Paddling the Wild Neches

Author: Richard M. Donovan
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press, 2006
Layout: Flexbound, 237 pages
Price: $19.95

Price does not include shipping.

East Texas native and conservationist Richard Donovan is determined to preserve the Neches River. His book takes readers on a journey down a two-hundred-mile stretch of the upper Neches, which flows through two national forests.

The book, developed from a journal Donovan kept during his pilgrimage to secure a National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Neches, chronicles the river's natural history, including its animal inhabitants, as well as the Neches' unique culture, from East Texas hunting traditions to stories of Native American Caddos who made their lives along the river.

Ken Kramer, Director of the Sierra Club's Lone Star Chapter, praises the book: "Paddling the Wild Neches is one of those great treasures that delivers far more than it promises.... It is not just about preserving a river; it's about preserving a history and a way of life."

Royalties earned from the sale of this book will be donated to The Conservation Fund for the protection of forestland along the Neches River.

Richard Donovan, a former employee of Temple-Inland, grew up hunting and fishing along the creeks and streams of the Neches. Today, he chairs the Forest Task Force of the Texas Committee on Natural Resources and lives in Lufkin, Texas.

Paddling the Wild Neches is is available at stores or direct from Texas A&M University Press. Call 1-800-826-8911 or visit their website to order.