Published on December 13, 2021 by Sean Flynt  
Saving the Wild South
Anthony Overton and Larry Davenport are featured in the new book

Samford University biology professors Larry Davenport and Anthony Overton are prominently featured in the new book Saving the Wild South. Author Georgann Eubanks takes a unique approach to documenting endangered native species, telling their stories alongside the biographies of those who are called to understand and preserve them.

The book’s chapter on the Shoals Spider Lily (Cahaba Lily) explores Davenport’s many years of work with the plant closely identified with the Birmingham area’s Cahaba River. Described as “the principal expert on the species,” Davenport tells Eubanks that there are only 70 stands of the species in the world.

Department chair Anthony Overton is included in the chapter as well. As a board member of the Cahaba River Society, he is among those working to protect and restore the watershed and encourage young people to understand and engage with it.

The book profiles a host of other plants and advocates in Alabama and throughout the region, and is essential reading for Samford biology alumni!

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.