natural history

Everyone deals with loss in different ways.  TR, not prone to idle reflection, chose exploring an uncharted, untamed, Amazonian river after his resounding defeat for a third term as president.  The River of Doubt published in 2005 by local resident and author, Candice Millard, tells the story of Roosevelt's 1913 journey along the the river that now bears his name, The Rio Roosevelt.

This  adventure story is remarkable for numerous reasons. It reveals  the  unique personailities of the individuals  who led the expedition.  Additionally, Ms Millard vividly describes the lush terrain, elusive

On the beaches near Lyme Regis, England, young Mary Anning and middle-class spinster Elizabeth Philpot stepped into the early 19th-century world of fossil hunting, a time when fossils challenged established views of God’s creation but excited the scientific community. Mary endlessly searched for these curiosities, not only because she had the “eye” (a remarkable ability to find them), but to sell them to keep her family out of the poorhouse. Elizabeth searched for fossils as a hobby and for the “seductive thrill of finding unexpected treasure”. During their pursuits, Mary and Elizabeth became