Force of Nature
George Fell, Founder of the Natural Areas Movement
Published on 3. March 2020
Book
Paperback/Softback
216 pages
978-0-299-31234-3 (ISBN)
Description
Winner of the Illinois State Historical Society Outstanding Achievement Award
Efforts to preserve wild places in the United States began with the allure of scenic grandeur: Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon. But what about the many significant natural sites too small or fragile to qualify as state or federal parks? Force of Nature reveals how George Fell initiated the natural areas movement to save those areas. Fell transformed a loose band of ecologists into The Nature Conservancy, drove the passage of the influential Illinois Nature Preserves Act, and helped spark allied local and national conservation organizations in the United States and beyond.
Efforts to preserve wild places in the United States began with the allure of scenic grandeur: Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon. But what about the many significant natural sites too small or fragile to qualify as state or federal parks? Force of Nature reveals how George Fell initiated the natural areas movement to save those areas. Fell transformed a loose band of ecologists into The Nature Conservancy, drove the passage of the influential Illinois Nature Preserves Act, and helped spark allied local and national conservation organizations in the United States and beyond.
Reviews / Votes
The inspiring story of the innovative conservation institutions and legislation instigated by George Fell and his wife, Barbara, highlighted by the Nature Conservancy, arguably the largest environmental organization in the world." - Stephen Laubach, author of Living a Land Ethic"George Fell sparred with fellow naturalists and politicians to bring into being organizations that are models for today's worldwide conservation efforts. Pearson documents this extraordinary life with a wide range of sources, including interviews over two decades with both Fell's partners and his doubters." - James Ballowe, author of A Man of Salt and Tree
"Well researched and informative. . . . This biography serves to remind us of who George Fell was and to help us to understand that we need environmental defenders who possess his qualities." - EcoLit Books
"A chance to learn about this fascinating visionary, whose tireless efforts made Illinois a more beautiful place." - Nature in Chicagoland
"An excellent read." - Mesabi Daily News
"Through Pearson's attention to place, the story of this obscure conservationist figure is told with the conviction that the inextricable force of nature drove all of his endeavors." - South Side Weekly
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Wisconsin
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
14 black & white photos, 1 map
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 12 mm
Weight
295 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-299-31234-3 (9780299312343)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Arthur Melville Pearson is the form program director of the Chicago Program at the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, which helps protect and restore natural lands in the Chicago region and the Lowcountry of South Carolina. His writing has appeared frequently in the magazines Chicago Wilderness and Outdoor Illinois and in the blogs A Midewin Almanac and City Creatures.
Content
List of Illustrations
Foreword
Peter R. Crane Acknowledgments
Chronology
Prologue
1 From the Bend of a Beautiful River to the Alcatraz of Conscientious Objector Camps
2 Threatened Lands, Living Museums
3 The Nature Conservancy: Setting Up the Necessary Structure Ourselves
4 The Illinois Nature Preserves Act: If at First You Don't Succeed . . .
5 The Illinois Nature Preserves Commission: Where Once We Were Opportunists
6 Sowing More Acorns, Fighting More Battles
Epilogue
Notes
Index
Foreword
Peter R. Crane Acknowledgments
Chronology
Prologue
1 From the Bend of a Beautiful River to the Alcatraz of Conscientious Objector Camps
2 Threatened Lands, Living Museums
3 The Nature Conservancy: Setting Up the Necessary Structure Ourselves
4 The Illinois Nature Preserves Act: If at First You Don't Succeed . . .
5 The Illinois Nature Preserves Commission: Where Once We Were Opportunists
6 Sowing More Acorns, Fighting More Battles
Epilogue
Notes
Index