For centuries before the arrival of European settlers, the Chesapeake Bay's natural bounty and pristine beauty were self-sustaining. Today, after three centuries of human use and abuse, almost everyone agrees that the Bay is fragile and its future uncertain. As scientists work to understand the environmental threats and policy makers respond with new regulations, ordinary people are increasingly doing their part to ensure a healthier future for the Chesapeake. Saving the Bay gathers dozens of these stories and brings them forward as examples of how broadly the coalition to protect the Bay has grown and succeeded. Through engaging photographs by Richard A.K. Dorbin and moving first-person accounts compiled by Ann E. Dorbin, this book celebrates a new chapter in the history of the Bay, one in which people in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Delaware, West Virginia, and New York work hand in hand to shape the future of a beloved resource. From Americorps volunteer Julie Benintendi's work with shoreline restoration to Mike Ogburn's efforts to build a non-polluting electric car, from the mountainous outer reaches of the watershed to the mouth of the Bay, the people working for the Chesapeake are as diverse and dynamic as the resource itself. Here are teachers, engineers, writers, farmers, parents, and naturalists working with grit and imagination. Saving the Bay demonstrates how these unprecedented efforts throughout the Chesapeake Bay region are making a real difference toward creating a better future. "By bringing these stories to the forefront, we hope to educate readers, show that individual actions are critical, and accentuate positive rather than negativehuman impacts on the environment. Just as the wonder of the Bay is not reserved for experts or old-timers, neither is the work that lies ahead. Therein lies the premise of this project--that behind the reports and controversy over the human-induced decline of the Bay's health and the path of its future, are many people doing their part, in different and necessary ways, for the future of the watershed." -- from Saving the Bay

During Orange County's population boom in the early 1960s, the Robinson family moved to Newport Beach. A short walk from their home was Upper Newport Bay, where they and their neighbors could play on North Star Beach, water ski on the bay's calm water, or dig in the shallow mudflats for fresh clams for dinner. But land developers and local government officials had a different use for the open space in mind—build a private harbor much like the bustling lower Newport Bay and Balboa Island. In 1963, 14-year-old Jay Robinson rode his bike down to North Star Beach and found a newly erected “private property” sign. His parents, Frank and Frances Robinson, would soon find themselves embroiled in one of the most important ecological battles in California, with friends, neighbors, newspapers, the government, and the courts all taking sides. Saving Upper Newport Bay is the story of two ordinary people's life-changing journey, which ultimately impacted the history and ecology of southern California. This book was produced on the 50th anniversary of The Newport Bay Conservancy, which focuses exclusively on the conservation and restoration of Upper Newport Bay. Included are full color photos depicting the history of the bay.

In 1991, Island Press published Turning the Tide, a unique and accessible examination of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. The book took an indepth look at the Bay’s vital signs to gauge the overall health of its entire ecosystem and to assess what had been done and what remained to be done to clean up the Bay. This new edition of Turning the Tide addresses new developments of the past decade and examines the factors that will have the most significant effects on the health of the Bay in the coming years.With new case studies and updated maps, charts, and graphs, the book builds on the analytical power of ten years of experience to offer a new perspective, along with clear, science-based recommendations for the future. For all those who want to know not only how much must be done to save the Bay but what they can do and how they can make a difference, Turning the Tide is an essential source of information.

"Hard as it is to believe, one of the most significant stories of the post-9/11 age is also one of the least known-life at Gitmo, the detention facility for many of the world's worst terrorists. Few individuals are more qualified to tell this story than Montgomery Granger, a citizen soldier, family man, dedicated educator, and Army Reserve medical officer involved in one of the most intriguing military missions of our time. Saving Grace at Guantanamo Bay is about that historic experience, and it relates not only what it was like for Granger to live and work at Gitmo, but about the sacrifices made by him and his fellow Reservists serving around the world." Andrew Carroll, editor of the New York Times bestsellers War Letters and Behind the Lines Saving Grace at Guantanamo Bay, or "Gitmo: The Real Story," is a "good history of medical, security, and intelligence aspects of Gitmo; also, it will be valuable for anyone assigned to a Gitmo-like facility." Jason Wetzel, Field Historian, Office of Army Reserve History U.S. Army Reserve Captain Montgomery Granger found himself the ranking Army Medical Department officer in a joint military operation like no other before it - taking care of terrorists and murderers just months after the horrors of September 11, 2001. Granger and his fellow Reservists end up running the Joint Detainee Operations Group (JDOG) at Guantanamo Bay's infamous Camp X-Ray. In this moving memoir, Granger writes about his feelings of guilt, leaving his family and job back home, while in Guantanamo, he faces a myriad of torturous emotions and self-doubt, at once hating the inmates he is nonetheless duty bound to care for and protect. Through long distance love, and much heartache, Granger finds a way to keep his sanity and dignity. Saving Grace at Guantanamo Bay is his story.

Once hunted by whalers and now the darling of ecotourists, the gray whale has become part of the culture, history, politics, and geography of Mexico's most isolated region. After the harvesting of gray whales was banned by international law in 1946, their populations rebounded; but while they are no longer hunted for their oil, these creatures are now chased up and down the lagoons of southern Baja California by whalewatchers. This book uses the biology and politics associated with gray whales in Mexican waters to present an unusual case study in conservation and politics. It provides an inside look at how gray whale conservation decisions are made in Mexico City and examines how those policies and programs are carried out in the calving grounds of San Ignacio Lagoon and Magdalena Bay, where catering to ecotourists is now an integral part of the local economy. More than a study of conservation politics, Dedina's book puts a human face on wildlife conservation. The author lived for two years with residents of Baja communities to understand their attitudes about wildlife conservation and Mexican politics, and he accompanied many in daily activities to show the extent to which the local economy depends on whalewatching. "It is ironic," observes Dedina, "that residents of some of the most isolated fishing villages in North America are helping to redefine our relationship with wild animals. Americans and Europeans brought the gray whale population to the brink of extinction. The inhabitants of San Ignacio Lagoon and Magdalena Bay are helping us to celebrate the whales' survival." By showing us how these animals have helped shape the lifeways of the people with whom they share the lagoons, Saving the Gray Whale demonstrates that gray whales represent both a destructive past and a future with hope.

Millions of dollars, endless prayers, and several miracles were needed to save her life. She did not understand medical reports, or the odds of living. She has not been on this earth long enough to grasp the idea of fighting with all her strength. Fate placed her father in a position to raise the millions needed for medical expenses. The community of Boca Grande pulled their resources together with unselfish love to save a child's life.