Tom Earnhardt 
Crossroads of the Natural World 
Exploring North Carolina with Tom Earnhardt

In this richly illustrated love letter to the wild places and natural wonders of North Carolina, Tom Earnhardt, writer and host of UNC-TV’s
Exploring North Carolina and lifelong conservationist, seamlessly ties deep geological time and forgotten species from our distant past to the unparalleled biodiversity of today. With varied topography and a climate that is simultaneously subtropical, temperate, and subarctic, he shows that North Carolina is a meeting place for living things more commonly found far to the north and south. Highlighting the ways in which the state is a unique ecological crossroads, Earnhardt’s research, insightful writing, and stunning photography will both teach and inspire.


Crossroads of the Natural World invites readers to engage a variety of topics, including the impacts of invasive species, the importance of forested buffers along our rivers, the role of naturalists, and the challenges facing the state in a time of climate change and sea-level rise. By sharing his own journey of more than sixty years, Earnhardt entices North Carolinians of every age to explore the natural diversity of our state.

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Tom Earnhardt, a lawyer by profession, is a committed conservationist and environmentalist. He is also the writer, coproducer, and host of the popular television program Exploring North Carolina, which airs on UNC-TV.