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First published in 1990, this updated and enlarged edition of
Challenge of the Big Trees stands as the new definitive history of
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Located in the southern
Sierra Nevada of California, these twin parks, preserve an
astounding sweep of natural and cultural resources, including not
only the world's largest trees but also some of the most
spectacular mountain terrain to be found anywhere in the nation.
With its origins in the nineteenth century, the story of the two
parks conveys the larger narrative of nature preservation in the
United States. Generously illustrated with historic photographs and
thirty-five custom maps, this new edition brings the story of
Sequoia and the Kings Canyon into the twenty-first century,
documenting the major changes made in the parks since 1990 and
addressing the myriad challenges the parks still face, including
climate change and evolving attitudes toward nature.
From a towering tree, one of California's preeminent naturalists
unspools a history that echoes across generations and continents.
Former park ranger William C. Tweed takes readers on a tour of the
Big Trees in a narrative that travels deep into the Sierras, around
the West, and all the way to New Zealand; and in doing so he
explores the American public's evolving relationship with sequoias.
It comes as no surprise that the groves in Yosemite and Calaveras
were early tourist destinations, as this species that predated
Christ and loomed over all the world's other trees was the
embodiment of California's superlative, almost unbelievable appeal.
When sequoias were threatened by logging interests, the feelings of
horror that this desecration evoked in people catalyzed protection
efforts; in a very direct way, this species inspired the Park Idea.
And sequoias' influence doesn't end there: as science evolved to
consider landscapes more holistically, sequoias were once again at
the heart of this attitudinal shift. Featuring an entrancing cast
of adventurers, researchers, politicians, and environmentalists,
King Sequoia reveals how one tree species has transformed
Americans' connection to the natural world.
In this provocative walking meditation, writer and former park
ranger William Tweed takes us to California's spectacular High
Sierra to discover a new vision for our national parks as they
approach their 100th anniversary. Tweed, who worked among the
Sierra Nevada's big peaks and big trees for more than thirty years,
has now hiked more than 200 miles along California's John Muir
Trail in a personal search for answers: How do we address the
climate change we are seeing even now - in melting glaciers in
Glacier National Park, changing rainy seasons on Mt Rainer, and
more fire in the West's iconic parks. Should we intervene where we
can to preserve biodiversity? Should the parks merely become
ecosystem museums that exhibit famous landscapes and species?
Asking how we can make these magnificent parks relevant for the
next generation, Tweed, through his journey, ultimately shows why
we must do just that.
In this provocative walking meditation, writer and former park
ranger William Tweed takes us to CaliforniaOCOs spectacular High
Sierra to discover a new vision for our national parks as they
approach their 100th anniversary. Tweed, who worked among the
Sierra NevadaOCOs big peaks and big trees for more than thirty
years, has now hiked more than 200 miles along CaliforniaOCOs John
Muir Trail in a personal search for answers: How do we address the
climate change we are seeing even nowOCoin melting glaciers in
Glacier National Park, changing rainy seasons on Mt Rainer, and
more fire in the WestOCOs iconic parks. Should we intervene where
we can to preserve biodiversity? Should the parks merely become
ecosystem museums that exhibit famous landscapes and species?
Asking how we can make these magnificent parks relevant for the
next generation, Tweed, through his journey, ultimately shows why
we must do just that."
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