U of A Press Gosse Nature Series

Alvin Diamond reminds me (and Debbie Folkerts has previously told me) that Gary Mullen is editing the Philip Henry Gosse nature series of books being published by the University of Alabama Press. I understand Beth Motherwell at U of A Press is aware of our concept, and quite interested. It would seem that our book belongs in this series.

About Comments

I have turned on comment notification, only because Beth's recent comment (our first) appeared and I wasn't aware of it for quite a while. I have entered our email addresses in the blog setup so that those of us authorized to create blog entries (presently just me and Beth, waiting for Eric and Debbie to sign on) will now get an email whenever someone leaves a comment. If you want to opt out of this, let me know and I'll take you off the notification list.

New Book on Roland Harper

Alvin Diamond tipped me off to this new book on Roland Harper, by Elizabeth Findley Shores of Tuscaloosa. To be released August 2008.

Watershed Identity Foundation

[slightly edited after receiving more information from Beth Young--see her comment below]

On June 12, 2008 I met Beth Maynor Young at her home office and we discussed this project. She suggested we make a proposal to the board of the non-profit Watershed Identity Foundation, which supports environmental efforts such as ours. Its Board of Directors consists of Bob Tate, Pat Byington, and James Lowery of Birmingham, and Katie Smith Jackson of Auburn. They can act as the fiscal sponsor, in which case 100% of funds raised go to the project. The WIF is similarly helping the longleaf pine book Beth and Rhett Johnson are doing. It does not provide funding. Rather, it holds and distributes funds raised elsewhere on an as-needed (as-invoiced) basis. We will need to raise our own funds. If photographers and authors are not reasonably compensated for their contributions to this project, it will likely not succeed.

In the comment below, Beth offers to call a meeting of WIF, and further suggests that we make a one-page proposal, with a list of the communities we will cover. We should probably provide information on the old (1978) Natural Environments of Georgia book by Wharton, and the fact that it is currently being revised. There is a pdf of an article by a couple of the revised version's authors here.

Dedication

This book concept has been a long time in the making, going back to several discussions in recent years between Eric Soehren and me, with the understanding that any such project would have to involve George Folkerts, the great naturalist and friend to whom this book will be co-dedicated. George is sadly no longer with us, but if we can convey some of his love and appreciation for the natural world in this book, it will be well worth our efforts. George was the premiere naturalist in Alabama for most of the second half of the 20th century, as Roland Harper was for the first half. Without Harper's writings and photographs we would have a much dimmer understanding of the original distribution and condition of our natural communities before development, modern forestry, and fire suppression altered or in many cases obliterated them. We stand on the shoulders of George, Roland, and so many others who will be acknowledged in the publication, but it is to these two men that the book will be dedicated.