Finding Home in the Sandy Lands of the South

The natural history of Florida comes alive in this merry romp through its sandhills and swamps. Join naturalist Jack Putz as he discovers home where the soils are sandy and the accents Southern. Each essay in this series brings alive some aspect of familiar nature in the Sunshine State. With sprinklings of history and culture, the author shares his insights about the Spanish moss draping your live oaks and the pocket gophers tunneling in your yard. He shows that exciting nature is often readily accessible, just outside the door, underfoot, and overhead. The subtext in the 52 nature essays that compose this volume is the author’s personal struggle to accept Florida and the South as his home. The path he takes to this personal discovery slogs through cypress swamps, climbs into the canopies of savanna live oaks, and chases fox squirrels through longleaf pine savannas. Along the way he shares his botanical and ecological insights about everything from sand grains to hurricanes. There’s something here for readers interested in wild edible plants, those who are curious about Tung Blossom Queens, and anyone interested in foraging for wild edibles.