Of Men and Marshes

By Paul Lester Errington

Book Overview

This volume looks at the little-known, often mysterious world of the wetlands. It features the observations and philosophy of the naturalist and conservationist, Paul Errington.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813829291
• ISBN13: 9780813829296
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Length: 150 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 5.9"

Customer Reviews

adventure into little known places

This book was required reading back 30 plus years ago when I was at university studying wildlife biology and natural resources. It inspired me to continue studying and ultimately working as a Professional Wetland Scientist. Errington pulls you into the secret lives of marsh inhabitants, be they ducks, muskrats, or mink, and his prose centers around the pothole region of the central flyway of the U.S. As a young boy Errington's quest to trap steers much of his interest, but his keen observation abilities draw a complete picture of the ecology of marshes. It's at once adventurous and educational. Perfect for sitting by a winter fireplace.

A little-known gem of nature and environment writing

Paul Errington grew up tramping prairie pothole marshes,then became one of Aldo Leopold's early students, at a timewhen traditions of nature observation and waterfowl huntingwere contributing to the growth of ecological science.This book is a set of connected thoughtful chapters onthe seasons and years of pothole marshes - "Of Marshes and Winter", "Of Marshes and Spring", etc., concluding with"Of Marshes and Time" and "Of Marshes and Man".Marsh environments change greatly from year to year;vivid paragraphs of here-and-now description alternatewith meditations on past years and the ebb and flow oflife. Muskrats, hawks, mink, ducks and geese, shore birds,owls, foxes, fish: Errington watched and tracked and recorded their lives, and their deaths.Errington's clean spare style is a pleasure, and Hochbaum'spen-and-ink illustrations beautifully complement the text; I particularly love one with a few flocks sharing a dawn sky with the morning star.Highly recommended to anyone who has read and enjoyedAldo Leopold, Sigurd Olson, David Rains Wallace, orBarry Lopez, and to waterfowl hunters, bird watchers --