Nature

Author and naturalist Marci Spencer reveals the history and splendor of the Nantahala National Forest.

The 500,000-acre Nantahala National Forest dominates the rugged southwestern corner of North Carolina. Rivers such as the Cheoah, Cullasaja, and Tuckasegee carve deep gorges, making the region one of the wettest in the nation. The Whitewater River tumbles over the highest waterfall in the eastern United States. Power companies dammed local rivers, creating some of North Carolina's most scenic recreational mountain lakes. The high peaks, secluded coves and forested woodlands of the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, Panthertown Valley and Buck Creek Serpentine Pine Barrens and other areas hold cultural and natural history secrets.

Venture into flora and fauna of Pennsylvania's Moraine State Park and uncover the hidden histories behind its natural treasures.

About 20,000 years ago, the late Wisconsinan glaciation reached its maximum extent. Glacial deposits identify the moraine, or farthest area covered by the glacier. Muddy Creek was a north-flowing stream that was blocked by the south-advancing glacier, forming a huge lake that lasted until the glacier dam began to retreat. The lake rapidly drained, eventually exposing the vast Muddy Creek basin. Dr. Frank Preston envisioned recreating the ancient glacial lake and worked with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to begin the project that became 16,725-acre Moraine State Park. Its centerpiece, man-made Lake Arthur and the surrounds, provide outstanding outdoor recreation and relaxation opportunities.

Discover the fascinating history of the Bronx River and the ways this small waterway influenced and was affected by the people around it.

The Bronx River flows 23 miles from its source in Valhalla to its mouth, the East River in the Bronx. This waterway was used for centuries by Native American tribes for drinking, food and transportation. They called it ""Aquehung"" meaning a fast stream flowing along a high bluff. After the arrival of Europeans, though, the Bronx River suffered as industry prospered. It powered mills and, unfortunately, became a dumping ground for all kinds of waste. Its appearance and ecosystem were forever changed. However, community members are now again attempting to alter the river - only this time for the better - by helping it recover.

Learn about efforts underway to save the historic and environmentally important Fourth Street Preserve.

IIn 1670, the first officially deeded land in Lewes was granted by the Duke of York to the town’s earliest settler, Helmanias Wiltbanck—30 of the original 104 acres of Wiltbanck’s beloved preserve remain pristine and undeveloped today, right in the heart of Lewes. Three families owned this land for 312 of the past 355 years. Their tales involve attacks by pirate ships and the British, death and survival during the “fever years” and a prominent but forgotten judge who helped write the original Delaware Constitution and fund its Revolutionary War troops.

Local author and preservation leader Michael Rawl tells these stories and unfolds the long history of this piece of the heart of Lewes.

Poignant but animated by a stubborn hope.--Christianity Today

For years, Ryan Schnurr, editor at Belt Magazine, watched media coverage of Lake Erie algae blooms with a growing sense of unease. An Indiana native, he wanted to learn more about the role the Maumee River--Lake Erie's largest tributary and the center of the region's largest watershed--played in the lake's environmental woes. So in the summer of 2016, he walked and canoed the length of the river from its headwaters in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to its mouth in Toledo, Ohio. As he traverses the waters and banks like a modern-day Thoreau, Schnurr walks us through:

- The history of the river, including its formation by glaciers

- Its function in Native American and American history

- How industrialization changed it

- How current economic and environmental forces are still shaping it today.

Part cultural history, part nature writing, and part personal narrative, In the Watershed is a lyrical work of nonfiction in the vein of John McPhee, Edward Abbey, and Ian Frazier with a timely and important warning at the core. What is happening in Lake Erie, Schnurr tells us, is a disaster by nearly any measure―ecologically, economically, socially, culturally.

A slim but pressing travelogue for readers who are interested in nature writing at its most local level.

Founded in 1914, Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park is one of the leading zoos in North America. From humble beginnings as a small collection of animals, it transformed into a state-of-the-art home to more than seven hundred animals, including many threatened or endangered species. A small family of Asian elephants, including an unusual set of twins, play a crucial role in both education and conservation efforts to protect these majestic animals. The zoo collaborates with its nonprofit partner, Friends of the Zoo, to provide visitors with experiences that excite, memories that endure and knowledge that inspires global wildlife conservation.

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge was created on July 7, 1938, when Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order to establish the Wheeler Migratory Waterfowl Refuge with a mission to serve “as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife.”

The refuge was Alabama’s first national wildlife refuge and the first national wildlife refuge to be an integral part of a man-made reservoir, encompassing part of Wheeler Lake, which was formed by the construction of Wheeler Dam by the Tennessee Valley Authority. In the ensuing years, the character of the land within the refuge boundaries changed. From eroded, barren fields arose thick stands of hardwoods and pines, lush wetlands, and shady sloughs that attracted huge flocks of ducks and geese. Beaver, deer, otters, and alligators returned. Today, the refuge is a haven of natural beauty surrounded by the trappings of modern society, attracting thousands of visitors who come to view the large numbers of ducks, geese, cranes, and other wildlife that inhabit the refuge.

In the bustling city streets of late 18th century Louisville began a tradition of thoroughbred racing that has transcended centuries.

Follow author Kimberly Gatto as she chronicles the history of the world’s most famous racing venue, which revolutionized the “Sport of Kings” and created the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, and Clark Handicap races. Fans will enjoy the tales of various horses, from the early triumph of Ten Broeck over Mollie McCarthy to the Derby victory of the heroic thoroughbred Barbaro. Churchill Downs: America’s Most Historic Racetrack recounts the various financial hardships, the introduction of parimutuel betting, the construction of the famed twin spire grandstand, and how the age of television transformed Churchill Downs into the majestic track we recognize today.