Yellowstone to Yukon: National Geographic Destinations Series [Paperback]

Douglas Chadwick (Author), Raymond Gehman (Photographer)

Book Description

Series: National Geographic Destinations | Publication Date: June 1, 2000

Crossroads of wild nature and a rapidly growing human presence, Yellowstone to Yukon -- Y2Y for short -- is both a biogeographical region and a conservation initiative. It encompasses nearly half a million square miles along the craggy Northern Rockies, most of it above 3,500 feet. Y2Y's limited lowlands provide prime winter range for numerous wildlife species -- as well as prime ranchland and prime building sites for vacation homes. Wildlife biologist and acclaimed author Douglas H. Chadwick takes you on a voyage of personal discovery as he chronicles the burgeoning threats that face this region -- and the promise embodied by Y2Y.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Yellowstone-to-Yukon corridor (Y2Y) encompasses nearly half a million square miles of the northern Rocky Mountains, housing 11 national parks and myriad wilderness areas, wildlife refuges, and forest reserves. But with resorts sprouting out of its valleys and housing developments creeping up the foothills, concerns have mounted over the welfare of the region's renowned wildlife and awe-inspiring landscape. The Y2Y Conservation Initiative, founded in the early 1990s, aims to uphold "this biogeographical region's unique beauty and natural diversity by finding ways for human activities to blossom without overwhelming nature and the overall quality of life."

The famed Craighead twins, wildlife biologists both, discovered in their years of studying Yellowstone's grizzlies that the bears typically wander up to a thousand square miles--meaning that even that huge park does not provide enough forage within its boundaries to ensure their survival in lean years. A Y2Y corridor of safe passage would offer animals like the grizzly ample room to roam, as well as clear migration routes to lessen the chance of extinction due to inbreeding. Already changes are taking place with such knowledge in mind, like the construction of animal bridges over major roadways. But the region's vastness also guarantees multiple private, public, and bureaucratic hoops to jump through in the conservation effort.

As a book, Yellowstone to Yukon is a thoughtful primer on the landscape and its wild denizens. Striking color pictures and maps accompany narrative text up to National Geographic's usual standards, guiding readers through 2,100 miles of the "most intact collections of wildlife in the world." --Jenny Burritt

From the Back Cover

Crossroads of wild nature and a rapidly growing human presence, Yellowstone to Yukon--Y2Y for short--is both a biogeographical region and a conservation initiative. It encompasses nearly half a million square miles along the craggy Northern Rockies, most of it above 3,500 feet. Y2Y's limited lowlands provide prime winter range for numerous wildlife species--as well as prime ranchland and prime building sites for vacation homes. Wildlife biologist and acclaimed author Douglas H. Chadwick takes you on a voyage of personal discovery as he chronicles the burgeoning threats that face the region--and the promise embodied by Y2Y.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792276906
• ISBN-13: 978-0792276906
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,395,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars America the Beautiful, July 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Yellowstone to Yukon: National Geographic Destinations Series (Paperback)

Rediscover what makes North America such a beautiful continent. The photographs are in typical National Geographic excellence, as is the writing. I had the pleasure of meeting Douglas Chadwick in person and having dinner with him one day. This is not just someone doing a writing assignment, but someone who is very passionate about nature and its beauty. A wonderful gift for anyone you know who hikes or even drives around the country. Explore the splendors that Mother Nature has created.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!! Now I have new vacation ideas, January 21, 2006

By 

S. J. Snyder "De gustibus non disputandum" (Various, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Yellowstone to Yukon (Hardcover)

I bought this at Yellowstone in the summer of 2005, in the opening legs of a vacation trip from Grand Teton to Banff. After reading the book, I already have ideas for a trip to northern British Columbia and the Yukon. The only thing that could top this would be a nice two-hour video.

But the book is about more than nature travel, although that alone would be a five-star effort. It's also about the preservation of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem on the U.S. side of the border, and similar land on the Canadian side. Chadwick details how the consciousness of ecosystems, especially for large animals such as grizzlies, has grown in recent years as we try to improve wildlife protection in the 21st century.

A must read to understand what natural history in this portion of the Rockies is all about.