The Central Appalachians

These photograph-laden, episodic essays outline the ecological stories and preservation needs of the Central Appalachians.



Beautiful and wild, the Central Appalachians of Maryland, Pennsylvania,
Virginia, and West Virginia are a hotspot for biodiversity.  They also
make up a large part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and are responsible
for a majority of its freshwater flow to the Chesapeake Bay. 



Award-winning author and nature photographer Mark Hendricks spent years
documenting life on the mountain trails and underneath Appalachian
waters and built camera traps to capture images of rarely seen species.
Not only are these images beautiful and fascinating, but they bring more
understanding of the environmental importance of the area. Between
seasonal portfolios are various essays, featuring



• stories of an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker,

• a biologist dedicated to saving fungus-plagued bats in winter caves,

• an ecologist who protects one of the most rare ecosystems in the region,

• a close encounter with a bobcat, and

• various encounters with
other rare and exciting species such as black bear, eastern hellbender and
other rare salamanders, and sparring elk.



Well-known locations such as Shenandoah National Park are featured
prominently, as are little-known areas such as the Finzel Swamp and the
famous reintroduced elk herd of north-central Pennsylvania.  It’s a wild
and wonderful journey for all nature lovers.