Description

The fascinating untold story of Pehr Kalm, Finnish-Swedish scientist and explorer of North America, who was sent by his teacher, the famous Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus, to observe the continent and collect samples of the plants and animals of the New World. Kalm's journey provided critical data for Linnaeus's growing taxonomy. Kalm's expedition to the English and French colonies and through the wilderness of New York and southeastern Canada culminated in an astonishing trip to Niagara Falls in 1750, when Kalm became the first scientist to visit and study the falls. His ground-breaking report was published by Benjamin Franklin. This beautifully illustrated book will take you on Kalm's long and extraordinary journey, revealing the people, plants and animals he discovered along the way, enriched by passages from Kalm's own travel journal. The story of this pioneering visitor to North America is sure to give readers a new perspective on the history of Western New York and Southern Ontario.