I moved to Carleton Place in 1967 and began grade ten at Carleton Place High School.

After leaving high school for university, I traveled within Canada (Toronto, Halifax, Guelph) and outside the country (England and the United States). I have recently returned from eight years in Louisiana where I worked on wetland restoration, taught at the University of Louisiana, and wrote.

Now I am back. Cathy and I live near Scotch Corners in the middle of the forest overlooking a beaver pond - and with a number of cats who escaped Hurricane Katrina.

The project with which you will be most familiar is Earth, Water, Fire: An Ecological Profile of Lanark County, which I self-published before heading to Louisiana in 1999. An updated version is available at most local book stores. This is a popular introduction to the natural environment of Lanark County. There are many maps and illustrations, as well as an overview of our most important natural areas. Examples of significant natural areas near Carleton Place include the Hackberry stand along the rapids, the Burnt Lands Alvar, and the wetland complex around Innisville. The book is intended for a general readership including students and tourists. The book is also available at the Visitor Center, Gift Shop and Arts Carleton Place Gallery in the old train station, and through the Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists.

I have written a number of other books dealing with wetlands and plant ecology aimed more at university students, naturalists, and biologists. These include Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation, and Plants and Vegetation: Origins, Processes, Consequences, both with Cambridge University Press. For more information on these and other books, you can visit my web site, www.drpaulkeddy.com.