The Alaskan Boreal Interior describes the unusual forests of interior Alaska also called Taiga.  Rich in pictures, the book tries to communicate what is special about the interior section of Alaska, its forests and rivers.  Special attention is paid to the National Park in the ecoregion, Kobuk Valley.  

This book is the second of a planned series that documents the National Parks within an ecological framework. The book starts with detailed ecological descriptions of this zone and the three sub-regions that make it up.  These descriptions, accompanied by detailed maps, focus on the geology, geography, climate, vegetation, wildlife, and human activity found on the  Taiga. Then there is a brief overview of the history of the region paying particular attention to the pre-history of native settlement thousands of years ago.  Included also is a story, based on our travels, that recounts our roadtrip through the interior Highway system focusing on Fairbanks, Alaska’s second biggest city.  There is a detailed description of the only National Park we visited in the Taiga - Kobuk Valley.  The book ends on a more personal note with some reflections on the impact - Impressions - of the Alaskan Taiga on the author.  The concluding sections include resources to help others in planning their own trips to the region.

It is a curious mix of history, sociology, geography, ecology, and travel stories all meant to communicate the complexity and beauty of this unique region.  Most important, though, are the pictures, taken on our travels which convey, much better than the words, why you would want to visit this unusual part of the country.  You will search far and wide for a more comprehensive overview of this region or a more compelling reason to go there.

MisterParks (Michael Young) is a retired professional with a keen interest in ecology and the National Parks. With a bucket list of more than 220 National Parks, he and his wife are traveling the country seeing the parks and the surrounding countryside. The MisterParks Travels series tries to describe the National Park units within an ecological context. With stunning photographs and personal stories MisterParks tries to tell the stories of these parks in a way that will make everyone want to visit them.