Naturalist Eustace Conway came to national attention as the subject of bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert’s book “the Last American Man.” However, he had been living life on his own terms long before that. In his young adulthood, Conway completed multiple journeys of discovery, including a 1,000-mile paddle of the Mississippi River, a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, a kayaking trip along the entire southern coast of Alaska and more than 5,000 miles spent backpacking across North America, Central America, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.

Often choosing to wear and use only items he has fashioned himself from natural materials he acquires in the woods, Conway created Turtle Island Preserve, a 1,000-acre wildlife preserve and environmental education center near Boone, North Carolina. He has educated untold numbers of people on simple living, natural conservation and related topics.

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