Mountains and Marshes: Exploring the Bay Area's Natural History

by David Rains Wallace

Described as “a writer in the tradition of Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and other self-educated seers” by the San Francisco Chronicle , David Rains Wallace turns his attention to one of the most distinctive corners of the San Francisco Bay Area. Weaving a complex and engaging story of the Bay Area from personal, historical, and environmental threads, Wallace’s exploration of the natural world takes readers on a fascinating tour through the from Point Reyes National Park, where an abandoned campfire and an invasion of Douglas fir trees combusted into a dangerous wildfire, to Oakland’s Lake Merritt, a surprising site amid skyscrapers for some of the best local bird-watching; from the majestic Diablo Range near San Jose, where conservationists fight against land developers to preserve species like mountain lions and golden eagles, to the Golden Gate itself, the iconic bridge that—geologically speaking—leads not to gold but to serpentine. Each essay explores a different place throughout the four corners of the Bay Area, uncovering the flora and fauna that make each so extraordinary.

With a naturalist’s eye, a penchant for local history, and an obvious passion for the subject, Wallace’s new collection is among the first nature writing dedicated entirely to the Bay Area. Informative, engrossing, and exquisitely described, Mountains and Marshes affords unexpected yet familiar views of a beloved region that, even amidst centuries of growth and change, is as dynamic as it is timeless.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, History, Nature

224 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2015

About the author

David Rains Wallace is an author of geography and geology related books. His book, The Klamath Knot, was awarded the John Burroughs Medal in 1984.

Reviews

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need little to no special stimulus to make me want to go outside, but this collection REALLY made me want to explore and examine. I've been to Point Reyes twice since I began reading it. So many "nature books" are filled with heavy-handed prose, as if we wouldn't understand a landscape was beautiful unless it was literally described as such at every turn, but this one was was great -- much more reminiscent of John McPhee than John Muir (though I give Muir a pass because I like him so much.)

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful researcher, observer and writer. It's humbling to read pieces from the 1980s included here that describe ecological systems in ways that seem entirely up-to-date.

[emma]

a nice collection of articles. suffers from the same euro/colonial centric perspective that most nature writing does, but the writing is very relaxing and invokes a feeling of peace while describing the different organisms and locations. a nice introduction for me to the west coast!

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of essays about the nature of the Bay Area written between the 1970s and 2010s. It was not quite what I expected, but I enjoyed it and learned quite a bit.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every place he writes about, you want to go there and see the stuff he's describing.

[matteo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wallace writes about parts of the Bay Area I have mostly not been to but would love to experience. Some are further away than others, and hopefully I will be able to introduce my kid to the local environment and take advantage of it more than I have so far. Wallace's writing is engaging and interesting, considering how much science-y material he discusses.