Joel Everett Harding, is a professional ecologist, who looks for meaning in the wildest places. From his lifelong explorations of wild landscapes across America and elsewhere, he explains why "Sometimes nothing is more important than going off into the woods and contemplating the frog chorus of a vernal pool." Written in a creative nonfiction style (reads like a novel), the author takes the reader along as he ventures into wild places where he finds adventure, humor, eureka moments and the unexpected.
Ever wonder what it's like alone at midnight in the depths of a vast marsh, or thought of stumbling into a roiling geyser field in the dark? What happens when you get swept along for miles in a flooded river without an exit—or explore a prehistoric swamp with predators left over from the Cretaceous? How can you sense an Amazon rainforest breathing. Have you watched a great ancient waterfall cease forever in less than a day? Does the Jersey Devil still inhabit the pine barrens?
Let the author take you on these and many other outdoor adventures and ecological investigations. As a professional ecologist, he looks for meaning in the wildest places, and shows us a range of perspectives for appreciating the mental, emotional, and physical benefits of immersing ourselves in wild landscapes. He brings needed context by examining the causes-and-effects of ever changing environments, and brings us along as he restores damaged streams, rivers and wetlands. His poetic descriptions and insights show us how landscapes inspire perceptions of beauty, art, and increased personal well-being that underlie our innate connections with nature. Along the way, the author immerses the reader into his landscapes with keen-eyed observations that underlie our innate personal connections with nature. He shows how we gain insights and increased well-being when we go afield to explore.
