About the Author

Joan Waltermire was trained as a biologist as well as an artist and is the curator of exhibits at the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, Vermont.

Reviews

Liquid Land is at once a celebration of one of our grandest national parks; a rendering of its exploitation, which has erased half of the original Everglades; and a behind-the-scenes account of tardy and contentious attempts to restore what is now 'a computer-controlled watershed almost as artificial as Disney World.' Levin explores the natural history of mosquitoes, panthers, alligators, and wading birds, and he introduces us to many colorful players--one a crocodile expert whose devotion once extended to giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a baby crocodile that had been held underwater by a crab. The Florida Everglades seems to bring out the best and worst in humans; Liquid Land is a love letter to a historic swamp and a probing look at the people who are fighting over its future.--Frank Graham Jr. "Audubon"

From rare panthers to rainbow-colored tree snails, Levin brings to life the Everglades' wondrous beauty and ineffable mystery. Sure to be a classic, Liquid Land is required reading for first-time visitors and seasoned explorers alike. But it is more than a primer on the Everglades; Levin shows how by saving the Everglades we stand a better chance of saving the planet, too.--David Seideman "Editor-in-Chief, Audubon"

This is the most generous kind of nature writing--the act of being absorbed with place, rather than self. Liquid Land is well paced, incisive, and artfully informed. For my money, it's the best nonfiction on the Glades since River of Grass.--Bill Belleville "author of River of Lakes: A Journey on Florida's St. Johns River"

[Levin's] writing style is lyrical and engaging, but the text is grounded in extensive research that is detailed in a useful bibliography. Like Marjory Stoneman Douglas, author of the classic The Everglades: River of Grass, Levin is an experienced journalist with a knack for making science accessible to a popular audience.--Library Journal

In this knowledgeable and carefully researched overview, Levin, a naturalist, writer and photographer, recounts the many negative effects [the] drainage has had on wildlife and plant life. . . . Levin, who covered the area by foot, boat and plane, successfully evokes the Everglades of yesterday and today, and details the possibilities that exist for its future. . . . In this informative and timely account, Levin offers an accessible, engaging narrative of what environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas called 'the river of grass.'--Publishers Weekly

It is a captivating mixture of history, biology, personal experience and individual and corporate profiles, a background that helps to frame current efforts to restore Florida's most famous ecosystem. A must read for all Everglades lovers.--Florida Wildlife Magazine

Levin has written an all-encompassing account of the Florida Everglades. The book is full of anecdotes . . . But it's also a serious book that in the end will make you angry that all this magnificence is being sacrificed for the wealth of sugar barons.--National Geographic Adventure

One of the characteristics that makes Liquid Land more then just another Jeremiad is Levin's open-minded approach and his ability to see beyond simple cause-and-effect to the interconnection of all human and nonhuman life . . . Surprisingly, Levin is able to inject a sense of hope.--Georgia Review

Unimaginable numbers of birds, over a million alligators, 400 American crocodiles, and fewer than 100 Florida panthers roam the Florida Everglades. In this fragile landscape, survival depends on a precise balance of nutrients, salinity, and water levels that is now imperiled by Florida's politically powerful real estate and agribusiness interests. Levin, a naturalist and journalist, profiles the natural history, geology, and climate of this unique ecosystem and the passionate scientists who don their snake boots and fight to preserve it. His writing style is lyrical and engaging, but the text is grounded in extensive research that is detailed in a useful bibliography. Like Marjory Stoneman Douglas, author of the classic The Everglades: River of Grass, Levin is an experienced journalist with a knack for making science accessible to a popular audience. Highly recommended in public and academic libraries where ecology is of interest.-Kathy Arsenault, Univ. of South Florida at St. Petersburg Lib. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Liquid Land is at once a celebration of one of our grandest national parks; a rendering of its exploitation, which has erased half of the original Everglades; and a behind-the-scenes account of tardy and contentious attempts to restore what is now 'a computer-controlled watershed almost as artificial as Disney World.' Levin explores the natural history of mosquitoes, panthers, alligators, and wading birds, and he introduces us to many colorful players--one a crocodile expert whose devotion once extended to giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a baby crocodile that had been held underwater by a crab. The Florida Everglades seems to bring out the best and worst in humans; Liquid Land is a love letter to a historic swamp and a probing look at the people who are fighting over its future.--Frank Graham Jr. "Audubon"

From rare panthers to rainbow-colored tree snails, Levin brings to life the Everglades' wondrous beauty and ineffable mystery. Sure to be a classic, Liquid Land is required reading for first-time visitors and seasoned explorers alike. But it is more than a primer on the Everglades; Levin shows how by saving the Everglades we stand a better chance of saving the planet, too.

This is the most generous kind of nature writing--the act of being absorbed with place, rather than self. Liquid Land is well paced, incisive, and artfully informed. For my money, it's the best nonfiction on the Glades since River of Grass.

[Levin's] writing style is lyrical and engaging, but the text is grounded in extensive research that is detailed in a useful bibliography. Like Marjory Stoneman Douglas, author of the classic The Everglades: River of Grass, Levin is an experienced journalist with a knack for making science accessible to a popular audience.

In this knowledgeable and carefully researched overview, Levin, a naturalist, writer and photographer, recounts the many negative effects [the] drainage has had on wildlife and plant life. . . . Levin, who covered the area by foot, boat and plane, successfully evokes the Everglades of yesterday and today, and details the possibilities that exist for its future. . . . In this informative and timely account, Levin offers an accessible, engaging narrative of what environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas called 'the river of grass.'

It is a captivating mixture of history, biology, personal experience and individual and corporate profiles, a background that helps to frame current efforts to restore Florida's most famous ecosystem. A must read for all Everglades lovers.

Levin has written an all-encompassing account of the Florida Everglades. The book is full of anecdotes . . . But it's also a serious book that in the end will make you angry that all this magnificence is being sacrificed for the wealth of sugar barons.

One of the characteristics that makes Liquid Land more then just another Jeremiad is Levin's open-minded approach and his ability to see beyond simple cause-and-effect to the interconnection of all human and nonhuman life . . . Surprisingly, Levin is able to inject a sense of hope.