Thursday, December 11, 2008
Sharks the new buffalo?
What happened to the bison of the North America is currently happening to sharks around the world. Rather than hides and tongues, the reckless over-consumption and hunting is for shark fins. To learn more, check out 'Planet in Peril' or Wild Aid at http://www.wildaid.org
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Back to the Tetons
At the beginning of July my brother Dave and I went out to Yellowstone to do a few book signings. We met families from all over the country who were spending time in the National Parks. One family was doing a tour of 21 national parks in one summer! We ran into a family that had seen us do a reading at the Rye Nature Center in New York. They brought the book out on the trip and were very surprised to see us. The feeling was mutual. I met a lot of brilliant young authors and look forward to being in touch with them. You can see some of the folks we met in our photo gallery on our website.
Since the signings were a great success, I decided to return to Teton National Park for all of August. Teton National Park is located at the Southern end of Yellowstone. What's interesting is that over the years the South has become a common thorough fare and starting point for tourists. As you know from book I of the Land of Curiosities, that was not the case in 1872. Most people came up from the Montana end of the park.
Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway had a more "rocky" history of establishment than the unanimous declaration of Yellowstone's existence in 1872. It wasn't until the 1920s that the park was created and controversy ensued until the 1950s. Why? Ranchers, logger and entrepreneurs of all kind wanted to do their business! They wanted to use the land, which is quite understandable. But when the 1950s rolled around the profitability of tourism became apparent and the extension of a Southern area of the National Park met less resistance.
You may be wondering what Rockefeller's role was in all of this. I did too. According to the NPS.gov site on the tetons, Rockefeller's involvement was a way to side step the anti-park businessmen and entrepreneurs. They wanted the government to stay out of their business, so to speak. With the help of Horace Albright a consensus was reached that the land could be bought up in large portions by other entrepreneurs. Rockefeller was willing to oblige, with the long term goal of gifting the land to the government. This ultimately happened.
See you out there soon!
-Dee Neil
Since the signings were a great success, I decided to return to Teton National Park for all of August. Teton National Park is located at the Southern end of Yellowstone. What's interesting is that over the years the South has become a common thorough fare and starting point for tourists. As you know from book I of the Land of Curiosities, that was not the case in 1872. Most people came up from the Montana end of the park.
Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway had a more "rocky" history of establishment than the unanimous declaration of Yellowstone's existence in 1872. It wasn't until the 1920s that the park was created and controversy ensued until the 1950s. Why? Ranchers, logger and entrepreneurs of all kind wanted to do their business! They wanted to use the land, which is quite understandable. But when the 1950s rolled around the profitability of tourism became apparent and the extension of a Southern area of the National Park met less resistance.
You may be wondering what Rockefeller's role was in all of this. I did too. According to the NPS.gov site on the tetons, Rockefeller's involvement was a way to side step the anti-park businessmen and entrepreneurs. They wanted the government to stay out of their business, so to speak. With the help of Horace Albright a consensus was reached that the land could be bought up in large portions by other entrepreneurs. Rockefeller was willing to oblige, with the long term goal of gifting the land to the government. This ultimately happened.
See you out there soon!
-Dee Neil
Monday, July 14, 2008
Yellowstone National Park & Grand Teton National Park author signings
Photos will be added to the photo gallery shortly.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Why history?
My sister and I are often asked: “why do you focus on history in your efforts? Why not just focus on the problems of today?”
We focus on defining events in the history of environmentalism based on a belief that the past holds insights into solving the riddles of the present. Through the study (in a fun, entertaining way of course) of these defining events and themes, important lessons and insights can be learned and applied to the pressing environmental problems of the day.
In our first title, THE LAND OF CURIOSITIES, perhaps one of the greatest lessons is that diverse interests and social forces successfully united to help create Yellowstone as the world’s first national park in 1872. Railroad pioneers, scientists, explorers, reporters, politicians, emerging spiritual-ecology thought leaders, and the preservationists of the time period united in a common cause to preserve this magnificent place called Yellowstone. This event marked the first time in recorded history that a country set aside land and wildlife to be forever preserved and protected. The lesson – diverse interests uniting in a common cause to achieve tremendous progress – is applicable to virtually all of our environmental problems today. (more on coalition building in a future post)
Another key lesson of the story (and in real life led by folks of the era like John Muir) is that environmental protection is a worthy value and effort in-and-of-itself, even without direct and recognizable benefits for people. This is a more spiritual and ethical approach that treats all life and wilderness as sacred. This teaching is certainly applicable to environmental problems today, such as with the recent killing of around 1,600 bison that roamed beyond the borders of Yellowstone National Park (see http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/04/29/yellowstone.bison.cnn?iref=videosearchhttp://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/index.html )
We are certainly not alone in our emphasis on the past as a way to make the world a better place today. Most professions like medicine and astronomy place tremendous emphasis on the past to solve the problems of the present.
Think of today as the culmination of the progress and failures of the past. So, look to history to find enlightening guidance. That’s one of our goals….
We focus on defining events in the history of environmentalism based on a belief that the past holds insights into solving the riddles of the present. Through the study (in a fun, entertaining way of course) of these defining events and themes, important lessons and insights can be learned and applied to the pressing environmental problems of the day.
In our first title, THE LAND OF CURIOSITIES, perhaps one of the greatest lessons is that diverse interests and social forces successfully united to help create Yellowstone as the world’s first national park in 1872. Railroad pioneers, scientists, explorers, reporters, politicians, emerging spiritual-ecology thought leaders, and the preservationists of the time period united in a common cause to preserve this magnificent place called Yellowstone. This event marked the first time in recorded history that a country set aside land and wildlife to be forever preserved and protected. The lesson – diverse interests uniting in a common cause to achieve tremendous progress – is applicable to virtually all of our environmental problems today. (more on coalition building in a future post)
Another key lesson of the story (and in real life led by folks of the era like John Muir) is that environmental protection is a worthy value and effort in-and-of-itself, even without direct and recognizable benefits for people. This is a more spiritual and ethical approach that treats all life and wilderness as sacred. This teaching is certainly applicable to environmental problems today, such as with the recent killing of around 1,600 bison that roamed beyond the borders of Yellowstone National Park (see http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/04/29/yellowstone.bison.cnn?iref=videosearchhttp://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/index.html )
We are certainly not alone in our emphasis on the past as a way to make the world a better place today. Most professions like medicine and astronomy place tremendous emphasis on the past to solve the problems of the present.
Think of today as the culmination of the progress and failures of the past. So, look to history to find enlightening guidance. That’s one of our goals….
Friday, May 9, 2008
New EcoSeekers blog!
Hi folks. The new EcoSeekers blog will be launched shortly. Check back soon! Thanks.
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