Publications: Paul Covel Books
Paul Covel collected stories about Lake Merritt for over 40 years, including many of his personal experiences with wildlife and colorful characters around the lake. From the origins as America’s first wildlife refuge (1870) to serving a bustling city, the lake has been focus of life in Oakland. Covel’s naturalist program also served as the area’s first wildlife rescue center, with stories about sharing his home with orphan fawns, raccoons, opossums, skunks, owls and countless nestlings over the years.
If you ever wondered what the life of a park naturalist was like in an urban setting, this book will quench your curiosity.
In over 50 years as a naturalist, Paul Covel had the opportunity to work with a number of pioneer naturalists throughout California. An avid biographer, Covel collected the stories of a number of these pioneers, eleven of which are presented here, including:
- William Penn Mott, Jr., visionary park leader that started in Oakland, and rose to be director of California State Parks and National Park Service.
- Laurel Reynolds, an amateur moviemaker, who’s film “Island in Time” about Pt. Reyes lead to designation as a National Seashore.
- Josh Barkin, a beloved naturalist with East Bay Regional Park District that inspired other interpreters across the country.
- Frank Stephens wrote the first volume on Mammals of California, and help launch the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Museum of Natural History.
Anyone seeking a greater sense of the heritage of interpretation in the West will find this volume invaluable.
