Canadians and the Natural Environment to the Twenty-First Century provides an ideal foundation for undergraduates and general readers on the history of Canada's complex environmental issues. Through clear, easy-to-understand case studies, Neil Forkey integrates the ongoing interplay of humans and the natural world into national, continental, and global contexts.

Forkey's engaging survey addresses significant episodes from across the country over the past four hundred years: the classification of Canada's environments by its earliest inhabitants, the relationship between science and sentiment in the Victorian era, the shift towards conservation and preservation of resources in the early twentieth century, and the rise of environmentalism and issues involving First Nations at the end of the century. Canadians and the Natural Environment to the Twenty-First Century provides an accessible synthesis of the most important recent work in the field, making it a truly state-of-the-art contribution to Canadian environmental history.

Neil Forkey is Senior Lecturer in the Canadian Studies department at St. Lawrence University. He specializes in North American social and environmental history.

Neil S. Forkey's profile page

‘Forkey deserves credit for producing an engaging and jargon free text that will appeal to students and that instructors can use as a foundation for introductory environmental history courses.’

BC Studies, January 2013

‘For American and Canadian readers, Neil S. Forkey’s book will be a welcome synthesis of environmental history in Canada.’

Environmental History, vol 18: October 2013

‘Forkey concludes his thorough, masterly treatise with the hope that “our common future” will benefit from the evolving lessons learned from this dynamic interplay between humankind and nature. Excellent references. A superb and concise introduction to Canadian environment history. Essential. All levels/libraries.’

Choice Magazine; vol 50:05:2012

‘Canadians and the Natural Environment is a splendid book…  Forkey has written an excellent introductory textbook for undergraduates, and educated general readers.’

H-Canada February 21, 2013

‘For a quick and very readable overview of Canada’s complex history of environmental issues, Neil Forkey’s latest book is a good choice… A slender volume that combines an immense amount of data with straightforward storytelling.’

Canada's History, Aug-Sept 2013