Introducing
Dew to Dust: A Visual Meditation on Life in the Petaluma Wetlands
A New Photobook by Warren Agee
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Update: Now Available at Copperfield’s Books, Petaluma, CA
and Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA
The word WETLANDS conjures up images of a landscape inundated with water. But that’s not always the case. Wetlands, a term referring to a region that sits between the dry mainland and a body of water, can have areas that are alternately wet and dry. This is why you often see images of the Petaluma wetlands that appear parched, dry, and baking in the sun. Sometimes this is due to the rise and fall of the tides; but for the most part, the seasonal rains, which descend in winter and disappear come summertime, are the main cause for the wetlands’ dual nature. This is true at Shollenberger; some areas are truly “wet” throughout the year, while other areas dry out completely for months on end.
Excerpt from Dew To Dust
Our wetlands are ENDANGERED, and it behooves us all to pay attention when developers propose new hotels, retail centers, residential neighborhoods, etc., on land that is currently a wetlands habitat. Continuing the historical trend of encroaching on wetlands habitat will only result in greater flood damage during winter storms, reduced groundwater capacity which results in more severe conditions (like water rationing) during droughts, and ultimately hastens adverse climate change.
Excerpt from Dew To Dust
I am pleased to announce the publication of my first self-published book, Dew to Dust: A Visual Meditation on Life in the Petaluma Wetlands.
This 72 page softcover book contains color photographs of the Petaluma Wetlands, which consist of Shollenberger Park and Alman Marsh. This region is located in southeast Petaluma, CA and lies along the Petaluma River.
Having lived adjacent to wetlands in California for close to 20 years, I have had a front-seat view of how the seasons change in this diverse bioregion. I walk through Shollenberger Park and Alman Marsh practically every day and always marvel at the diversity of flora and fauna in all types of light and in all seasons.
I am also concerned about the growing risks of climate change on our wetlands, and became interested in what kind of role wetlands play in the larger ecological system of the San Francisco Bay area and our planet.
Did you know that wetlands ecosystems are just as biologically productive as are the rainforests? And yet in the Bay area, wetlands have diminished 90% during the last 150 years due to industrialization, commercial and residential development, and climate change. I talk about some of these issues in the book.
The wetlands are easy to take for granted since they are ubiquitous in our region, and they are not sexy. They don’t contain majestic mountain peaks, nor do they offer us crashing waves or tide pools. Yet the wetlands are an extremely important jewel that should be protected.
I hope that this book will inspire people to pay attention to our marshes and wetlands and not take them for granted. Spend a Saturday afternoon walking among the wild fennel and the bulrush. Marvel at the biological diversity inherent in the wetlands. Perhaps you may even be inspired to join one of the many efforts in the San Francisco Bay area to help clean up our marshes.
My intention is for this first edition of Dew to Dust to serve as a precursor to a much larger project, which I envision to be a more extensive hardcover book that will include much more information about the Petaluma Wetlands. I hope to interview local ecologists. I hope to provide maps of the various wetland regions, as well as photographs of the local wildlife.
This modest first edition was designed and edited completely by myself, and printed using a digital print-on-demand service. It serves as a training ground and fundraiser to help move the larger project along to the next level. I hope you’ll join me on this journey.
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Dew To Dust Flip-Through