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Author Locklear, James H., 1953- author.

Title In the country of the Kaw : a personal natural history of the American plains / James H. Locklear
Published Lawrence, Kansas : University Press of Kansas, [2024]

Copies

Description 1 online resource (xxii, 302 pages) : color illustrations, maps
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
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on May 14, 2024)
Subject Locklear, James H., 1953-
Natural history -- Kansas -- Kansas River Watershed
Watershed ecology -- Kansas -- Kansas River Watershed
NATURE / Ecosystems & Habitats / Plains & Prairies.
SCIENCE / Natural History.
Kansas River Watershed (Kan.) -- Environmental conditions
Kansas River Watershed (Kan.) -- Description and travel
Kansas River Valley (Kan.) -- Biography
Genre/Form Electronic books
Biographies.
Biographies.
Form Electronic book
LC no. 2023044343
ISBN 0700636439
9780700636433
Other Titles Personal natural history of the American plains