William Temple Hornaday is one of the great figures in the world of natural science. As a very young man he was a famous explorer and collector of zoological specimens from the jungles of Venezuela, Borneo, and India. As chief taxidermist of the Smithsonian Institution he pioneered the art of mounting animals realistically and displaying them in natural settings. Almost single-handedly he preserved the American bison from total extinction. He was the first director of the Bronx Zoo, a post he held for thirty years. At a time when few people in America recognized the need to preserve our natural heritage, he led and advocated for the wildlife conservation movement.

This biography is filled with all the adventure and excitement that Hornaday found in his outdoor world, and is accompanied by projects that will allow you to follow in his footsteps as you learn about his trailblazing career path. The projects teach you how to observe the food habits, life cycles, social relationships and homebuilding skills of animals with inexpensive or easily made equipment.