| Description |
xxii, 302 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : color illustrations, maps ; 24 cm |
|
text txt rdacontent |
|
unmediated n rdamedia |
|
volume nc rdacarrier |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Contents |
Headlands -- Heartland -- Scarplands -- Tree folk -- Setting sail on the star-grass sea -- A Kaw florilegium -- The days of Manure River -- O Elkader! -- Bird sketches -- Surprised by Shorbs -- The waters of Mother Kaw -- Beautiful contrivances -- The hard places -- Paradise undone -- Community ecologies -- The Showalter lilac -- Lithophilia -- The greatest day in the history of Beeler -- Rock towns -- Stickers. |
| Summary |
"The subject of this book is the region encompassed within the watershed of the Kansas River, known informally and fondly as the Kaw. This region includes parts of Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado. In In the Country of the Kaw, James H. Locklear describes the natural and environmental history of this region, from the High Plains of Colorado to the Kansas City metropolitan area. The natural history component deals with geology, physiography, natural communities (woodlands, grasslands, aquatic), wildlife past and present, and unique ecological interactions between plants and animals. The environmental history component examines how human cultures have interacted with the environment. The content is derived from decades of Locklear's sustained personal observation and travels throughout the region, his professional work as a botanist, thorough examination of relevant scholarly literature (ecology, archaeology, history, etc.), and familiarity with regional literary works. While descriptive, it is aimed at a general audience and the voice and tone of Locklear's writing is personal and the information presented is grounded as much as possible in direct observation and experience"-- Provided by publisher. |
|
"Gathering its waters from the plains of Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska, the Kaw is truly America's prairie river; the only one to arise entirely on the Great Plains and traverse all three major grasslands-shortgrass, mixed-grass, and tallgrass prairies. James Locklear's In the Country of the Kaw is a joyous exploration of the realm of the Kaw River, which stretches from the High Plains of Colorado to the Kansas City metropolitan area.The book's first section profiles geology, landforms, and the region's woodlands and grasslands. The second explores the rich biological diversity associated with the land and its inhabitants' remarkable adaptations to the environment and each other. The final section is a collection of stories of human interaction with the landscape, how nature has shaped culture and culture nature. Locklear finds "astonishments" at every turn. In the Country of the Kaw is also a call to seek the flourishing of the natural and human communities of the region. Locklear describes staggering, human-wrought environmental degradations, but also finds great hope in the resilience of Nature and the inspiring work of conservation, preservation, restoration, and renewal being accomplished by individuals and organizations throughout the region. Locklear's relationship with the country of the Kaw stretches from his childhood in Kansas City in the 1960s to his current professional life as a botanist working in the Great Plains. A half century of rambling and rooting around in this region has given him a deep awe and affection for its uniqueness and goodness, which he conveys to the reader on every page"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Subject |
Locklear, James H., 1953-
|
|
Natural history -- Kansas -- Kansas River Watershed.
|
|
Watershed ecology -- Kansas -- Kansas River Watershed.
|
|
Kansas River Watershed (Kan.) -- Environmental conditions.
|
|
Kansas River Watershed (Kan.) -- Description and travel.
|
|
Kansas River Valley (Kan.) -- Biography.
|
| ISBN |
9780700636419 hardcover |
|
0700636412 hardcover |
|
