"Beyond its highways and housing developments lies the natural world of Long Island, New York, a place of extensive salt marshes, pristine beaches and dunes, ancient grasslands, diverse forests, copious inland waters and a teeming sea. At the Glacier's Edge reveals this natural world in all its beauty and diversity. It tells the story of how the island was formed at the end of the last ice age, how its habitats evolved, and how humans in the last few hundred years have radically altered and degraded its landscape. Efforts to preserve and restore its ancient habitats are fully recounted, from replanting salt marshes, to preserving remaining grasslands and forests, to cleaning up the waters. The story is told through the eyes of a longtime resident who hasexplored the island's natural places from end to end. She brings a long perspective to the story, having witnessed the changes in the land wrought by the human hand"--
Vast salt marshes, ancient grasslands, lush forests, pristine beaches and dunes, and copious inland waters, all surrounded by a teeming sea. These are probably not the first things you imagine when you think of Long Island, but just beyond its highways and housing developments lies a stunning landscape full of diverse plant and animal life.
Combining science writing, environmental history, and first-hand accounts from a longtime resident, At the Glacier’s Edge offers a unique narrative natural history of Long Island. Betsy McCully tells the story of how the island was formed at the end of the last ice age, how its habitats evolved, and how humans in the last few hundred years have radically altered and degraded its landscape. Yet as she personally recounts the habitat losses and species declines she has witnessed over the past few decades, she describes the vital efforts that environmental activists are making to restore and reclaim this land—from replanting salt marshes, to preserving remaining grasslands and forests, to cleaning up the waters. At the Glacier’s Edge provides an in-depth look at the flora, fauna and geology that make Long Island so special.
Combining science writing, environmental history, and first-hand accounts from a longtime resident, At the Glacier’s Edge offers a unique narrative natural history of Long Island. It tells the story of how its habitats evolved, how humans radically degraded its landscape, and how community activists are restoring the land and preserving the species who depend on it.
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