Granite, Fire, & Fog: The Natural and Cultural History of Acadia - Tom Wessels (paperback)

Tom Wessels, forest ecologist for ~50 years and professor emeritus at Antioch University New England, is one of our all-time favorite authors. And “Granite, Fire, & Fog” sits closest to our hearts. Of the dozens of books we’ve read about Acadia, this one has the richest insights that have most altered and enhanced our perspective while exploring outdoors. Wessels expertly elucidates the powerful elemental forces that have shaped the unique landscape of one of America’s favorite National Parks. The region’s history of glaciation, repopulation (with special attention to lichens), devastating fire of 1947, and continuously evolving landscape are discussed. The human and cultural history of Mount Desert Island is delicately interwoven, and the book is sprinkled with fascinating asides, such as the population dynamics of turkeys and coyotes. It is a perfect gift for anyone enamored with the Maine Coast, and the lessons in reading the landscape are globally applicable. 

171 pages.