While the National Park system in North America has been around for a long time and been one of the great success stories of America, there are flaws that are becoming more apparent as continued climate change affects those environmental islands. But perhaps the most ambitious conservation effort ever undertaken looks to solve the biodiversity challenges and link the natural movements of nature all along the spine of the continent.

MaryEllen Hannibal has managed to do something that is not easily accomplished – she has made environmental scientists seem interesting. Ok, maybe not interesting – quirky might be more correct. Either way, The Spine of the Continent brings to light a conservation effort that is not well known and even less understood. Focusing on the migration routes of species along the Rocky Mountains stretching from Mexico to the upper reaches of Canada, this effort has everything from top scientific minds to grassroots local citizens groups working towards a solution to the complex problem of linking the island structure of nature preserves throughout the continent.

However, Hannibal’s greatest strength in The Spine of the Continent is also the book’s greatest weakness. In the process of making the scientists and their stories interesting, the focus of the actual environmental issues seemed like a rudderless ship. Maybe it was the writing style or perhaps it was the structure, but I often found I had to wade through too much superfluous storytelling in order to get to a nugget of interesting science. And while the premise of this unique conservation effort should have been fascinating, I never felt like this book misses the opportunity to motivate people who aren’t already motivated.

All in all, The Spine of the Continent sheds light on the potential evolution of the national park system. While interesting, it just fails to reach its potential by getting to the heart of the matter. There are just too many distractions and little narrative flow to make it move the reader. While interesting for those with a tie to the environmental movement, it just isn’t powerful enough to attract a mainstream audience. ( )