Traces of Eden: The Last of the American Wilderness

by Nishantha Gunawardena

Traces of Eden is one of the most stunning nature photo essays seen in years. It is an experience of the grandeur and the splendor of the American wilderness as captured by Nishantha Gunawardena during his three-year journey traversing the last remaining pristine wilderness areas in the United States. This books features over 120 breathtaking photographs, an evocative essay on conservation, and excerpts from the travel journal. Senator Sheila Kiscaden writes "these photographs inspire the viewer as they lovingly capture the beauty of our country. Nishantha's journey and these images cry out to us to open our own eyes to rejoice in the splendor of our country and preserve its vanishing natural spaces. The glories of nature revealed within this book stir the soul and call us to contemplation, reflection, and wonder. We are asked to consider all that is lost when we fail to be in harmony with and do not safeguard our environment." Chicago Tribune writes, "Traces of Eden is a simmering volume. Nishantha Gunawardena's photographs eloquently remind us of the Eden that greeted Meriwether Lewis and William Clark some two hundred years ago, but cautions us that if we do not embrace this gift with our minds as well as our hearts we are in danger of squandering it completely. ... The lush photographs are accompanied by Gunawardena's own anecdotes of adventurous travels to create the pictures, which put you in the shoes of a lone traveler awestruck by the humbling mountain ranges, verdant river valleys, foreboding deserts and diverse prairies that comprise this country. To look at these landscapes, these beautiful animals, is to wonder what we have given up, at what price and why. ... Nishantha Gunawardena is a witness for the defense of nature in all its forms. Traces of Eden showcases the beauty of America, and thereby gives us a challenge to preserve and expand the land that sustains us."

160 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2005

Reviews

[Ray Zimmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book caused me to develop a whole new appreciation for “coffee table books.” The large format allows for spectacular displays of the author’s photographs which are high art.