Seeking the American Tropics

“An enlightening journey through the geological, botanical, and zoological discoveries made by the iconic naturalists who over centuries have helped shape our knowledge of South Florida’s unique and diverse natural history.”—Ron Magill, communications director, Zoo Miami

“Kushlan tells of the people who were compelled to decipher and name the tropical flora even while experiencing the difficulties of navigating landscapes so vastly different from the upper reaches of the state. He also shows that the Florida they explored is not the Florida of today. This book should be read for the sad realization of what Florida has lost but, more importantly, for the hope offered by correcting past errors.”—Gail Fishman, author of Journeys Through Paradise: Pioneering Naturalists in the Southeast

“Kushlan tells of the people who were compelled to decipher and name the tropical flora even while experiencing the difficulties of navigating landscapes so vastly different from the upper reaches of the state. He also shows that the Florida they explored is not the Florida of today. This book should be read for the sad realization of what Florida has lost but, more importantly, for the hope offered by correcting past errors.”—Gail Fishman, author of Journeys Through Paradise: Pioneering Naturalists in the Southeast

“A sweeping historical narrative of Florida’s broad array of physical features along with those people who sought to understand, tame, chronicle, paint, alter, or even preserve them. Covering the five centuries following the Spanish entrada, Seeking the American Tropics will become standard reading for anyone interested in the natural environment of Florida.”—Paul S. George, author of Along the Miami River

“A fascinating overview and a major addition to our knowledge of the early scientific explorers of the Keys and Everglades areas.”—Edward J. Petuch, coauthor of The Geology of the Everglades and Adjacent Areas