The Wilder Heart of Florida, livre ebook

Fall under the spell of Florida’s natural environment

In this captivating collection, Florida’s most notable authors, poets, and environmentalists take readers on a journey through the natural wonders of the state. Continuing in the legacy of the beloved classic The Wild Heart of Florida, this book features thirty-four pieces by a new slate of well-known and emerging writers.

In these pages, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Groff describes the beauty of Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. Environmental writer Cynthia Barnett listens to seashells on Sanibel Island. Legendary journalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas records the sights and sounds of the Everglades in the 1920s. Miccosukee elder Buffalo Tiger relates traditional stories of his community’s deep relationship with the land. Presidential inaugural poet Richard Blanco muses on the shifting vista of the ocean in “Some Days the Sea.”

These writers and many others recount memories of how their lives have been enriched by the state’s varied and brilliant landscapes. Some tell of encounters with alligators, pythons, manatees, turtles, and otters, while others marvel at the unique character of flowing springs and piney scrub. Together, they highlight the need to protect pristine ecosystems and restore ones that have been damaged due to development. The Wilder Heart of Florida will inspire readers to explore and celebrate the Florida wilderness.

Foreword

Introduction
Leslie K. Poole and Jack E. Davis

Part 1. Beckonings

Seduction in Key West
Susan Lilley

The Story under the Story
Lauren Groff

Our Land
Buffalo Tiger

Soldier’s Creek Trail
Terry Ann Thaxton

Part 2. Revelations

Innocence Found
Bill Maxwell

The Seine
Jack E. Davis

My First Audubon Trip Hasn’t Ended Yet . . .
Charles Lee

Florida Boy
David McCally

The River That Raised Me
Gabbie Buendia

The Breathers, St. Mark’s Lighthouse
Rick Campbell

Part 3. Animals

Birds and Refuge
Frederick R. Davis

The Quiet Song of Sanibel Island
Cynthia Barnett

The Habits of Alligators
Loren G. “Totch” Brown

Gator!
Lee Irby

Feast of Pythons (Homage to Harry Crews)
Isaac Eger

One Manatee, Two Nations
Anmari Alvarez-Alemán

Woodpeckers and Wildness: The Disney Wilderness Preserve
Leslie K. Poole

Sighting by the St. Johns
Russ Kesler

Part 4. Water

Up the Oklawaha: A Sail into Fairy-Land
Harriet Beecher Stowe

Musings
Margaret Ross Tolbert

The Pulse of Paynes Prairie
Lars Andersen

From Springs Heartland to Wasteland . . . and Back?
Lucinda Faulkner Merritt

Wilderness from the Water
Claire Strom

The Rhythms of the Lagoon
Clay Henderson

Raw Water
Gianna Russo

Part 5. Terra Firma

Excerpts from The Galley
Marjory Stoneman Douglas

The Natural Aesthetic of the Naked God
Bruce Stephenson

Don’t Mourn the Orange
Mark Jerome Walters

Seasons of Love
Erika Henderson

Biscayne National Monument: Preserving Our Precious Bays
Nathaniel Pryor Reed

Part 6. At the Heart

Some Day the Sea
Richard Blanco

From A Seminole Legend: The Life of Betty Mae Tiger Jumper
Betty Mae Tiger Jumper and Patsy West

A Plea for Wider Justice
Marjory Stoneman Douglas

Florida Is a Pretty Girl
Frances Susanna Nevill

Acknowledgments

List of Contributors

Credits