Southern Appalachian Celebration In Praise of Ancient Mountains, Old-Growth Forests, and Wilderness

About this book

With this stunning collection of images of the Southern Appalachians, James Valentine presents an enduring portrait of the region's unique natural character. His compelling photographs of ancient mountains, old-growth forests, rare plants, and powerful waterways reveal the Appalachians' rich scenic beauty, while Chris Bolgiano's interpretive text and captions tell the story of its natural history.

Over four decades, Valentine has hiked hundreds of miles across mountainous parts of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia to photograph some of the last remnants of original forest. These scarce and scattered old-growth stands are the most biologically diverse temperate forests in the world. By sharing these remaining pristine wild places with us, Valentine and Bolgiano show that understanding these mountains and their extraordinary biodiversity is vital to maintaining the healthy environment that sustains all life.

Featuring an introduction by the late, longtime conservationist Robert Zahner and a foreword by William Meadows, president of The Wilderness Society, this visually entrancing and verbally engaging book celebrates the vibrant life of Southern Appalachian forests.

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Biography

James Valentine is a naturalist photographer, artist, and filmmaker whose work, including more than ten books, has helped to preserve millions of wild acres. He donated his properties, including the "Valentine House Dormitory" and the laboratory facility, to the Highlands Biological Station of the University of North Carolina as a tribute to preserving one of the most biodiverse mountainous regions of the planet. He is president of the Quest Foundation, now celebrating its fortieth anniversary. For more information, please visit www.quest-foundation.org.

Chris Bolgiano uses solar power to write from her home in a Virginia mountainside forest, which is under a conservation easement. She is author or editor of five books, including Living in the Appalachian Forest: True Tales of Sustainable Forestry, which won the Phillip D. Reed Memorial Award for Outstanding Writing on the Southern Environment. Her articles on nature and travel have appeared in "American Forests", "Sierra", "Audubon", the "New York Times", the "Washington Post", and many other publications.