The Book of the Everglades
by Susan Cerulean, editor
Many may not realize that the Everglades National Park is cut off from
the water that gives it life. Its ecosystem begins well above the
park's boundary, extending more than three hundred miles from the
Kissimmee River (near Tampa and Orlando) southward through Florida Bay.
It is the most endangered ecosystem in North America.
The Book of the Everglades is a story of how much was changed when the
vast river of grass was drained and converted to agriculture, its
natural plumbing channeled so that nearby towns and farms would be
protected from flood and saved in drought. It's a story of how one of
North America's largest freshwater lakes ended up with a moat around
it. A story of the sugar barons who were kicked out of Cuba and settled
in what is now known as the Everglades Agricultural Area. A story of
the largest subdivision in the world, platted on drained wetlands. A
story of the soil that is no longer replenished and gives way at the
rate of one foot every ten years. It is a story told by writers who
know how to tell a story, and who convey the workings of the entire
Everglades ecosystem and the impact of its inhabitants.
Susan Cerulean
Author's Bio:Susan Cerulean is a mother, gardener, writer, wildlife educator and
biologist. She has worked on conservation issues in Florida for twenty
years, primarily through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission, where she is Watchable Wildlife Coordinator. She also works
with Heart of Earth and Florida Defenders of Wildlife. She lives in
Tallahassee, Florida. Her essays have appeared in Intimate Nature: The Bond Between Women and Nature and The Woods Stretched for Miles: New Nature Writing from the South, as well as in many publications: Orion Afield, Miami Herald, Gainesville Sun, Tallahasee Democrat, Florida Naturalist, and Florida Wildlife. In 1997, she was named Environmental Educator of the Year by the Governor's Council for a Sustainable Florida.
Quotes:"The Book of the Everglades, an 'ecology in five parts,’ celebrates the past and future of the national park."—Miami Herald
"Taken together, the environmental descriptions,
human-interest stories, and south Florida atmospherics create a lively
volume with something memorable for readers partial to sawgrass green."—Gilbert Taylor for Booklist
"The Book of the Everglades . . . captures the natural history and
human story of the vast river of grass, presenting a vivid introduction
to this remarkable place."—Gainesville Sun
"In 'The Sweet Hereafter,’ journalist Paul Roberts explores
how 'our craving for sugar starves the Everglades and fattens
politicians.’"—Springfield News-Sun
"Timely and unique."—Orlando Sentinel
"Even with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration plan that
was enacted by Congress in 2000, it may already be too late to save the
Everglades. The problems of the area, all 1.3-million acres, are
complex:There is both too much water and not enough. How did we reach
this frustrating dilemma? The Book of the Everglades, a timely book
edited by longtime Florida activist and writer Susan Cerulean, provides
some answers while offering an overview of the area’s history."—St. Petersburg Times
"This book, with its many gifted authors, gives voice to
elements of the Everglades that seem to be missing in current debates
about its future. It gives a face to a name, so to speak, and makes the
Everglades all the more personal to the reader."—Doug Alderson, Florida Wildlife "This imaginative, well-executed book tells the story of the
Everglades with stories and articles focusing on the vast waterway’s
different components."— Tampa Tribune |
Price:
$ 18.95
Binding: Paper
Availability In Stock: 186
immediately
Publisher: Milkweed Editions
Published: 2002
Size: 6 x 9
Genre: EnvironmentTravelNonfiction
Pages: 312
ISBN: 9781571312601
|
