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A new book by Dr. Dave Nelson, a professor of history at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Bainbridge, will be unveiled to the public at 5 p.m. on Feb. 12 at a book release party hosted by the ABAC School of Arts and Sciences and the Department of History and Political Science.

“How the New Deal Built Florida Tourism: The Civilian Conservation Corps and State Parks” is the first full book Nelson has written. He has written chapters for other books as well as several academic articles. The reception will be held in Room 274 of the ABAC Bainbridge Arts and Sciences building on the ABAC Bainbridge campus.

The book focuses on the development of Florida’s state parks by the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was part of the New Deal that ultimately led to modern tourism. A former park ranger, Nelson said, “By looking at the development of the Florida Park Service, I was really looking at the start of modern Florida and the greater South. I also looked at the role parks and nature have played in our lives—a relationship that has become more urgent in our recent debates over the climate.”

Dr. Matthew Anderson, Dean of the ABAC School of Arts and Sciences, will speak at the book release event along with Dr. Joseph Njoroge, Chair of the Department of History and Political Science.

Dr. Russell Pryor, Associate Professor of History at ABAC, said attendees can order hardback copies of the book at a reduced cost of $40 through the University of Florida Press. For more information, interested persons can contact Pryor at rpryor@abac.edu.