A young girl’s encounter with an extraordinary caterpillar in the Great Smoky Mountains leads her and her family on a quest to plant a national park right in their own backyard. This environmentally themed chapter book for ages 6 through 11 introduces young readers to important ecological concepts including habitat loss and the interdependence of native species. It offers a compelling grassroots solution through native-plant gardening that invites anyone to take part in addressing the growing biodiversity crisis.

An educational back section includes material developed by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Discover Life in America, an organization which manages the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Also included is a “Word to Parents” from Doug Tallamy, father of the Homegrown National Park movement, which inspired the author Frances Figart to write this book. Tallamy is a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. His books include Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants and the New York Times bestseller Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard.
Paperback, 6″ x 9″, 68 pages.