Mapping Specialists, Ltd.

06/03/2026

In celebration of Madison Bike Week, we are launching our Madison Area Bike Paths and Trails Map on our store!

Created as a piece of wall art, this print showcases the extensive network of bike paths and trails that help make Madison one of the most bike-friendly communities in the country. Whether you're a cyclist, map enthusiast, or Madison local, it's a unique way to celebrate the places that connect our city.

Click the link below to shop now! 🚲🗺️

https://www.mappingspecialists.com/store/madison-area-bike-paths-and-trails/

04/23/2026

Happy 100-year anniversary to the Turtle Flambeau Flowage! In 1926, the Turtle Flambeau Flowage was created as a result of flooding of nearby lakes. Today, it is a beloved fishing destination and beautiful recreational space spanning 14,326 acres of water and 21,300 acres of land, located in Mercer, WI. Consider the Turtle Flambeau Flowage for your next outdoor adventure!

04/07/2026

We are thrilled to announce the publication of the Second Edition of the Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade by David Eltis, David Richardson, and Philip Misevich. This new edition has a total of 214 maps, giving a comprehensive cartographic account of the movement of enslaved people from Africa to the Americas. We are honored to be a part of such an important project. Click the link below to shop the book today!

https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300278552/atlas-of-the-transatlantic-slave-trade/

01/16/2026

Check out our sneak peak at some of the maps we did for Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America’s New Age of Disaster by Jacob Soboroff. We are so honored to have been a part of this wonderful project and important story!

01/15/2026

We are so honored to have been a part of this wonderful book, Firestorm: The Great Old Angeles Fires and America’s New Age of Disaster. Written by esteemed journalist and correspondent for NBC News, Jacob Soboroff. Firestorm gives a detailed account from the perspective of community members and first responders of the 2025 Los Angeles fires and its implications on its people and the environment. Stayed tuned for a sneak peak of some of the maps we did for the book!

11/28/2025

The office is feeling festive! We've been decorating this tree for the past 20 years as it grew from a little seedling! Wishing a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season to all, from your friends at Mapping Specialists!

11/13/2025

Check out this lovely article about the world's largest map collection, right in our backyard!

One of the largest collections of maps on earth is in Milwaukee. With about 2 million different items, the American Geographical Society Library at UW-Milwaukee is a world-renowned repository.

10/21/2025

We were thrilled to have Glen and Randi represent Mapping Specialists last week at NACIS 2025! Check out our contribution to the map quilt, (second row second from the left) featuring hand-drawn icons, courtesy of Randi! It is always a pleasure to be part of such an informative event and see you next year, NACIS!

09/10/2025

Check out this great article about the fight against the Mercator Projection! Map projections always include some sort of distortion as the transferring of a 3-dimensional object to a 2-dimensional space is impossible to do with 100% accuracy. Different map projections have different types of distortions from shape, to area, to distance, to direction.

The Mercator Projection, originally used for navigational purposes, primarily distorts area around the poles, making the top of northern hemisphere appear much larger than it actually is. This minimizes the size of South America and Africa and works to marginalize not only the physical area but the people and cultures in these regions as well.

To learn more check out the article here:

Member states back Correct the Map campaign that urges governments and organisations to use more accurate map

08/08/2025

Crane spotting!!! This summer at MSL, we have had the pleasure of sharing the park with two love birds (cranes)! Many birds travel to Wisconsin for the summer months to reproduce and raise their young before migrating south for winter. Home to the International Crane Foundation, Wisconsin has many habitats cranes call home.

Comment below, where have you seen cranes this summer?

Data Sources: WI DNR Open Data, Important Bird Areas & State Cartographer's Office, Land Use and Land Cover Data