A Force for Nature: Paul Schaefer’s Adirondack Coalitions with David Gibson

Join us for an evening of Adirondack history focusing on the legacy of activist and writer Paul Schaefer, presented by author and managing partner of Adirondack Wild, David Gibson.

A staunch advocate for the Adirondack Park, Paul Schaefer (1908–1996) deeply influenced conservation policy in New York State. His work and writing inspired countless conservationists, and his tireless efforts helped pave the way for protection of “forever wild” forests in the Wilderness Act of 1964. Until his death in 1996, Schaefer continued to strive to instill the same care for the Adirondacks in the next generation.

The new book, A Force for Nature: Paul Schaefer’s Adirondack Coalitions, is a testament to that lifetime of advocacy, community, and life in the Adirondacks. David Gibson, who was mentored by Schaefer, traces the impact of a man who helped ensure the continued integrity of the largest protected parkland in the contiguous United States. Drawing on Schaefer’s own writings, as well as interviews and family narratives, Gibson paints a vivid and comprehensive portrait of the icon and the Adirondack Park that serves as his legacy. A Force for Nature sheds light on the storied life of a dedicated conservationist and examines how environmental devotion has contributed to the Adirondacks remaining forever wild and protected for future generations to love.

David Gibson is the current managing partner of Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve and the former executive director of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks.

This event is co-sponsored by the Warren County Historical Society and the Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library.

Thanks for major funding support to the Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library from the New York State Council on the Arts.