Synopses & Reviews
Across America and around the world, people are
working to help nature heal itself. In Bermuda, a man
single-handedly grows thousands of trees on a small
island to restore nesting habitat for a rare seabird. In
Illinois, legions of volunteers replant prairies in the
shadows of freeways. In Virginia, a farmer works to
bring back the mighty American chestnut.
What drives these individuals? How did their passions
come about, and what are the implications for
restoring the environment? Nature's Restoration: People and Places on the
Front Lines of Conservation is a lyrical look at these and other examples
of ordinary citizens aiming to return sizable tracts of the American
landscape to nature, and to health. They've found success in preserving
rare species, reversing negative ecological trends, and promoting
greater intimacy with nature.
Yet the work is far from simple. Restoration projects are often in the
news not only because of the promise they hold, but also because of
the controversy they provoke. Based on detailed reporting and numerous
interviews, Nature's Restoration puts us on the front lines of
restoration to learn how this burgeoning national movement shapes
both places and people.
Review
"[Friederici] has an earth literacy and wisdom about this topic that will awe anyone, but add to that his colorful, breathtaking writing, and you can't help but go away from this book inspired."
Review
"In Peter Friederici's accurate and artful telling, these tales from the 21st century earth healing frontier become the classics that will inform hopeful deeds for years to come."
Review
"David Brower...said that the 21st [century] would be devoted to 'recovery, restoration, and repair.' Here are just the kind of people he had in mind, captured in the intriguing act of doing great good and having great fun."
About the Author
Peter Friederici is the author of The Suburban Wild
(University of Georgia Press, 1999) and editor of
Ecological Restoration of Southwestern Ponderosa Pine
Forests (Island Press, 2003), among several other
books. He teaches journalism at Northern Arizona
University, and has contributed articles to such
publications as Audubon, Orion, and High Country
News. He lives in Flagstaff, Arizona
Table of Contents
Prologue: One Man, 15 Acres, 40 Years
Introduction: Prospero's Work
Chapter 1. Smoldering at the Roots
Chapter 2. Entering the Woods
Chapter 3. The Entrepreneurs
Chapter 4 The Voyage of the Moon-Eyed Horse
Chapter 5. Under the Bridge of Clouds
Acknowledgments
Notes