Description

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Individuals from all walks of life have devoted their time, energy, and money to restoring the state's lost wetlands. Clare Howard and David Zalaznik take readers into the marshes, bogs, waterways, and swamps brought back to life by these wetland pioneers. Howard’s storytelling introduces grassroots conservators dedicated to learning through trial and error, persistence, and listening to the lessons taught by wetlands. They undertake hard work inspired by ever-increasing floods and nutrient runoff, and they reconnect the Earth’s natural rhythms. Zalaznik's stunning black and white photos illuminate changes in the land and the people themselves. Seeds sprout after lying dormant for one hundred years. Water winds through ancient channels. Animals and native plants return. As the forgiving spirit of a wetland emerges, it nurtures a renewed landscape that alters our view of the environment and the planet.

An inspiring document of passion and advocacy, In the Spirit of Wetlands reveals the transformative power of restoration.

About the Author

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Clare Howard is a journalist formerly at the Peoria Journal Star. She is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists. David Zalaznik is a photojournalist formerly at the Peoria Journal Star and the Lincoln Courier. He is the author of Life along the Illinois River.

Praise For…

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"Citizen environmentalists will be encouraged by the variety of approaches used to accomplish ecological and developmental goals far beyond this north-central Illinois watershed." --Library Journal

"This finely crafted paperback edition is perfect for contemplative evenings and mornings on the porch. Perfect for those times when we need a little inspiration and feel connected and part of something bigger in our natural world. For those of us already involved with wetland conservation and restoration, it can be a much- needed pick- me- up when it seems like nothing is going right and the fight gets a little too burdensome. In this book, you will find the inspiration to keep going, fighting, and surviving." --Outdoor Illinois

"Turning the tide against environmental catastrophe has to be a team effort, and not everyone has the time and resources to attempt projects of the scale described in the book. But we all can do something, and I hope this book will provide inspiration for all who follow." -- Community Word

“The stories illustrated in this great work are inspiring profiles of pioneers who are taking up the cause of wetland restoration. These guardians are immersed in a cause that affects every living thing in one way or another and should compel all readers to action.”--Doug Schoenrock, President, Ducks Unlimited