The Fabulous Ordinary: Discovering the Natural Wonders of the Wild South

by Georgann Eubanks

Overview

Georgann Eubanks offers readers a tour of the seasonal joys of ecosystems in the Southeast. The ordinary destinations and events she explores are scattered across seven states and include such wonders as a half-million purple martins roosting on an island in a South Carolina lake, the bloom of thirty acres of dimpled trout lilies in a remote Georgia forest, gnat larvae that glow like stars on the rock walls of an obscure Alabama canyon, and the overnight accumulation of elaborately patterned moths on the side of a North Carolina mountain cabin.

These phenomena and others reveal how plants, mammals, amphibians, and insects are managing to persevere despite pressures from human invasion, habitat destruction, and climate change. Their stories also shine a light on the efforts of dedicated scientists, volunteers, and aspiring young naturalists who are working to reverse losses and preserve the fabulous ordinary that’s still alive in the fields, forests, rivers, and coastal estuaries of this essential and biodiverse region.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781469683829
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	04/01/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	264
File size:	25 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Georgann Eubanks is a writer, Emmy-winning documentarian, and founder of the Table Rock Writers Workshop, held annually in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She is the author of several books, including Saving the Wild South: The Fight for Native Plants on the Brink of Extinction.

Georgann Eubanks is a writer, teacher, and consultant to nonprofit groups across the country. She is director of the Table Rock Writers Workshop, was a founder of the North Carolina Writers' Network, and is past chair of the North Carolina Humanities Council. She lives in Carrboro, NC.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“The Fabulous Ordinary encourages parents and children to appreciate, observe, and do what they can to preserve the natural world. Eubanks provides numerous examples, weaving her own experiences being guided and interviewing experts. The sites described are accessible to anyone who has interest, curiosity, passion, and adaptability. An absolute delight.”—Gail Fishman, author of Journeys through Paradise: Pioneering Naturalists in the Southeast

“An engaging and enlightening tour of the US South’s flora and fauna. Many of the region’s most interesting natural phenomena are fleeting, so it is especially important to have a guidebook to show us where and when to look for them. And Eubanks is the perfect tour guide, offering unforgettable and fascinating stories—everything vividly comes to life through her pen. She succeeds, in other words, in making the ordinary fabulous as we encounter everything from glowworms to toads to martins.”—Zackary Vernon, author of Our Bodies Electric

Editorial Reviews

“This fascinating, thoughtful, immersive journey will be savored by readers who enjoy reading natural history essays and learning about the wonders of nature that can still be found in the southeastern US.”—Library Journal

“One of Eubanks’ great skills is writing about things that might seem simple or ordinary but are too important not to explain and celebrate. . . . With the help of her photographer, Donna Campbell, she takes you there by describing important sights along the way as she introduces people who care about [these The Fabulous Ordinary] places.”—DG Martin, ChapelBoro

“The Fabulous Ordinary encourages parents and children to appreciate, observe, and do what they can to preserve the natural world. Eubanks provides numerous examples, weaving her own experiences being guided and interviewing experts. The sites described are accessible to anyone who has interest, curiosity, passion, and adaptability. An absolute delight.”—Gail Fishman, author of Journeys through Paradise: Pioneering Naturalists in the Southeast

“An engaging and enlightening tour of the US South’s flora and fauna. Many of the region’s most interesting natural phenomena are fleeting, so it is especially important to have a guidebook to show us where and when to look for them. And Eubanks is the perfect tour guide, offering unforgettable and fascinating stories—everything vividly comes to life through her pen. She succeeds, in other words, in making the ordinary fabulous as we encounter everything from glowworms to toads to martins.”—Zackary Vernon, author of Our Bodies Electric

From the Publisher