FIRST LIGHT:
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK AND MAINE’S MOUNT DESERT ISLAND
by Tom Blagden Jr. with Text by Charles R. Tyson Jr.
152 pp. Colorado:
Westcliffe Publishers. $60.
Commissioned by the Margaret Dorrance Strawbridge Foundations I & II

Reviewed by Burndett Andres

First Light is more than just another gorgeous picture book about Maine. The words of Charles R. Tyson Jr., who serves on the board of directors of Friends of Acadia, engage the mind just as surely as nature photographer Tom Blagden’s beautiful pictures woo the heart. Friends of Acadia president, W. Kent Olson, contributes the foreword, and the book was copublished by the organization.

As early as page three, the reader understands that First Light is a book with a mission. Simply stated, that mission is to rally the troops. That is, to educate the public that Acadia is one of the most visited parks in the National Park System (with upwards of three million visitors a year mostly between June and September) and that it is also one of the most underfunded of our national parks. The title derives from the fact that Cadillac Mountain, which forms the centerpiece of the island’s mountain range at 1,530 feet, is the highest point on the East Coast of the United States as well as the point “where dawn’s first rays reach our coastline.”

An interesting “Timeline of Human Activity on Mount Desert Island” is included, which tracks human intervention from 9,000 B.C. to the founding of Friends of Acadia by park volunteer Marianne Edwards in 1986. Both the foreword and the text that introduces each of the five chapters encourage responsible stewardship of the national treasure known as Acadia National Park, while the pictures provide persuasive evidence that we, the public, must join in this effort.

Chapter one, “Reflections,” deals with the fact that the inspirational and awe-inspiring landscape of Mount Desert and Acadia are being loved to death. Over the years, the rich and famous and the common man have joined in waxing poetic about the scenic wonders collected here. No matter where they may roam, Acadia calls to those who have known her, luring them back to “places for a man to find his soul, when he had lost it...Green, sleepy islands; little wooded coves, trees down to the water’s edge; high granite bluffs’ black bull-backed ledges where the surf washed over; water stretching away forever, blue, whitecapped, shining in the sun. That was the place that you were homesick for, even when you are there.” These words from High Clouds Soaring, Storms Driving Low: The Letters of Ruth Moore are accompanied by pictures of the flora, fauna, rocks, and streams of Mount Desert Island in a variety of seasons and appealing poses.

“Discovery,” chapter two, expands on the human history of the island, from the “summer people” of 11,000 years ago, “the region’s aboriginal natives who camped seasonally on the islands of Acadia and fished the offshore waters,” through the Wabanaki Nation, who preceded the white man, to the tens of thousands of cars that cross the bridge to the island on an average summer day in the twenty-first century. The concept of sustainability is explored along with the relationship between Friends of Acadia and Acadia National Park, local businesses and townships, and federal and state government entities—all motivated by the need to preserve and protect the park and its host island. More close-ups and panoramas punctuate the prose like exclamation marks.

Life in a tidal pool, life on land, and life in the sea are discussed in chapter three under the subject heading “Diversity.” The tremendous range of insects and birds and the unique mix of plants that call Acadia home add to the area’s appeal—and to the challenge of protecting a wide variety of micro and macrohabitats. This information is illustrated by a wide range of subjects from the lowly Rockweed at Low Tide to a glorious Sunset over Thomas Bay, from Bald Eagle, Somes Harbor to the artistic portrait Mussel Shell and Kelp Covered in a Veil of Frost.

“Perspectives” in chapter four suggests, “paradoxically, within the most obvious of Acadia’s problems, increasing visitation, lies a possible solution. Let People come. Let them introduce themselves to Acadia. Let them fall in love. Let them learn. They will care for Acadia. And they will take care not to dilute the experience for fellow visitors. It is not enough to intellectualize stewardship; deep down inside you must feel the need for it...” If the reader hasn’t already done so, the reader will “get it” when viewing the pictures of the storm-tossed surf or the sunrise along Ocean Path.

Finally, the concept of “Sanctuary” is explored in chapter five. The photographs of the massive Rock Formations Near Thunder Hole and the scenic vistas from Sargent Mountain, Ship Harbor, and Wonderland prove that a sense of sanctuary survives on Mount Desert Island, and will as long as those who love her are willing to contribute to her well-being.

Tyson sums up with the words, “Beyond the first light of understanding and appreciating nature’s physical and spiritual gifts is the recognition that we, as elements of creation, are connected to the sanctuaries of this world. They are not merely beautiful and life-sustaining places put on earth for our benefit. As the Wabanaki believe, we and they are part of each other. Think of them as mirrors of all that is good and beautiful and life-sustaining within us. When we preserve them, we preserve the best in ourselves."

“Thus Acadia’s future and ours depend on the choices all of us make today. We can choose beauty over ugliness. We can choose diversity over sameness. We can choose learning over ignorance. We can choose stewardship over exploitation. We can choose altruism over selfishness, generosity over greed, the future over the present."

"If words and pictures do not persuade you to make the right choices, experience and feelings will. Experience Acadia’s elemental pull on your soul...”

This book is the next best thing to being there and makes a handsome gift. Its purchase benefits Friends of Acadia (www.friendsofacadia.org), who use these royalties to help protect the natural beauty and ecological vitality portrayed so beautifully in First Light. 

 

5 1/2" x 5" 2008 Wolf Moon Calendar just $10.00 each
More Info

More Info

© Wolf Moon Press 2002-2008 all rights reserved.

Submission Guidelines