A Shadow and a Song

This wise and careful book is about two things. First, one small and engaging part of God’s creation, the dusky seaside sparrow. Second, our desire for ‘development,’ for vacation homes without mosquitoes, for ducks to hunt, and even for a trip to the moon. These desires overwhelmed the bird, which is now no more, but thanks to Mark Walters it leaves behind a powerful testimony.” -Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature The sparrow, like the spotted owl of the Pacific Northwest, was the victim-the innocent bystander-of an intense human struggle between those who advocate growth and jobs at any cost and those who insist that each life form that is endangered be protected. This is the story of how the Endangered Species Act failed a small songbird, the dusky seaside sparrow. The sparrow’s only habitat lay in the path of the Kennedy Space Center, not far from Disney World. Mark Walters’ moving narrative describes how the social and political forces of an era forced irr