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UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI PRESS |
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"Natural Missouri is a pleasing, satisfying, informative adventure in Missouri outdoor reading. It sweeps the reader across the state with a text that flows nicely, visiting people and places that are truly special to Missouri. With the keen eye of a botanist, birdwatcher, naturalist, and outdoor interpreter, the author takes you behind the scenes at state parks, conservation areas, and wildlife refuges.”—H. Dwight Weaver, author of The Wilderness Underground: Caves of the Ozark Platea
“Natural Missouri weaves together people and places, bringing to life the who, what, why, where, and how of conservation and land management in Missouri.”—Brad Jacobs, Wildlife Ecologist and Ornithologist, Missouri Department of Conservation
In Natural Missouri: Working with the Land, Napier Shelton offers a tour of notable natural sites in Missouri through the eyes of the people who work with them. Over a period of three years, he roamed all over the state, visiting such different places as Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Pomme de Terre Lake, Mark Twain National Forest, the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Roaring River State Park, Prairie State Park, Ted Shanks Conservation Area, and Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. Along the way he interviewed professional resource managers and naturalists, biologists, interpreters, conservation agents, engineers, farmers, hunters, fishermen, writers, and many others in an effort to gain a perspective that only people who work with the land—for business or for pleasure—can have.
Shelton describes a range of land-management philosophies and techniques, from largely hands-off, as in state parks, to largely hands-on, as in farming. He also addresses the questions that surround some of the more controversial practices, such as the use of fire for land management and the introduction of nonnative species.
With his relaxed writing style, Shelton invites the reader along on his journeys to experience the places and people as he did. Natural Missouri captures the essence of Missouri and gives readers a greater appreciation for the natural resources of the state and the people who work so hard to manage and protect them.
About the Author
Napier Shelton is a former writer and editor for the National Park Service. He is the author of a number of books, including Huron: The Seasons of a Great Lake and Where to Watch Birds in Azerbaijan. He resides in Washington, D.C.