence of a genuinely wild animal in its natural environment is a thrilling experience and a special privilege. More often than not it takes a great deal of planning, patience and persistence along with an element of discomfort and a dose of good luck.

When I’m planning my Wild World trips I generally try to follow the criteria used by Anton Thomas to choose the 1,642 animals that feature in his inspiring Wild World map. In his accompanying guide to the map, Anton explains his approach…

“I gravitate toward beautiful, unique and iconic animals. But I settled on three criteria that came to shape the philosophy of the map. All animals in Wild World are (1) wild (no domesticated creatures), (2) native (no species introduced by humans), and (3) extant (not extinct). Wild and native animals evoke natural biomes only— pristine habitats without domesticated or introduced species. Meanwhile, extant animals set the map in the present day. This is crucial— Wild World is a place that still exists; a world that can still be cherished and protected. It may seem an idealistic view of Earth, but it shows nothing that isn’t here now. Every species, every habitat, is still with us. I want this map to inspire hope, to show just how wild the world still is, how much there is left to preserve.”

Travels

I’ve been fortunate enough to do quite a bit of travelling over the years, and the focus of my trips has generally been on experiencing our wonderful natural world. I have trekked in the Rwenzori ‘Mountains of the Moon’ in Uganda, in the Annapurna region of the Himalayas, and in the deserts of Northern Kenya. And scuba dived all over the underwater world. Closer to home I have walked Coast to Coast from North to South Devon and covered hundreds of miles along the beautiful South West Coast Path.

Africa is a continent I’ve visited many times. I’ve produced media for a criminal justice project in Malawi (Malawi Bail Project), a community wildlife conservancy in Tsavo, Kenya (Lumo Conservancy) and community projects on the Kenya coast (Etatu and The Blue Forest). In Vietnam I’ve worked with anti trafficking NGO Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation in Hanoi, and trekked through the Northern Mountain region.

With the kids having ‘flown the nest’ and the body still holding up (just!) I’ve embarked on a new project; Inpsired by the Wild World Map I’m travelling to wild places in search of the amazing wildlife around the world and meeting the people working hard to protect it. I try to travel light and as ‘low carbon’ as is feasable, generally travelling around by train and on foot.

So this is… ‘Notes from a Wild World’.

Rupert B. June 2026.