Myrt Jones

Hanging by a Thread Myrt Jones

"Hanging by a Thread" introduces the reader to the Alabama Beach Mouse. It tells how Man's unchecked development within the coastal dunes and beaches along Alabama's Gulf Coast brought them dangerously close to the edge of extinction. People became involved and the mouse was placed on the Endangered Species List, which means they are now protected by law. The book also relates how the efforts of a few concerned citizens helped save and acquire thousands of acres of prime coastal habitat now known as the Bon Secour National Refuge, right before the bulldozers destroyed them. These lands greatly improve the Mouse's survival. I'll turn 90 on my next birthday and wrote this book to inspire and encourage others that it's never too late to become involved and help make a difference. This is a personal recounting of events involving individuals that lead to the Alabama Beach Mouse being saved. Every species we lose imperils our survival chances as extinction rates are now happening at an unprecedented pace. This book hopefully shows how some of us made the choice to stop the extinction of one particular little mammal, that is truly special.