Book ‘Ecosystems of California’ wins California Book Award
The California Book Awards are among the oldest literary awards in the United States. Photo credit: Commonwealth Club of CA
Book ‘Ecosystems of California’ wins California Book Award
The book and its editors, Harold Mooney, professor of biology at Stanford University, and Erika Zavaleta, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, will be honored by the Commonwealth Club of California at a ceremony June 12.
Ecosystems of California, which debuted last year, has received the Gold Medal for Contribution to Publishing in the 86th Annual California Book Awards. The comprehensive reference guide, which includes contributions from over 150 different authors, is a deep dive into the functions, management, and diversity of each ecosystem in the Golden State. This adds to the PROSE Award for Excellence in Physical Sciences & Mathematics it received earlier this year and the Environmental Sciences award from the Association of American Publishers.
“It encompasses the total array of California’s natural wealth. It’s not just an ecology book or just a history book,” said co-editor Harold Mooney, the Paul S. Achilles Professor of Environmental Biology at Stanford.
The comprehensive reference and sourcebook stands at over 1,000 pages, but a recently released supplement designed for decision-makers shows snapshots of threats and responses for ecosystems detailed in the 40 chapters of this thorough overview of California’s natural resources.
“It’s about where we’ve come from and how things got to be the way they are,” said co-editor Erika Zavaleta, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at University of California Santa Cruz.
The California Book Awards are presented by the Commonwealth Club of California, a nonprofit educational organization and the nation’s oldest and largest public affairs forum. Since the awards inception in 1931, the Commonwealth Club has recognized over 600 authors and publishers in California for their important contributions to the literary art.
A ceremony will be held June 12 in San Francisco honoring Ecosystems of California and other California Book Awards winners. Visit the Commonwealth Club of California for ticket information.