Additional information
by Elizabeth O. Rothra (Author)
Charles Torrey Simpson (1846-1932) settled in south Florida in 1902, a time when the vast expanse of islands and marshes that comprise the Everglades teemed with panthers, crocodiles, and great flocks of flamingos, egrets, ibis, herons, and wood storks. Simpson devoted his remaining 30 years to interpreting the subtropical plants and animals he found, becoming the environmental spokesman to the droves of settlers and tourists who invaded and developed the Sunshine State in the 1920s. In this first full-length biography, illustrated with 34 photographs, Simpson takes his place in the galaxy of nature writers that includes his contemporaries John Muir and John Burroughs. Through his popular books, Simpson acquainted readers with a unique North American ecosystem. HisOrnamental Gardening, the first comprehensive guide to Florida's tropical plants, changed the way people landscaped their homes. He advocated the formation of a national park in the Everglades, encouraged the growth of Florida garden clubs, and wrote about his experience in the hurricane of 1926 in both personal and scientific terms.
Author Biography
Elizabeth Ogren Rothra compiled and edited a biography and anthology of the writings of Florida environmentalist John C. Gifford, On Preserving Tropical Florida, and has published freelance articles in magazines and newspapers. She has worked for Prentice-Hall Books and Radio Free Europe and was publicity director of the Chautauqua Institution in New York state. A resident of south Florida for more than twenty years, she now divides her time between Florida and southwestern New York state, where she is an active participant in the Jamestown Audubon Society.
