That same year, a report published by Bruce Stein of NatureServe listed Alabama in fifth place among US states for biodiversity. What’s more, the state ranked number one in total species among the eastern states.

I soon designed a course for non-majors exploring this fact to introduce foundational concepts in ecology, conservation, and evolution. Of course, I needed to explain to my students WHY the state had so many species, and for that I turned to the scientific literature and the many experts working across the state.

I often lamented that there was no single text to celebrate Alabama’s impressive biodiversity status and explain why the state was such a biological marvel. So, in 2008 I used my first sabbatical to start writing the book Alabama needed. Three-and-a-half years later, I finished the draft, and after another eighteen months (in November 2013) the book was published by the University of Alabama Press.

It delights me that the book has been so well-received. It has even won several awards including the Southern Environmental Law Center’s 2014 Phil Reed Environmental Writing Award, and the Southeastern Library Association’s 2013 Overall Excellence: Hard Cover Award. But rewardingly, the book is getting into the hands of people that live in and visit the state, empowering them to be better stewards and advocates for the state’s precious biodiversity.

I have many people to thank for their help along the way. My family, and especially my wife, were extremely patient and supportive. The Nature Conservancy of Alabama partnered with the University of Alabama Press to finance the publication, and my dear friends Ann and Dan Forster donated the rest of what was needed. A grant from the World Wildlife Fund for Nature sponsored some of my expeditions within the state. Over thirty photographers shared the images that have drawn so many readers to the book. And finally, the staff at the UA Press transformed 97,600 words into the beautiful book that it became. I offer my eternal thanks to you all.