Exploring East End Waters: A Natural History and Paddling Guide

The most comprehensive guide to kayaking and canoeing on the East End of Long Island, Mike Bottini’s long-awaited Exploring East End Waters is based on his award-winning column in The Southampton Press. From the Peconic River to Block Island Sound Mike covers the extraordinary variety of East End paddling areas with a veteran’s eye for details and a professional sense of the natural history of the area. Consider the range of possibilities: fresh-water river and ponds, tidal creeks, salt-water ponds, bays, and estuaries, and—for the adventurous— sound and ocean. Where else will you find such a variety of paddling waters? No wonder the East End has been cited as “one of the last great places” by The Nature Conservancy.

Exploring East End Waters covers over 30 paddling trips, with detailed hand-drawn maps and "spotlight topics" for each trip, as well as photos and much more!

As a leading ecologist for The Group for the South Fork, Bottini has come to know these waters and their ecosystems intimately over the last seventeen years. Now he shares his knowledge with the rest of us. Author of the best-selling Trail Guide to the South Fork, Mike Bottini brings a unique naturalist’s perspective to this task. Exploring East End Waters not only provides the keys to an exhilarating set of more than 30 paddling trips—it is also infused with a savvy knowledge of the natural history of the area. It will open your eyes to the wonders of the complex ecology of the East End.

Mike Bottini is a veteran naturalist, outdoor educator, and environmental consultant. After completing graduate studies in wildlife ecology at the University of British Columbia, Mike worked for fourteen years at the Group for the South Fork, a non-profit environmental advocacy organization.

He has taught field ecology, environmental science, and natural history courses at St. Lawrence University, Southampton College, and CUNY, has published three books, and is an award-winning columnist.

Mike's wildlife research studies have included elk, spotted and tiger salamanders, spotted turtles, piping plovers, and river otters. He continues to introduce people to the outdoors through his field naturalist classes, nature walks, and paddling trips.

Mike also serves on the board of SPOKESPEOPLE of Eastern Long Island, a cycling advocacy organization working to create safer cycling conditions on the east end. For info, visit www.spokespeopleli.org He is also active in the Plum Island preservation project.

He is a founder of the Long Island Nature Organization. see LongIslandNature.org