The stories that follow are of real people and real investigations. The stories are true, with just a little embellishment to make them more readable to the public, but not by much. Names have been changed, but the persons behind them are very much a part of this history.

" The Grail Bird is an enjoyable read . . . A powerful call for conservation, and an exciting bird adventure" ( The Boston Globe).What is it about the ivory-billed woodpecker? Why does this ghost of the southern swamps arouse such an obsessive level of passion in its devotees, who range from respected researchers to the flakiest Loch Ness monster fanatics and Elvis chasers?Since the early twentieth century, scientists have been trying thei...

“Everyone who is interested in the ivory-billed woodpecker will want to read this book—from scientists who wish to examine the data from all the places Tanner explored to the average person who just wants to read a compelling story.”—Tim Gallagher, author of The Grail Bird: The Rediscovery of the Ivory-billed WoodpeckerIn 1935 naturalist James T. Tanner was a twenty-one-year-old graduate student when he saw his first ivory-billed woodpecker, one of America’s rarest birds, ...

Long thought extinct, the elusive Ivory-billed Woodpecker was finally officially declared so in 2021. But in 1999, the birding community was galvanized at the news of a sighting by a hunter in a Louisiana forest. A series of expeditions continued to search for the rare bird, and all seekers relied on this elegant treatise. Written by James Tanner as his doctoral thesis, it was published by the National Audubon Society in 1942, when a few of the species could still be found in the cypress a...

Understanding Esports: An Introduction to the Global Phenomenon places professional Esports, a rapidly growing industry, in both the cultural and athletic landscape. This book explores how the rise of professional gaming has shaped—and been shaped by—media trends, interpersonal communication, and what it means to be classified as an athlete. Ryan Rogers has assembled contributors from a variety of backgrounds and experiences in order to provide a broad view of the history, experie...

Today, universities serve as the economic engines and cultural centers of many U.S. cities, but how did this come to be? In Building the Ivory Tower, LaDale Winling traces the history of universities' relationship to the American city, illuminating how they embraced their role as urban developers throughout the twentieth century and what this legacy means for contemporary higher education and urban policy.In the twentieth century, the federal government funded growth and r...

Today, universities serve as the economic engines and cultural centers of many U.S. cities, but how did this come to be? In Building the Ivory Tower, LaDale Winling traces the history of universities' relationship to the American city, illuminating how they embraced their role as urban developers throughout the twentieth century and what this legacy means for contemporary higher education and urban policy.In the twentieth century, the federal government funded growth and r...

When a kayaker thought he spotted an ivory-billed woodpecker in 2004, the birding community took notice. Two birders traveled to the bayou where the sighting occurred, well aware that the last confirmed sighting of an ivory-bill had taken place over sixty years ago. Both men caught a glimpse of the bird, and a team began to search the surrounding swamplands. Even after long hours of surveillance and multiple sightings, the scientists cautiously refused to disclose their rediscovery of the ...

Who We Are Is Made is an audio-anthology of South Florida writers and their roots, a collection of histories that came together through an open call for submissions, through workshops, through mentorships, and sometimes through phoning a friend. We set out to explore how much of us is actually the gift, legacy, the influence of those from other generations. How do they shape the language we use to describe the world around us? We carry histories across continents and cultivate the...

This edited volume introduces a fresh approach to higher education that redefines traditional paradigms. It explores pressing concerns about the future of universities and education, addressing key issues such as transformative shifts stemming from an increased emphasis on vocational and specialised training at the expense of traditional liberal education, the relationship between university education and political dynamics and the pace of technological advancement and shift to online lear...