the first place is pelican island, florida. these are 1902 surveys of pelican island, it was a dollip of land. and it was incredible pelican and other species' resting area. and these documents are talking about the bird life. and it's the first mapping that we have this of. these friends of roosevelt, and a man named frank chapman and others. and they got to t.r., that was a fellow birder, and said, we are going to lose the birds of florida if you don't do anything. and roosevelt looked into it, and famously said, if there is anything that will stop me, i will declare a pelican resort. and it was the first time that land was set aside for a species. for the first time you had such things as yellowstone. and there were signs saying no trespassing. and i had to come to florida to see this. and there is a statue in florida, paul craigleman grew up in germany, and it was bad luck to kill a n stork and he came to new york and chicago, and as a teenager arrived in florida across from pelican island. and he saw the people slaughterin

pelican island. it was the first time ever that land was set aside to be run and controlled by a species. before that, you had, like, a yellow stone, but it was for people. this was off-limits. there were signs. no trespassing. and so these types of documents are here. i could go to the island, look at the birds, talk to people. i had to come here to see documents like this. here's the man -- if you go down to sebastian, florida, there's a statue of him down in florida. his home is right there. paul craigle grew up in germany and he loved storks because you weren't allowed to kill storks when they're in your chimneys because it was bad luck to kill a stork in northern europe. the famous hans christian anderson folk tale about the storks and babies were brought by storks. he came over to the united states, first to new york, and then chicago. as a teenager, arrived down there in florida right across from pelican island where t.r. saved. he saw these people slaughtering the birds. paul craigle started

on the island there are many wiped off the coast, but on pelican island, pelican's would come. they would breed, and nest there. they would be in a cluster, but the military institute, women's fashion during the gilded age wanted to others for women's hats. they wanted and eager to whether or inherent 7. so people would come and gone them down. -- wanted and egret feather. we were losing species. florida was the last untamed place. in the swamps of the everglades and those places there were a lot of ex confederates on land, people that cannot stand the federal government with civil war memories. their view was if it's a bird, i'll suited, there's money to be had. roosevelt in 1903 and march on pelican island florida. these are serviced in 1902 of pelican island, d. there were incredible pelicans and other species. this kind of information, these documents are talking about the bird life. the first mapping we have of this part of wild florida. ornithologists that were friends of roosevelt, a man named frank chapman in particular i write about quite a lot, they eventually got to

c-span should go to pelican island sometime, because u.s. fish & wildlife has built this incredible boardwalk down there with each refuge gets like a plank and goes out with this incredible view. so if you're doing family vacations over the summer to florida, take the time to go to pelican island to this center there, because it's really worth it for kids. you're guaranteed to see a rare patch of wild florida. where are where -- >> where is it in florida? >> when i would stay there, i would stay in between st. augustine, if you like, and palm beach, on that atlantic coast. but also, ding darling, who roosevelt adopted for preservation. roosevelt also created the national forest in florida that links the atlantic to the gulf. if you look on map, you'll see the big green swatch of national forests. that's a heavy manatee area that he preserved also. >> i've been interviewing you for 15 years at a minimum. how do you remember all this? >> i love history. you know that, brian, about me. i just love it. i have a good memory, i guess, for things -

probably online or on the pelican island site. c-span should go to pelican island, because there is a board walk, and each refuge with a plank. and goes out with this view. if you do a family vacation in florida, go to pelican island, and this has a rare patch in florida. >> where is it in florida? >> when i stay there, i stay in vero beach, between st. augustine and palm beach. and dean darling, a young cartoonist that roosevelt adopted for conservation. and he was spectacular. and roosevelt created the national forest in florida that links the atlantic to the gulf. if you look on the map, you see a green swatch of national forest and that's an area he reserved. >> i have been interviewing you, and how do you know about all of this? >> i love history, and you know brian, i have micromemory. >> photographic? >> i don't know if it's that, but my enthusiasm is high, and i incorporate that. this opened my eyes and i wrote the book to the parks, and not thinking of the back story of how we got the system. we are looking for good news

we have a lot of those as well. >> the writing of all this, you talked about pelican island. do you still write longhand? >> mixed these days. i used to it all the time. when i do my first draft, really my first drafts are writing at the site. it's like going to a civil war scholar. like james mcpherson or somebody going to a civil war battlefields and taking notes if. >> are you left-handed? >> i am. obama is left-handed and clinton was as well. bush 41 was as well. >> what does it mean? >> we are a tribe. >> last question, who named to the book "wilderness warrior/" >> i did. my wife, i bounced the ideas off of. she may be the originator. i had a list of 10 of them. because roosevelt is seen as a warrior, a wonderful scholar named cooper, for roosevelt he liked to have fights about everything he believed in. he was very bullish. he was a warrior trying to save while america. so the title kind of came naturally. the subtitle has the word "crusade" in it because he was a crusader for this. to confront roosevelt on wanting to save the grand canyon or grandverdwind cave or mesa

>> boy, i started writing my pro log about four years ago on pelican island, florida, and about how he started saving wild florida -- >> that would have been in 2005? >> yeah, even before that. i started actually writing, but i have been collecting on this for my files and going to these places since the 1990's. >> so you wrote the prologue there on pelican island? >> i did. i visited with a guy that works for u.s. fish and wild life that took me on the boat. one of the neat things with u.s. efficient and wildlife, when i visit places, they were so excited that i was interested in that national wildlife refuge, they would take me to say -- i have people take me to watch sea turtles on the beach. i went at night with the great turtle expert and watch the turtles lay eggs on the beach. after they lay their eggs they move into the ocean. it felt like the birth of mankind. it was like biblical to watch these turtles interact. when i go there, i wasn't just looking at documents. i was trying to experience some of the wildlife that directly, or indirectly that roosevelt saved. there wouldn't

it is probably a minor when something with the pelican island site. c-span should go to pelaton island some time. u.s. fish and wildlife has built an incredible boardwalk down there with each refuge set up like a plant. it goes out with an incredible view. if you do in a family vacation over the summer in florida, take the time to go to pelaton island to the center there. because it's really worth it for kids. you're guaranteed to see a piece of wild florida. >> it's close to vero beach. i would stay in vero beach which is in between st. augustine and palm beach on the atlantic coast. also, the darling national wildlife refuge, he was a cartoonist, but the national wildlife refuge is spectacular. roosevelt created the national forest in florida that links the atlantic to the gulf. if you look on a map you will see the big green swath of natural forest. that is a heavy manatee area he preserved. >> i've been interviewing you 15 years. how do you remember all this? >> i love history. you know that about me. i have a good memory, i guess, for things when