Washington, D.C. — The recent solar eclipse illustrates the awe and wonder people experience from nature. In today’s highly digitized society, the great outdoors is one of the few authentic places where people can experience the world on their own to the benefit of their minds, bodies, and souls. Spending time outdoors can even foster empathy and environmental stewardship, as depicted in Mud Lake, the newest title from ELI Press.
Written and illustrated by former National Wetlands Award winner Sam Lovall, Mud Lake is a collection of short adventure stories about a group of young friends living in Haslett, Michigan, during the 1960s and 1970s. Throughout, the kids’ adventures are woven into stories about circular energy, wetland science, climate change, and social justice. The book outlines multiple strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change while providing an entertaining read for a variety of ages.
Unlike other books published by ELI Press, which are typically geared toward environmental attorneys and academia, Mud Lake was written for all ages with the hope that it will spark dialogue among people of different ages, backgrounds, and experiences about the issues that impact all of us, most notably, climate change.
“I fell right into Mud Lake, which sparked fond memories of my own outdoor adventures,” said LeRoy Harvey, the Environmental Programs Coordinator at Meridian Township, Michigan. “Beyond the stories of how young people are attracted to natural landscapes, the book evokes a universal appreciation for a healthy planet, weaving together our shared history and timely environmental themes in each chapter.”
Mud Lake is available in print ($19.95) and as an ebook ($14.96). For more information, including the table of contents and a link to purchase directly from the distributor, visit https://www.eli.org/eli-press-books/mud-lake.
About the Author
Sam Lovall (lead author and illustrator) has over 35 years of professional landscape architectural experience in design, construction, and grant writing for park, riverfront, trail, urban, and environmental planning projects, in addition to teaching Landscape Architecture classes at Michigan State University. He served as Project Manager for numerous riparian planning projects in southeast Michigan, including the development of master plans for the Rouge River Gateway, the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Gateway Site, and multiple habitat restoration projects in the Detroit River. In 2020, Sam received the Environmental Law Institute’s National Wetlands Award for Local Stewardship. Sam has always found Mud Lake to be a special place for enjoyment with family, close friends, or alone. Every visit was unique based on seasonal changes and slowly evolving environmental conditions. This interest in the natural world is what lured him into the study of landscape architecture.