We are more than halfway through the 2026 Read New York Challenge! July’s book is A Force for Nature: Paul Schaefer’s Adirondack Coalitions by David Gibson. The book details the life and work of Adirondack Park advocate Paul Schaefer, with a particular focus on the way Schaefer built and maintained relationships between conservationists and other activist groups.
Published in spring of 2025, the book was received extremely well and covered widely upon release. A chapter of the book on Paul Schaefer’s life growing up and learning the importance of relationships and community was excerpted in the Adirondack Almanac. David Gibson spoke about the book, Paul Schaefer’s history of leadership and community building, the legacy of Adirondack Wild and the book itself on the Adirondack Talks podcast. The book was also named as a 2025 Foreword INDIES Finalist in the category of Ecology & Environment (Adult Nonfiction).
A column in the Albany Times Union highlighted Schaefer’s legacy and skill at connecting defenders of the wilderness, something that Gibson saw for himself both as one of Schaefer’s mentees and as he sorted through records for the book.
“Throughout his life, Schaefer knew that his mission to protect the Adirondacks and defend its constitutional protection depended upon harnessing the efforts of thousands across the state,” Gibson writes in the book. “He was the unequaled twentieth-century builder of coalitions to help protect and defend the Adirondack Wilderness.”
In a review from the Adirondack Council, writer Justin Levine praised the book’s biography of Schaefer and the legacy of collaboration that he fostered. He summarized the book, writing:
Thanks to Gibson’s comprehensive history and personal insights, we can all take both pride and inspiration from the work of Paul Schaefer. We can appreciate what he helped to protect and create, and we can see the value in building coalitions and partnerships to help the Adirondack Park. Schaefer never gave up in the face of formidable obstacles, and all who care about the Adirondacks can carry that legacy along now and into the future.
In The Adirondack Explorer, writer Philip Terrie praised the book, writing, “In the pantheon of New York environmentalists, Paul Schaefer was a giant. Gibson’s book is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of Adirondack conservation and environmental politics.”
In an interview with Bill Buell about the book, Gibson described his process, his history with Schaefer and his family and the response to the book.
“Schaefer’s work in New York directly inspired the drafting and passage of the National Wilderness Preservation Act of 1964,” said Gibson. “I hope the biography sheds light on these and many other contributions he made and inspires us all to carry on his work today.”