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ISLAND PRESS | PRESS RELEASE | 1
FOR IMMED IATE RELEASE
CONTACT Jaime Jennings, 202-232-7933x44 EMAIL jjennings@islandpress.org WEBSITE www.islandpress.org/essentials
PRESS RELEASE
BIG, WILD, AND CONNECTED Part 1: From the Florida Peninsula to the Coastal Plain An Island Press E-‐‑ssential By John Davis, Wildlands Network
Advance praise for Big, Wild, and Connected: Part 1:
“Following in the footsteps of other conservationists such as J. Michael Fay and his legendary megatransect across the Congo Basin, John Davis brings to life the plight of large predators on the Eastern Seaboard, caught in an increasingly fragmented landscape. He proposes a visionary solution that offers new hope for wildlife and humans alike. Davis, like Fay, knows what he is talking about since he was right there.” —Douglas Tompkins, Conservationist, and President of Foundation for Deep Ecology
“Inspired by John Muir'ʹs A Thousand-‐‑Mile Walk to the Gulf, John Davis walks, bikes, and kayaks on a ‘voyage of recovery’ from the Florida Keys to southeastern Canada. He bears witness not only to wilderness that still sustains bears, panthers, and bobcats but also to the possibilities for connecting further wildways in the eastern United States. His inspiring journey reminds us all that we must rediscover the wildness we still have before we lose it forever.”
—Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club
Washington, DC (June 2013) — If you think you understand wildlife, imagine trekking 7,600 miles in a panther’s footprints. John Davis did while spending 10 months hiking, biking, and paddling from the tip of Florida to Quebec, to better understand what it would take to establish an eastern wildlife corridor or “Wildway™”—a connected network of protected lands, minimal roads and development, and wildlife crossings where roads can be safely traversed by wildlife.
In Big, Wild, and Connected, a three-‐‑part series in the Island Press E-‐‑ssentials program, Davis shares his TrekEast adventures. Part 1 follows his journey from Florida to Virginia
ISLAND PRESS | PRESS RELEASE | 2
and Kentucky; parts 2 and 3, tracking John as he continues to Canada’s Gaspé Peninsula, will be published this fall.
Davis writes of family, friends, and fellow life-‐‑forms, reminding us all of our deep connection with the natural world. His writing shares the beauty—and at times, fragility—of the unique ecosystems of the region, including the Everglades, Florida’s longleaf pine forests, and old-‐‑growth hemlock stands.
Throughout his journey, he imagines the fate of wildlife affected by climate change, deforestation, development, and roadways. If roads are dangerous for a human biker who understands their signs and knows their rules, how much more so for a young panther or red wolf in search of a meal or a mate? If he hadn’t happened along at just the right moment, what would have become of the snakes and turtles he helped cross the road?
In the end, Davis takes comfort in the kindness of fellow hikers and the dedication of those already fighting for corridors and protected areas. Big, Wild, and Connected offers readers not just a beautifully written guide to some of the country’s natural gems, but also something deeper: hope that we still have time to save them for generations to come.
John Davis has been described as “a triathlete meets John Muir.” A cofounder of Wildlands Network, in the past he has also served as editor of the journal Wild Earth, program officer for Foundation for Deep Ecology, and conservation director of the Adirondack Council. When he’s not trekking, he is a volunteer land ranger for Split Rock Wildway in northeastern New York State.
Big, Wild, and Connected Part 1: From the Florida Peninsula to the Coastal Plain
By John Davis, Wildlands Network Island Press E-‐‑ssential
Electronic Only E-‐‑Book | ISBN: 978-‐‑1-‐‑61091-‐‑441-‐‑3 Price: $ 3.99
www.islandpress.org/essentials Since 1984, Island Press has been working with innovative thinkers to stimulate, shape, and communicate essential ideas. As a nonprofit organization committed to advancing sustainability, we publish widely in the fields of ecosystem conservation and management, urban design and community development, energy, economics, environmental policy, and health. The Island Press E-‐‑ssentials Program is a series of electronic-‐‑only works that complement our book program. These timely examinations of important issues are intended to be readable in a couple of hours yet illuminate genuine complexity, and inspire readers to take action to foster a healthy planet.
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