Blue Ridge Nature Journal: Reflections on the Appalachian Mountains in Essays and Art (Natural History)

Few regions of the continental U.S. can match the magnificent natural wonder of the Blue Ridge. Field naturalist and author George Ellison calls upon a lifetime of experience to illuminate the extraordinary natural history of the Blue Ridge through a series of masterfullly written essays. Featuring a collection of full-color artwork by renowned watercolorist Elizabeth Ellison.

George and Elizabeth Ellison live in the mountains of Western North Carolina adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Cherokee Indian Reservation.   Columns written by George appear in the Asheville Citizen-Times; Chinquapin: The Newsletter of the Southern Appalachian; and the Smoky Mountain News. He conducts annual natural and human history workshops for the North Carolina Arboretum, Native Plant Conference at Western Carolina University, Smoky Mountain Field School, and North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching.   Elizabeth has owned and operated Elizabeth Ellison Watercolors, a gallery-studio on the town square in Bryson City, North Carolina, since 1976. She has exhibited and sold her art widely throughout the United States. Utilizing both traditional and oriental techniques, she depicts the varied plants, animals, human inhabitants and landscapes of the Smokies region and beyond. She is the cover artist for Niche Gardens of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, an award-winning nursery, and was the real-life watercolorist for the character Alice in the movie Songcatcher filmed in Western North Carolina.