Immortal Wilderness

by John Hay

From the icy coasts of Greenland, to the steaming rainforests of Costa Rica, John Hay s seasoned eye leads us to the phenomena which bind all life on earth. For Hay, the wilderness is not just some underdeveloped patch of land that escaped the bulldozers opening the paths of progress. It is the underlying health and wealth of this entire planet, the real world beneath all of civilization s superficial distractions. It is a world for which John Hay s rich and pensive writings form one of the best field guides that I know of. Gary Nabhan

Genres: Nature, Ecology

246 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

John Hay (August 31, 1915, Ipswich, Massachusetts – February 26, 2011, Bremen, Maine was an American author, naturalist, and conservation activist. Hay co-founded the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster, Massachusetts and served as its president from 1955 to 1980. He composed 18 books from his "writing shack" on Dry Hill at his home in Brewster, Massachusetts, including two autobiographies, A beginner's faith in things unseen (1995) and Mind the Gap: The Education of a Nature Writer. (2004).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ha...

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having picked this up in a used bookstore while on holiday in Alberta, I wasn't totally sure what to expect but I must say Hay has a fabulous way with words. This isn't the most scientific or even objective look at the importance of nature but then it is all the better for it as it lays the foundations to show that humans are not separate from nature, that we need it for our own survival and our own well-being, both physical and mental. Hay travels the globe demostrating time and again that however much we may want to think differently, we are always better off when we work with nature rather than against it and that we get more benefits than we can ever return simply by being present in the wilder world. Although this is a relatively short book, it is utterly engrossing and Hay poetic writing makes you want to cling to and absorb every word. This is a definite keeper and a book we can all learn from.

[Bob Peru · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of the greatest american nature writers. local for me.