By Rosetta S. Elkin

This second edition of Landscapes of Retreat explores climate adaptation through portraits of land left behind as settlement patterns shift with a changing climate. Here, “landscape” refers to the earth alive with creatures and organisms, while “retreat” suggests human patterns are fluid and adaptable. Featuring field studies from Nijinomatsubara Forest (Japan), Maule River (Chile), Niugtaq Village (Alaska), Langtang Park (Nepal), and Gaspésie Peninsula (Québec), the stories emphasize that valuing landscapes fosters community resilience. Cutting across history, fieldwork, and geography, Landscapes of Retreat rethinks “change” as a shared pathway toward adaptive, collaborative climate futures. Winner of the 2024 J.B. Jackson Book Award from the Landscape Studies Initiative at the University of Virginia.