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. Written in a creative nonfiction style (reads like a novel) the author brings us along as a professional ecologist and naturalist, while 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 provides 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. As he says, "Sometimes nothing is more important than going off into the woods and contemplating the frog chorus of a vernal pool."
To quote from the professional editors of Self-Publishing Reviews: "A beautiful reflection on humanity's responsibility and relationship to the diverse ecosystems of our natural world...would make both Darwin and Steinbeck proud. Transcending mere observation...the prose unearths an astonishing story of geologic history and the nuanced inner workings of our dynamic natural world. Anthropological, philosophical, spiritual, and above all passionate, this is the sort of book that could inspire even a hardened city-dweller to intentionally get lost in the woods. 5 Stars
