The Last Prairie: A Sandhills Journal

by Jones, Stephen R.

• ISBN13: 9780071353472
• ISBN10: 007135347X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-05-23
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press

Summary

It is an area that has captivated and inspired travelers, philosophers, and artists for centuries. Long celebrated as one of the most visually stunning regions of the American landscape, it is also one of the most historically significant. And now, this vast, 25,000-square-mile expanse known as the Nebraska Sandhills is brought to life with passion, perspective, and ecological timeliness in an unforgettable collection by Stephen Jones.The Last Prairieis an extraordinary triumph of the essayist's art. By turns graceful and penetrating, introspective and universal, ruminative and prescient, the 20 essays inThe Last Prairieembodies the essence of Sandhills life. Jones delivers a series of riveting accounts of the Sandhills, flora and fauna, wildlife, and rich cultural history. Fascinating descriptions of bald eagles, trumpeter swans, and the annual migratory flight of a half-million sandhill cranes stand alongside equally vivid accounts of trailblazing homesteaders, range wars, and devastating prairie fires. Jones speaks eloquently to such timeless themes as humanity's search for community and the ties that bind man and nature.

Author Biography

Stephen R. Jones is the coauthor of Colorado Nature Almanac, Boulder County Nature Almanac, and The Shortgrass Prairie. Named by the National Wildlife Federation as one of ten "volunteers who make a difference," Jones works as a teacher and environmental consultant specializing in breeding bird ecology.

Table of Contents

Map

Introduction

Landmarks

Ancient Voices

Four Winds

Shifting Sands

Pawnee Springs

Grass

Pine Lake

Tallgrass Desert

Whitetails

A Sense of Home

Lost Chokecherry Valley

Night

Plums in the Water

Riffraff

Blue Water

Dune Dancers

Purdum

East Meets West

Transitions

Crescent Lake

Bibliographical Essay

Acknowledgments