Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1. The Evolution and Arrival of White Pine
Chapter 2. "A great store of wood and above all of pines..."
Chapter 3. A Logger's Paradise
Chapter 4. Thoreau, Forest Succession, and Faith in a Seed
Chapter 5. The Watershed
Chapter 6. A Scientific Foundation
Chapter 7. Rusty Pines and Gooseberries
Chapter 8. Roosevelt's Tree Army
Chapter 9. Rebirth by Fire
Chapter 10. Restoring White Pine
Chapter 11. The Future of White Pine
Bibliography
Edward Struzik has been writing about scientific and environmental issues for more than 30 years. A fellow at the Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy at Queen's University in Kingston, Canada, his numerous accolades include the prestigious Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy and the Sir Sandford Fleming Medal, awarded for outstanding contributions to the understanding of science. His books include Future Arctic, Arctic Icons, The Big Thaw, Northwest Passage, Firestorm, and Swamplands. He is an active speaker and lecturer, and his work as a regular contributor to Yale Environment 360 covers topics such as the effects of climate change and fossil fuel extraction on northern ecosystems and their inhabitants. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta.
"Timely and enchanting disquisition on the many facets of
peat...ultimately this is a book that stands apart for its
playfulness and curiosity, for a sense of wonder that does not
yield to despair or grief."-- "Literary Review of Canada" "Expect
to encounter the unexpected in this science- and story-rich book.
Most unexpected will be your new fascination with bogs, fens,
moors, and marshes--those folklorically dark, pestilential
environments. Edward Struzik and a procession of eccentric-yet-wise
characters turn old, deprecating notions on their head and reveal
fabled wastelands to be vital wonderlands."--Jack E. Davis,
Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 'The Gulf: The Making of an
American Sea and The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of
America's Bird' "Hiking and paddling into swamps, bogs, and fens
large and small, Edward Struzik takes us into hidden and watery
peatlands. We need to know peat. Struzik's the expert to lead
us."--Deborah Cramer, author of 'The Narrow Edge' "His book has
relevance to many disciplines - ecology, environmental science,
cultural studies, anthropology, history, postcolonial studies -
without ever getting bogged down in jargon or discussion of
scholarship. Struzik's writing is consistently descriptive and
conversational, so that the reader feels as though they're
accompanying him and his interviewees through isolated landscapes,
sharing his sense of wonder."-- "Economy, Land & Climate Insight"
"Part science, part history, part travelogue...[a] rare
treasure--nature writing that isn't pure elegy."-- "Sierra"
"Struzik writes with immediacy and a sense of awe, bewitching
readers with the unexpected beauty of peatlands."-- "Booklist"
"This amazing book is as rich and multilayered as swamplands
themselves. You won't be able to stop reading as you discover these
remarkable, hidden places--critical habitat for myriad birds,
mammals, insects, and plants, and essential for the health of our
entire planet."--Jeffrey Wells, Vice President, Boreal
Conservation, National Audubon Society "I would wholeheartedly
recommend Swamplands to anyone interested in reading auto
biographical accounts, learning about undervalued and
little-understood landscapes, or examining human interactions with
the natural world.... It is packed with expedition anecdotes,
scientific facts and insights into human history, and there is no
doubt that you will finish Swamplands both more knowledgeable and
more appreciative of these boggy landscapes."
-- "Oryx" "A powerful, impressive feat of popular science that is
vitally needed in an era of climate change."
-- "Library Journal" "Adventurous natural history... Swamplands
belongs to the John McPhee school of science popularizing,
incorporating profiles of on-site specialists into its crisp and
enthusiastic explainers. The striking geological process behind the
formation of peat gets its due, as do these regions' extraordinary
biodiversity. None of this, of course, makes the world of fens and
bogs any more hospitable to people. But by the end of this
fascinating book, that seems like a point in their favor."-- "Wall
Street Journal" "By exposing and exploring the varied influences on
swamp management, perception, and evolution, Edward Struzik
contributes a key resource that is highly recommended for any
collection strong in ecological systems analysis."
-- "Donovan's Literary Services" "Few books attempt to do what Ed
Struzik's latest book, Swamplands, does so well: taking the reader
knee-deep into an ecosystem that few ever think about, let alone
possess the desire (or nerve) to travel to, or rally around....
Swamplands is a timely cry against the ongoing consequences of
draining wetlands for farmland and commercial development, and of
stripping peatlands for fuel and fertilizer."
-- "Alberta Views" "Struzik has journeyed into the little-known
world of swamplands and returned with a richly detailed,
beautifully written, cautionary tale of a climate superhero in
crisis. For anyone concerned about global warming, wildfires, water
shortages and conservation, Swamplands is a poignant reminder that
some solutions are right at our toe-tips. For peat's sake, read
this book!" --Sarah Cox, author of 'Breaching the Peace: The Site C
Dam and a Valley's Stand Against Big Hydro'
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