Monday, June 29, 2009

HOLLOWS PEEPERS AND HIGHLANDERS FOR JULY


July's reading selection takes us home with Hollows, Peepers, and Highlanders: An Appalachian Mountain Ecology by George Constantz. (PVNWG recommends the revised and expanded edition published by West Virginia University Press in 2004.) The book first paints a broad picture to give the reader an understanding of the geologic origins of the region. Combining scientific insights with first hand experiences, Constantz entertainingly describes the adaptations of the species that live there. He puts it all together in a final section on climate and changes through the seasons.
Naturalist George Constantz was born in Washington, DC but spent part of his childhood in Mexico and Colombia. With degrees in biology and zoology, he has worked as a teacher, ecologist, researcher and writer. Active in efforts to conserve water quality in West Virginia, he founded the nonprofit Cacapon Institute and manages the Education program at Canaan Valley Institute. He and his wife, Nancy Ailes, live in the Cacapon River watershed. See author and book related links at left. (Photo Credit: Ken Thomas, Wikimedia Commons)

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