While everyone knows about the South American Amazon, which covers a staggering 40% of the continent and crosses the borders of nine nations, few people know the term “American Amazon.”
While the latter is a colloquialism, it refers to the rich biodiversity found in the southeastern parts of the US, which photographer Mac Stone explores in his upcoming book, American Amazon: Ancient Forests and Living Waters of the Wild Southeastern US.
With this latest project, Stone furthers his explorations of ecological havens in this region of the country, including the Mississippi Delta, while also returning to the Florida Everglades, which he documented in his previous book, Everglades: America's Wetland.
The upcoming book not only highlights the beauty of these areas, teeming with photogenic flora and fauna, but also the need to protect them, as they are increasingly threatened by human encroachment, anthropogenic climate change, and invasive species.
More than 50% of the original Florida Everglades — a vast 1.5-million-acre subtropical wetland at the southern tip of the US has been drained for urban and agricultural development.
And the Mississippi Delta, a floodplain home to hundreds of species of birds and fish, continues to suffer the damaging impacts of petrochemical complexes built within its reaches.
Stone grew up exploring the springs, swamps, and hammocks of North Central Florida. Through his recognized photography and epxlorirtons with publications including National Geographic, he aims to tell the complex stories of wetlands and wilderness, along with the wildlife and people who rely upon them.
His new book, American Amazon: Ancient Forests and Living Waters of the Wild Southeastern US, is available for pre-order now from retailers. The book will be published on June 29 in the UK and August 25 in the US.
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