The book is a collection of 50 essays that have appeared throughout the years in publications including The Smoky Mountain News, Chinquapin: The Newsletter of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society and the Asheville Citizen-Times — including full-color illustrations by his wife, Elizabeth. It will be published in 2016 by The History Press.

In addition to readings from the book and displays of Elizabeth’s artwork, the program will include discussion about the nature essay and how it differs — and doesn’t — from a typical newspaper or magazine column, as well as the pervasive influence of databases such as Wikipedia on natural history writing. 

Ellison has three previous titles with History Press and has written introductions for reissues of titles such as Horace Kephart’s Our Southern Highlanders and James Mooney’s Myths of the Cherokees, among other titles. As a naturalist, he often conducts workshops and field trips through the wild places of the Southern Appalachians. 

Free. Sponsored by the Southern Appalachian Plant Society. sapsncga.blogspot.com