Florida's Pioneer Naturalist The Life Of Charles Torrey Simpson [Paperback]

Elizabeth Rothra's excellent biography of Charles Torrey Simpson restates his philosophies about the intrinsic value of natural ecosystems like the Everglades.? No one knew better than he the history of the plants and animals of South Florida or conveyed it with more humor and enthusiasm. --Marjory Stoneman Douglas

Absorbing, informative, and useful. . . . Simpson is the primary source of information for all scholars wishing to learn about ecological conditions in south Florida at the turn of the century. --Larry D. Harris, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida

A needed, timely contribution to scholarship in the form of a very enjoyable, readable volume. . . .? Much of the natural wealth enjoyed by our citizens today is due to the early efforts of pioneer naturalists such as Charles Torrey Simpson, working in a 'labor of love' nearly a century ago. --David H. Stansbery, Curator of Bivalve Mollusks, Museum of Zoology, Ohio State University

Charles Torrey Simpson (1846-1932) settled in south Florida in 1902, a time when the vast expanse of islands and marshes that comprise the Everglades teemed with panthers, crocodiles, and great flocks of flamingos, egrets, ibis, herons, and wood storks.? Simpson devoted his remaining 30 years to interpreting the subtropical plants and animals he found, becoming the environmental spokesman to the droves of settlers and tourists who invaded and developed the Sunshine State in the 1920s.

?In this first full-length biography, illustrated with 34 photographs, Simpson takes his place in the galaxy of nature writers that includes his contemporaries John Muir and John Burroughs.? Through his popular books, Simpson acquainted readers with a unique North American ecosystem.? His Ornamental Gardening, the first comprehensive guide to Florida's tropical plants, changed the way people landscaped their homes.? He advocated the formation of a national park in the Everglades, lc{