Wild Ohio
The Best of Our Natural Heritage
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- $41.99
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- $41.99
Publisher Description
A photographic documentation of the most outstanding natural habitats in Ohio“We hope this book never becomes an epitaph for what once was. Ohio is incredibly rich in biodiversity, possibly more so than any other midwestern state… . We encourage you to visit these places and view the greatest natural resources that Ohio has to offer.”—from the PrefaceWhile Ohio has lost much of its presettlement landscape, many nearly pristine habitats remain. These relics are populated by a fascinating array of flora and fauna. Wild Ohio singles out the best of Ohio’s natural lands and documents their importance in words and photographs. Because the state has lost over 90 percent of its wetlands and over 99 percent of its original prairie, Wild Ohio focuses especially on rare and declining animals and plants with the intention of inspiring a love of nature and an interest in conservation.The authors feature approximately forty sites, encompassing nearly every type of habitat found in the state and representing all regions of Ohio. Naturalist Jim McCormac’s descriptive text provides an overview of each site and tips for visitors. Gary Meszaros’s stunning photographs highlight the visual beauty of each area’s flora, fauna, and landscape. Every section includes a description of the physiographic province and a map of the sites.A celebration of what still remains and a reminder of what has been lost, Wild Ohio will be appreciated by anyone with an interest in Ohio’s natural history and landscape.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
By turns bucolic and eerie, this engaging backwoods bildungsroman set in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom probes the mysteries of growing, as plants, people and situations twist inexorably in unpredictable, dangerous directions. Fanciful 16-year-old loner Jessup Burke dreams of earning the money to fix his broken-down car so he can drive to visit his true love, Emily, who's just moved to Massachusetts with her family. Twenty-nine-year-old ex-con Reg Cumber talks of racing on the NASCAR circuit, and through a bountiful marijuana crop, only part of which belongs to him, he thinks he may have a way to get closer to his dream--and settle some old scores in the bargain. Reg's younger sister, Marigold, is stuck in a dysfunctional marriage; her logger husband had an emasculating chainsaw accident and is suffering from psychic wounds more devastating than his physical injuries. Unseasoned Jessup soon finds himself willingly entangled in the Cumbers' world. In return for money and a promise to fix his car, Jessup goes to work for Reg, helping him bring in the harvest, and Reg teaches him to drive a stick-shift, drink beer, smoke pot and cigarettes. Both of them grew up fatherless, and this commonality bonds the two new friends even closer. Through Reg, Jessup discovers that what he has been told of his own father's death is a shameful lie. Marigold is immediately drawn to Jessup, and she becomes the source of an even greater discovery for him. But her husband is growing dangerous, and so is Reg's scheming. In this promising first novel, Rickstad mirrors the secrets and convolutions of his characters' lives in the snarled landscape and lush, clandestine pot farms. The likable Jessup holds the reader's sympathy and concern throughout the progressively more harrowing, absorbing tale. Author tour.