National Archives Book Talk — Virtual Event

The National Archives Book Club presents a virtual chat with Jeffrey H Ryan, author of This Land Was Saved for You and Me, and Mark Madison, US Fish & Wildlife historian, to discuss the people and events that led to the creation of America’s parks, national forests, and wilderness areas.

Released in September 2022, This Land identifies and follows an arc of history from Frederick Law Olmsted’s youth and the creation of Central Park in 1858 to the passage of The Wilderness Act in 1964. Ryan’s research led to the realization that three distinct handoffs occurred during those hundred-plus years that were critical to shaping our current views of managing and protecting our federal lands

The talk will be presented live on YouTube April 19, 2023 at 1:00 ET. Click here to register for the event.

About Jeffrey H Ryan

Maine-based author, historian, and speaker Jeffrey Ryan is passionate about exploring the outdoors on foot and along the dusty paths of history. His travels on thousands of miles on America’s most famous and lesser-known trails and interest in the history of America’s conservation movement have inspired more than half a dozen books and speaking engagements in thirty-eight states (and counting). While not researching and writing, Ryan explores the backroads of the USA and Canada in his vintage 1985 VW camper.

About Mark Madison

Mark Madison is the Historian for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is in charge of the agency’s Heritage and Partnership Branch. Before joining the Service, he taught the History of Science at Harvard University and the University of Melbourne and spent three years in the Philippines as a Peace Corps volunteer.