Synopses & Reviews
"Steven Mark is to be congratulated for capturing the essence of Merriam and that original America, the one that in giving rise to conservation believed in parks as the nationand#8217;s soul."and#151;Alfred Runte, author of
National Parks "Merriamand#8217;s role in the evolution of early 20th Century American conservation thinking is not as well understood as it should be."and#151;Keir B. Sterling, Senior Editor of the Biographical Dictionary
"We need to hear and heed John C. Merriam's voice, calling for education, inspiration, and spiritual contact to be paramount in the administration of our natural preserves."and#151;Michael Frome, author of Battle for the Wilderness
Synopsis
From his efforts to protect California's wild landsand#151;including the state's majestic redwoods and its dynamic coastlineand#151;to his novel ideas about the educational and inspirational value of wilderness that continue to provoke debates to this day, this first biography of John C. Merriam (1869-1945) tells the story of the prominent paleontologist who became a visionary in the American conservation movement.
About the Author
Stephen R. Mark is a historian with the National Park Service as well as Adjunct Professor of History at the Oregon Institute of Technology. He is the author of Floating in the Stream of Time: An Administrative History of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (1996).
Table of Contents
Contents
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Beyond Scenic Voyeurism
1. Why Save the Redwoods?
2. To Berkeley and Beyond
3. Paleontologist of the Far West
4. An Upward Trajectory
5. Redwoods and Research
6. Interpreting the National Parks
7. A Voice for Wilderness
8. Building State Parks
9. What Nature Means
Notes
Further Reading
Index