Napa Valley Historical Ecology Atlas

How has California's landscape changed? What did now-familiar places look like during prior centuries? What can the past teach us about designing future landscapes? The Napa Valley Historical Ecology Atlasexplores these timely questions by taking readers on a dazzling visual tour of the rich and diverse Napa Valley from the early 1800s onward--a forgotten land of brilliant wildflower fields, lush wetlands, and grand oak savannas. Synthesizing natural science and history, Robin Grossinger weaves together rarely-seen historical maps, travelers accounts, photographs, and paintings to reconstruct early Napa Valley and document its physical transformation over the past two centuries. The Atlasprovides a fascinating new perspective on this iconic landscape, showing the natural heritage that enabled the agricultural success of the region and the hidden remnants that persist today. The innovative research of Grossinger and his historical ecology team allows us to visualize the past in unprecedented detail, improving our understanding of the living landscapes we inhabit and suggesting strategies to increase their health and resilience in the future.