November 28, 2017, El Portal, CA — Yosemite Conservancy has announced that its book, Big Walls, Swift Waters: Epic Stories from Yosemite Search and Rescue by Charles R. “Butch” Farabee, won a National Outdoor Book Award. The winners wereannounced in mid-November. The awards committee described the book as “a fascinating, insider’s view of rescue.”The National Outdoor Book Awards is an educational program that annually honors outstanding writing and publishing in the outdoor field. Awards are presented in 10 highly competitive categories; Big Walls, Swift Waters was the winner in the “Instructional” category. This year is the twentieth anniversary of the awards, which are among the most prestigious honors in outdoor writing and publishing.Yosemite Conservancy has been publishing books since the 1950s, initially as the Yosemite Natural History Association. Publishing Director Adonia Ripple said she was “thrilled” to get the news about this year’s winner. “Butch’s grasp of the history of search and rescue, his commitment to the safety of outdoor recreationists, and his long-standing support of Yosemite Search and Rescue is appreciated throughout the SAR community, and we are so pleased that this book received this honor.”Yosemite Conservancy’s publications inspire people to preserve and protect Yosemite National Park’s resources and enrich the visitor’s experience. Their authors are experts in their fields and the books aim to inspire the next generation of stewards of public lands.In his 34 years with the National Park Service, Charles R. “Butch” Farabee rose from protection ranger to superintendent and responded to more than 900 search and rescue missions. Ten years and 800 of those missions were in Yosemite National Park.Also this week, a Yosemite Conservancy children’s book, Where’s Rodney?, was named a Best Book of 2017 by Kirkus Reviews, one of the publishing industry’s leading review publications. Several of the publishing program’s books have received awards over the years in recognition for their contribution to outdoor literature and history and the stewardship of public lands.For more information, please visit Yosemite Conservancy’s website ( yosemiteconservancy.org ) and the National Outdoor Book Awards website ( noba-web.org Source: Yosemite Conservancy