Whether on their own or as tour leaders for the Smithsonian Institution and other organizations, John and Gloria Tveten have encountered the world's wildlife with an unfailing appreciation not only for animals of all kinds but also for the places those animals call home.
In Adventures Afar, a compilation of selected ÒNature TrailsÓ columns from the Houston Chronicle, they describe their journeys to exotic destinations such as the Arctic, Central and South America, and Caribbean islands. In this new book, with contemporary notes and updates, the Tvetens have gathered a sampling of their favorite, most recommended, most unforgettable trips to see wildlife and nature, which include the Guatemalan Highlands, the International Crane Foundation, the Andes, the Grand Canyon, and Utah's Redrock Country. The Tvetens tell of characters such as Òthe Bird Lady of JamaicaÓ and animals ranging from Polar bears to humpback whales to the Resplendent quetzal that made each trip unique.

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East Texas native and conservationist Richard Donovan is determined to preserve the Neches River for future generations to enjoy. In Paddling the Wild Neches, he takes readers canoeing down a two-hundred-mile stretch, which flows through two national forests, of the upper Neches. A journal he kept while canoeing on the river from Lake Palestine to Lake B. A. Steinhagen is the basis for this book. It tells the river's story and aims to help educate the public about its outstanding qualities in hopes that ultimately, a 235-mile stretch of the river will be designated as a national Scenic River.
Donovan chronicles the river's natural history, describing the animal inhabitants and the recreational potential it holds for paddlers and others. He also delves into its cultural history, recounting stories of Native American Caddos and Anglo pioneers that made their lives along the river, of East Texas hunting traditions, and of the ways people have put the river to use. He makes a case for the Neches to be designated by Congress as a National Wild and Scenic River, calling readers to action to help preserve this natural treasure. Larry McKinney, Senior Director of Aquatic Resources for Texas Parks and Wildlife, says, ÒRichard Donovan's Paddling the Wild Neches does for the river and East Texas what John Graves' book, Goodbye to a River, did for the Brazos River and West Texas.Ó
Ken Kramer, Director of the Sierra Club's Lone Star Chapter, also praises Donovan's book, saying it "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.Ó
Royalties earned from the sale of this book will be donated to the conservation fund for the purchase of Neches River bottomland.

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