On August 8, Temple University Press announced it would be releasing a new book-- Cradle Of Conservation - An Environmental History Of Pennsylvania by Allen Dieterich-Ward on September 20.

From the origins of “Penn’s Woods” to the controversial practice of fracking, Cradle of Conservation provides the first comprehensive study of Pennsylvania’s environmental history.

The story starts with forester Ralph Brock at the dawn of the conservation era and continues through the eras of energy production using coal, oil, natural gas, and other resources.

The book moves across time and place, from the Haudenosaunee people of the Susquehanna Valley, to the iron furnaces of nineteenth-century Pittsburgh, to the diesel trucks on the twentieth-century Pennsylvania Turnpike.

In addition, Dieterich-Ward explores the histories of Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River and the state’s anthracite region and traces the environmental movements and crises that have led to public policy changes in the face of climate change.

Allen Dieterich-Ward, a Professor of History and Director of The Graduate School at Shippensburg University, also investigates how the non-human world shapes the history of the Commonwealth and examines the impact of pollution.

Cradle of Conservation deepens our understanding of how Pennsylvanians have conserved and consumed.

Cindy Adams Dunn, Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, had this to say about the book--

“In this sweeping yet succinct account, Allen Dieterich-Ward brings to life Pennsylvania’s environmental history—from the birth of the conservation movement in the nineteenth century to the impacts of climate change we’re experiencing right now.

“This groundbreaking book is a crucial resource for anyone seeking to understand the people, places, and policies that have shaped—and continue to shape—​life in the Keystone State and beyond.”

For more information, visit Temple Press’ Cradle Of Conservation - An Environmental History Of Pennsylvania webpage.   Click Here for other book formats.

Visit the PA Conservation Heritage website to learn more about Pennsylvania’s conservation history. 

Watch another account of the state’s environmental history in Penn’s Woods - Cradle Of Conservation, a WITF documentary.

Resource Link:

-- We’ve Heard This Before: ‘We’re Providing Jobs - Stopping Pollution Threatens Jobs’ - A Brief Review Of Pennsylvania’s Conservation History [PaEN]

[Posted: August 8, 2024]

8/12/2024