Jacksonville Public Library

A road running southward, following John Muir's journey through an endangered land, Dan Chapman

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 243-244)

mapsillustrations

no index present

non fiction

A road running southward

bibliography

1285917639

Dan Chapman

following John Muir's journey through an endangered land

"In 1876, a young John Muir took a hike across the South. It was a spontaneous trip borne of impulse and serendipity, but one of the first of Muir's nature-inspired ramblings that made him the enduring face of America's conservation movement. Unexpectedly, a night spent in Savannah's Bonaventure Cemetery set in motion Muir's transformation to leader and conscience of the budding environmental movement. One hundred fifty years later, veteran reporter Dan Chapman -- troubled by the state of Southern conservation and intrigued by Muir's thousand-mile journey -- set off in his trusty Subaru to recreate Muir's journey, following the highways and blacktops that replaced Muir's nineteenth-century path. Navigating traffic jams in national parks and city sprawl Muir could not have imagined, Chapman sought to take the region's pulse. He interviewed agricultural workers diseased from the years of toxic exposures, ecologists tracking the retreat of climate-stressed native flowers, and partisans from Georgia and Florida asserting legally questionable rights to the Chattahoochee River. Chapman found a reason for hope as well: the resilience of Southerners and their deep love of the land, scientists advocating for fragile ecosystems despite long odds, and endangered species making a comeback despite a century of relentless development. <i>A Road Running Southward</i> affords us the opportunity to experience a cherished landscape evolving through time and to understand the choices we now face, which will shape the South for years to come." --Book jacket

Introduction: ghosts, skeeters, and rye -- Who is John Muir -- A new south reckoning -- The south's incredible biodiversity is threatened and endangered -- A celebration of Muir turns toxic -- "The mountains are calling" - and they're not happy -- More rain, more heat, more trouble -- Water wars -- The deeper the river, the greater the pain -- A coastal playground is disappearing -- Where the hogs rule and turtles tremble -- Take my water, please -- The end of the road