2025 Map Contest

**Rachel Passer's Bivariate Analysis: Comparing Migration and Median Age in South Carolina

Rachel Passer is our Career Professional - Traditional Map winner!

South Carolina is one of the fastest growing states in the US. Much of this growth is due to out-of-state migration, but the reasons vary geographically. When comparing migration rates to median age by county, a few patterns emerge: high rates of migration to Richland and Sumter counties with lower median ages speak to the influx of students attending University of South Carolina, as well as the military with Fort Jackson and Shaw Air Force Base. High rates of migration and median age in Horry, Georgetown, and Jasper counties indicate migration for retirement to the affordable coastal areas of the state. Conversely, areas with the lower migration rates are found in rural lowcountry counties between Columbia and Charleston, and the former textile mill areas between Greenville and Columbia.

This map was prepared for a presentation SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office was giving on the Demographic Impacts of Planning and Zoning to the SC Association of Counties in November 2024.

**Mariavittoria Santarelli's Where Could Wetlands Make the Biggest Impact?

Mariavittoria Santarelli is our Emerging Professional / Student - Artistic Map winner!

This map visualizes the potential for wetland restoration across the UK, highlighting areas and spatial extent where wetlands could deliver the greatest benefits for carbon sequestration, flood resilience, water quality, and urban wellbeing. Using data from the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), this map identifies a total of 1.2 million hectares where wetland restoration could provide nature-based solutions. The categories mapped are:

>Carbon Sequestration – Tidal saltmarsh restoration to store blue carbon. >Flood Resilience – Wetlands in flood-prone zones to absorb excess water. >Water Quality – Wetlands near polluted rivers to filter contaminants. >Urban Wellbeing – Wetlands in urban areas to support biodiversity, recreation, and cooling.

**Diana Hadjieva's Mapping the Heat: Two Decades of Change

Diana Hadjieva is our Emerging Professional / Student - Traditional Map winner!

This map highlights spatial and temporal Land Surface Temperature (LST) patterns across the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria and Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metropolitan areas from 2001 to 2021. Using MODIS 8-day composites and Emerging Hot Spot Analysis in ArcGIS, the study examines urban and rural environments to uncover trends in heat intensity and cooling over summer. The visualization emphasizes the evolving dynamics of urban heat and climate impacts within the region.

Alaina Ellis' Mind the Gap: Mental Distress and the Provider Landscape

Where you live shouldn't determine your access to mental health care, but for many, it does. In the Atlanta Metro area, millions live with mental health needs where there is very little access to mental health professionals and providers. In this map, I and my partner worked on showcasing the areas where people suffer from frequent mental distress compared to the number of mental health providers in each county of the Metro-Atlanta area.

Alison DeGraff Ollivierrer's "Points" of Vermont's Lake Champlain

I created this map for the 2024 30 Day Map Challenge day 1 prompt "points". I was inspired by a colleague's previous year submission to map each of the geographic features with "Point" in its name (e.g. Shelburne Point) within Vermont's borders of the Lake Champlain with inset maps of each geographic feature. This was a fun challenge to explore manually creating quick mini maps for along the major water feature I call home!

Allyson Kobus' Claridon Township Crash Statistics 2018-2023

The purpose of this map is to show where accidents causing injury are located as well as at each major intersection within the township. Other statistics were included to show the different types of accidents that occurred in the township. This data will be used in Claridon Township's Land Use Plan to help assist them with making land use decisions in the township.

Ana Karen Martinez's Indigenous Population in Mexico - Municipalities 2010

I wanted to create a map that showed the population of indigenous people in Mexico and demonstrate the areas that have a higher amounts while keeping the map interesting and meaningful. The colors I picked to represent the variation of population is based off of Mexican pink and the background is inspired from Maya blue which was made  by cultures of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, such as the Mayas and Azteca. Though the indigenous population in 2010 only made up10%, the indigenous people are the root of the mexican culture. I wanted to convey that in my map by creating a map that is bright and joyous while still informative. I believe thematic maps though data driven can still be creative and beautiful. 

Anna McMillan's Red-Tailed Hawk Migration from Southern California 

My map is a summary of finding from a study in 2015 of Red-tailed Hawk dispersal and residency. sixteen hawks were tagged in Southern California and their paths tracked by satellite. The story told by the trackers is fascinating. Older hawks with established home ranges stay home.  Younger hawks travel north, some to stay there in new territories. Some return home. 

Ariel Chamberlains's Active Coal-Fired Power Plants in the Continental US

As of 2020, around 360 coal-fired power plants still operate in the US, posing significant risks to human health and ecosystems. These plants contribute to water pollution by discharging harmful substances like mercury and arsenic into major rivers, endangering drinking water and aquatic life. Coal mining also leads to acid mine drainage, further harming watersheds. Air pollution from these plants, including particulate matter and sulfur dioxide, increases death rates. Often situated in disadvantaged communities, these plants exacerbate environmental justice issues. Additionally, coal plants emit greenhouse gases, pushing us beyond planetary boundaries and intensifying climate change.

This is why I included major rivers, the Great Lakes, and population density in my map.

Brittany Luke's The Journey of the Rufous Hummingbird

My map highlights the incredible migration journey of the Rufous Hummingbird, showcasing their breeding, non-breeding, and resident ranges as they make a clockwise circuit across western North America. Despite their resilience, populations have declined by 67% since 1966, putting them at risk of extinction without conservation action. Known for their remarkable memory for location, these birds return to the same flowers or feeders year after year, even recalling sites that have moved. This map spreads awareness of the species and inspires action to create reliable stopover points to support their survival.

Bruna Coldebella's Geological Map of the Southern Abitibi Subprovince

(a) Simplified lithological map of the southern Abitibi Subprovince and the adjacent Pontiac Subprovince, showing the site of the Orenada 4 deposit (after Herzog et al., 2024, Wong et al. 1991; Morasse et al. 1995; Pilote et al. 2000; Bedeaux et al. 2017). The distribution of orogenic gold deposits along and near the Cadillac-Larder Lake Fault Zone (CLLFZ) is also shown. The inset map highlights the location of the Abitibi greenstone belt within the Superior Province.

(b) Detailed geological map indicating the location of the analyzed drill cores within the Orenada 4 deposit (modified from SIGÉOM, 2024).

Bryce Larson's Colorado's Forgotten Summits - The 13er 

When you think of hiking in Colorado 14ers (14,00ft summits) are the main mountains to come to mind, this map highlights the 13er (13,000ft summits) within Colorado's mountain ranges. It takes a look at the summits that are often forgotten about using a combination of summit data highlighted with elevation data the map is conveying the adventure that is often forgotten about in Colorado. Encouraging the viewer to find these summits that are larger than life. 

Constance Kilgore's Trail Volunteering

Over the past 20 years I have been taking some of my vacation time to volunteer with organizations that work on hiking trails (although a couple of trips were not specific to trail work - planting trees and other work in national parks). I had made a story map and an overall map to show these locations to hopefully inspire others to join.

Eleanor Horvath's Enduring The Ice: The Duty, Disaster, and Discovery of the 1914-1917 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition

The story of Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic expedition was always one of my favorites. I love old-timey exploration stories, and it's a great example of the triumphs of the human spirit. It is also unique since the crew included a designated photographer, so we have a great visual record of the trip. The wreck of Shackleton's ship, the Endurance, was discovered at the bottom of the Weddell Sea a couple of years ago. I wanted to create a map that showed the path the Endurance and its crew took and the timeline of the expedition/rescue -- but also incorporate both the photos they have from those years, and the eventual discovery of the Endurance in 2022. 

Erica Faglin's The Route of Lance Corporals Blake & Schofield

This map shows the route taken by the characters Thomas Blake and William Schofield in the movie "1917". The film is presented as two continuous shots and (save one abrupt transition from day to night) takes place in real-time.

The locations visited throughout the movie were part of the Western Front during World War I, and at the start of the movie an officer points to a map and says, “we are here”, allowing us to estimate Blake and Schofield’s real-world outset location. From there, it is possible to play the movie and simultaneously mark on a map (and a timeline) where and when Blake and Schofield are at any point in their journey.

My goals were to create a map that could serve as a reference alongside the movie and to replicate the style and methods used by Allied mapmakers during World War I. On the rare occasion where the movie’s geography disagrees with real-world environs, the map defers to the movie.

Evelyn J. Burch Jones' Where Do Cottontail Rabbits Live?

This map visualizes multiple U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gap Analysis Project (GAP) habitat model spatial datasets, focused on cottontail rabbit species in the contiguous United States. While species habitat distributions—based on habitat models applied to remotely-sensed data across known ranges, according to USGS—are the primary focus of the map, the product also conveys International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species threat level categories in the legend and features short descriptive annotations describing the range and habitat of the species depicted.

Cartographer's Note: Although I do not work in conservation, wildlife biology, or a related field, I am a long-time lover of rabbits and donated many copies of an earlier version of this map to a local non-profit rabbit rescue that runs a store and adoption and education center. This was a fun and rewarding project to work on in my free time.

Heter Mallonee's Ace's favorite places in Oxford, Mississippi

I have a bunch of guests coming to town soon, some of whom really enjoy walking. My dog is an expert walker, and so I thought he could give them some great recommendations.

Hillary M Foster's Influence of Climate Change on Mauiʻs  Endangered Forest Birds, Native Forest Habitat, and Avian Malaria

Maui is home to six native forest bird species, three of which are endemic to the island: the kiwikiu, ʻākohekohe, and Maui ʻalauahio. Among these, the kiwikiu and ʻākohekohe are critically endangered, facing significant threats from global climate change, avian malaria, a disease spread by invasive mosquitoes, as well as habitat destruction from human activities and predation from introduced mammals. The accompanying map illustrates the current locations of the 13°C and 17°C isobaths for malaria transmission and the projected shift by 2100, assuming carbon emissions peak by 2040 and global temperatures increase by 2.5-3°C. It shows the current range of ʻōhiʻa and koa forests and where these forests are expected to be restricted in 2100 under the same climate scenario. This map highlights the serious impacts of climate change on the habitats of Maui's endangered forest birds under the worst-case scenario but also identifies locations to target conservation and restoration efforts.

Jemimah Dyk's Whale Sharks in the Gulf of Mexico

Whale sharks are the largest known fish in earth's oceans!  But they are sadly also an endangered species.  This map tells the story of whale sharks who make their home in the Gulf of Mexico.   It specifically follows the journeys of three individual sharks through seasonal migrations.  These gentle giants travel amazing distances to find food and reproduce!

This map is stylized after cross stitch art.  Mapping is an amazing opportunity to combine science and art which is why I challenged myself to think of ways that more traditional creative mediums could be incorporated into my cartography.  

Jennifer Melcher's A Choice Beyond Stone, Voices from the Past: Brick and Mortar Markers in the Historic Cemeteries of Pensacola, Florida

This map presents information related to several vernacular markers created and used by people of color in Pensacola during the first few decades of the twentieth century. 

Jennifer Roger's Tall Timbers Conservation Priority Tool

This map, developed by the Land Conservancy at Tall Timbers serves as a decision-support tool to prioritize areas of high conservation value. It integrates key datasets with information about biodiversity, management practices, geology, and connectivity. Uplands highlight pine savannas, once dominant across Florida, while wetlands prioritize habitats essential for wetland birds and amphibians. Fire continuity, a cornerstone of our mission, is informed by data from the Southeast FireMap, ensuring fire-dependent ecosystems remain intact. Additionally, modeled relative abundance of key indicator species, derived from citizen-science eBird data, serves as a proxy for biodiversity. The map illustrates the challenge of protecting the remaining natural areas in one of the most biodiverse regions of the US. With state funding for the Florida Forever Program facing renewal in ten years and rapid development fueled by an influx of over a thousand new residents per day, it is a race against time.

Katie Walker's Hikes of 2024

This map is a visual representation of the hikes that I've done for 2024. The kernel density analysis shows the spatial placement of hikes while the mountain and waterfall symbology represents unique features that I saw on these hikes. The two graphs show hiking distance by trail difficulty and the count of hikes by trail difficulty. The mountain profiles graph shows some of the different heights and shapes of the peaks that I hiked to.

Kelley Martin's The Best Place to Live in Redwood City, CA

My son Kai's favorite piece of playground equipment is the bucket swing. We currently live 10 minutes walking away from the nearest swing. Not the closest, but also, as I learned from making this map, not the farthest we could be within the city. If we wanted to move based solely on our new location’s proximity to buckets swings, where should we move? Should we move to be the closest to as many swings as possible, or find the spot where we’re the closest to all swings that we could be?

While having this swing data, I also looked at if it would be possible to have the perfect swing packed day. It is, so our picnic basket is packed!

Lynn Carlson's Camp Hoffman

This map was created at the request of the Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England.  They needed an up-to-date trail map.  Once that was completed, they asked if it was possible to create a map of their entire property to guide both campers and other visitors not only to the trails, but other significant places throughout the camp.

Madison Cox's Factors Contributing to Landslides in the State of Kentucky from 2000 to 2020

This map was created in 2022 after record breaking rainfall throughout the state of Kentucky caused intense flooding and brought on the worry of landslides. With data representing the dominant soil materials, past rainfall averages, and population changes several maps were created to show what countries were at a higher risk of these landslides. The previously mapped landslides, along with the collected data had shown that Eastern Kentucky continues to be at the highest risk of landslides and should record rainfall continue to occur more federal aid should be put aside for this side of the state. 

Mai Ghaly Abdelkhalek Elgazzar's Arunachal Pradesh Waterways Map

This map highlights the intricate network of rivers, streams, and waterways in Arunachal Pradesh, India, a region renowned for its biodiversity and natural beauty. Using SRTM data and Hydrology tools in #ArcGIS Pro, the map combines heatmaps and hillshade effects to create a visually striking representation of the terrain. It celebrates the harmony of nature and water systems while showcasing the ecological significance of this unique region.

Maria Josefson's Mayor's Trick or Treat Participating Businesses Map 2024

A simple but fun way to show Salem families which businesses are participating in the annual tradition of Trick or Treating with the Mayor.

Mateja Rothlisberer's Earth Science Friends Book Club Member Map

I created the Earth Science Friends book club in April 2024 on Fable: The social app for bookworms and bingewatchers (© Fable Group Inc., https://fable.com/). The book club provides community to everyone interested in reading nonfiction about Earth and planetary science. As the moderator, I frequently read comments about the way a book has changed someone's perspective on the world. I created this map to emulate the transformative feeling of a new perspective by first invoking a momentary feeling of disorientation. In this age of mapping, our purpose is not so much to explore an unknown world, but rather to look at the known world through new eyes. For the Earth Science Friends Book Club Member Map, over 100 club members anonymously submitted their general location of residence via Google Forms. To our surprise, we form a constellation of readers that reaches from one corner of the world to another.

Sara Brandenburg's Chicago Basin Peak Routes

This map details peak access and trail routes in Chicago Basin within the Weminuche Wilderness, emphasizing navigation, elevation, and route difficulty. Key access points—Needleton (Durango-Silverton Railroad) and Purgatory Flats Trailhead—are highlighted, along with 14er and 13er ascent routes. The map also integrates Leave No Trace guidelines, camping restrictions, and fire regulations to support responsible backcountry travel. Designed with a 3D terrain aesthetic, it provides an informative reference for climbers and hikers to visualize what adventures a trip (or trips!) to the area could hold. 

Stephanie Pelletier's Lamoille Valley Rail Trail Kiosk Map - Greensboro Bend

This project focused on the development of standardized mapping for a series of signage and wayfinding kiosks across various jurisdictions along the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) in Vermont. We wanted to enhance the user experience for trail visitors by providing reliable and uniform navigation aids at the start of each trailhead throughout the LVRT trail network. This map is just one of the many kiosk maps that will appear trail side to help users navigate the trails and explore the surrounding areas. 

Tanya Murphy's Injury and Fatality Study: 2 Year Crash Analysis, 2022-2024 

It showcases the injury and fatality rate in Atkinson County, Georgia. The data has been broken down with symbology on how many individuals where injured during each collision, and if a fatality occurred.  The heat map is representational of any "hot spot" areas that need to be addressed on increasing safety measures to mitigate future collisions.