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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Blogs Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Road Cams Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend February 3, 2007 So, you want to be a mapmaker, eh? By Amy Orndorff Special to The Washington Post WASHINGTON — When Allen Carroll was a kid, he would ride around his Indianapolis, Ind., neighborhood on his bike, then go home and color his route in red on a map. "I turned most of the north side of Indianapolis red,'' he jokes. Carroll, the National Geographic Society's chief cartographer (mapmaker), says he spent time looking at maps the way most kids read books. When his family went on road trips, Carroll would be the navigator and help his parents figure out the best route. "I grew up loving maps, and I wanted to be an architect when I was a kid,'' says Carroll, 55, in his Washington office. "But it never crossed my mind that I could make a living making maps.'' Carroll and his staff of 25 employees create maps of all sizes that National Geographic uses in its magazines and books and online. It takes about three months to produce a fairly detailed map; a really complicated one can take more than half a year. Advertisement Cartographers are employed by all sorts of companies. Police departments use maps to figure out where the most crimes are occurring. People who run fast-food restaurants use maps to figure out where people are moving so they know the best place for a store. There are lots of details to consider when creating a map, Carroll says. For example, "if we were doing a map of the Chesapeake Bay, do we want to show how deep the bay is or where you can find crabs or rockfish? Birds? Parks? Highways?'' Being artistic and good with computers are two necessary characteristics of a good cartographer. "I love my work, and all of us here love our work because it involves a really cool combination of technical and creative and artistic (skills),'' Carroll says. Before computers, cartographers did their work by hand. They would etch lines into special film and layer those sheets on top of each other to make a readable map. "We used tools a little more sophisticated than pencil and paper,'' Carroll says. "Now, of course, all that stuff is done on computers.'' Computers also have changed the way people use maps. Instead of having to figure out driving directions, your parents can simply plug addresses into Web sites that tell them where to go. Even though looking up directions online might be easier, Carroll suggests that kids who are interested in maps should do as he did — help their parents find other routes. "The greater fun or challenge is to say, 'Well, yeah, I am going from here to here, but what is the way I would rather go? What landmarks do I want to see along the way? Or how can I ... just have more fun getting there?' " Do you want to be a cartographer? Here are some ways you can get started. u Draw your own maps. u Start with your neighborhood and think about all the details you could include, such as trees, houses, stores and streams. u Be the family navigator. u Being comfortable using a map is a must for a cartographer. So before going on a trip, pull out the map and plan your own route. u Study, study, study! u Give special attention to social studies and science classes, especially when maps are used. Many colleges offer cartography classes. Allen Carroll, chief cartographer at the National Geographic Society, majored in environmental studies. u Think about the world around you. u "Place matters for almost everything,'' Carroll says. ``Why do you live where you do, and why is the grocery store where it is? Why do certain ethnic groups live in certain areas? Why are certain industries where they are? It all has to do with geography, which is represented by cartography.' Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Cord Blood Banking Entertainment Guide Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Men's Clothing Debt Help