Mapmaking is not quite a run-of-the-mill job. What made you decide to go into mapmaking?

I used maps a lot when I was a kid biking roundAustralia. So cartography (mapmaking) and forest care was a natural choice for me. I studied at the forestry school that is part ofMelbourneUniversity. In 1990 after I made aliyah I began working for the forest department of Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL). The organization which started off in 1901 as the Jewish National Fund (JNF) develops thelandofIsrael. Part of our work is to map parts ofIsrael: roads trails parks trees.

Why do we need maps?

To find our way around! Maps give us lots of information in a clear simple way.

Also do you remember that in Parshas Pekudei Hashem told Moshe to build the Mishkan with the entrance facing east? This teaches us that Hashem wants the world to have order and direction. We too need to maintain order and direction in the world. The information on maps helps people manage the land properly.