Essex resident John Davis and local artists have produced a new book showcasing the ecological importance, conservation value, and natural beauty of Split Rock Wildway.

Split Rock Wildway: Scouting the Adirondack Park’s Most Diverse Wildlife Corridor examines the wooded hills and adjacent waterways that link Lake Champlain with the Adirondack High Peaks.

Davis’s perspective is complemented with illustrations and photographs contributed by Bill Amadon, Sheri Amsel, Larry Barns, Steven Kellogg, Roderick MacIver, Larry Master, and Kevin Raines.

John Davis lives with his family in the Split Rock Wildway, where he care-takes Hemlock Rock Wildlife Sanctuary. He is a volunteer land steward for the Eddy Foundation, which has secured and opened to the public about 3,000 acres in the eastern Adirondacks; a board member of Champlain Area Trails and The Rewilding Institute; and a co-founder of Wildlands Network.

Davis is the author of Big, Wild, and Connected: Scouting an Eastern Wildway from Florida to Quebec — about his 7,600-mile traverse of the proposed Eastern Wildway in 2011. His 5,000-mile traverse of the Rocky Mountains from Sonora, Mexico, to British Columbia, Canada, is featured in the film Born to Rewild.

Split Rock Wildway is published by Essex Editions. Copies will be available for sale at the Christmas in Essex event on Saturday, December 9th where Davis will be present for book signing. Books can also be purchased at Amazon. The book was underwritten by Eddy Foundation, and a portion of sales will benefit Champlain Area Trails, Northeast Wilderness Trust, and other conservation groups.