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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  

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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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