The Nature of Kansas Lands

The Nature of Kansas Lands PDF Author: Beverley Worster
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Kansas
Languages : en
Pages : 104

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Book Description
"This book testifies to Kansas' natural abundance through spectacular color photography and sumptuous prose. Sponsored by the Kansas Land Trust, The Nature of Kansas Lands focuses on the world of nature that awaits us just beyond our fences: waterways, woodlands, grasslands, farmlands, and high plains. It's been crafted to encourage residents and visitors alike to explore backcountry roads, learn more about native flora and wildlife, and generally open their eyes to the state's wild beauty and ecological complexity."--BOOK JACKET.

The Nature of Kansas Lands

The Nature of Kansas Lands PDF Author: Beverley Worster
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Kansas
Languages : en
Pages : 104

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Book Description
"This book testifies to Kansas' natural abundance through spectacular color photography and sumptuous prose. Sponsored by the Kansas Land Trust, The Nature of Kansas Lands focuses on the world of nature that awaits us just beyond our fences: waterways, woodlands, grasslands, farmlands, and high plains. It's been crafted to encourage residents and visitors alike to explore backcountry roads, learn more about native flora and wildlife, and generally open their eyes to the state's wild beauty and ecological complexity."--BOOK JACKET.

The Last Wild Places of Kansas

The Last Wild Places of Kansas PDF Author: George Frazier
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
ISBN: 0700624821
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 230

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Book Description
Since the last wild bison found refuge on the back of a nickel, the public image of natural Kansas has progressed from Great American Desert to dust bowl to flyover country that has been landscaped, fenced, and farmed. But look a little harder, George Frazier suggests, and you can find the last places where tenacious stretches of prairie, forest, and wetland cheat death and incubate the DNA of lost, wild America. Documenting three years spent roaming the state in search of these hidden treasures, The Last Wild Places of Kansas is Frazier's idiosyncratic and eye-opening travelogue of nature's secret holdouts in the Sunflower State. These are places where extirpated mammalian species are making comebacks; where flying squirrels leap between centuries-old trees lit by the unearthly green glow of foxfire; where cold springs feed ancient watercress pools; where the ice moon paints the Smoky Hills with memories of the buffalo, wolf, and the lonesome rattle of false indigo; where the blue lid of the sky forms a vacuum seal over treeless pastel hills, orange in winter; where bluestem rises. Some are impossible to find on maps. Most are magnificently bereft of anything beneficial to 99.9 percent of modern America. True wildernesses they may not be, but at the correct angle of light, when the wind blows pollen carrying biological memories of the glaciers, these places are a crack between the worlds, portals to the lost buffalo wilderness. En route Frazier takes us from the unexpected wilds of the Kansas City suburbs to the Cimarron National Grassland in the far southwestern corner of the state. He visits ancient springs, shares a beer with prairie dog hunters, and fails in his mission to canoe the upper Marais des Cygnes—a trip that requires permission from every landowner on the route. Along the way we encounter a host of curious characters—ranchers, farmers, Native Americans, explorers, wildlife experts, and outdoor enthusiasts—all fellow travelers in a quest to know, preserve, and share the last wild places of Kansas.

Historic Photos of Kansas

Historic Photos of Kansas PDF Author:
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
ISBN: 1618583999
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
Positioned in the geographic center of the contiguous 48 states, Kansas has played a vital role in the nation’s development. From its Native American roots—the state is named for the Kansa tribe—Kansas has been both eyewitness and participant to history. No state, literally or figuratively, has been more in the middle of America’s fascinating story than the Sunflower State. Culled from Library of Congress and Kansas Historical Society collections, the nearly 200 striking black-and-white images in Historic Photos of Kansas trace a progression from “Bleeding Kansas,” a period of violent struggle between free-state abolitionists and pro-slavery sympathizers, to the state’s many contributions to westward expansion, railroads, agriculture, and America at war. Although these photos speak for themselves, when combined with captions and chapter introductions, they will transport curious readers to a close-up view of Kansans helping to write history.

The Republic of Nature

The Republic of Nature PDF Author: Mark Fiege
Publisher: University of Washington Press
ISBN: 0295804149
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 601

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Book Description
In the dramatic narratives that comprise The Republic of Nature, Mark Fiege reframes the canonical account of American history based on the simple but radical premise that nothing in the nation's past can be considered apart from the natural circumstances in which it occurred. Revisiting historical icons so familiar that schoolchildren learn to take them for granted, he makes surprising connections that enable readers to see old stories in a new light. Among the historical moments revisited here, a revolutionary nation arises from its environment and struggles to reconcile the diversity of its people with the claim that nature is the source of liberty. Abraham Lincoln, an unlettered citizen from the countryside, steers the Union through a moment of extreme peril, guided by his clear-eyed vision of nature's capacity for improvement. In Topeka, Kansas, transformations of land and life prompt a lawsuit that culminates in the momentous civil rights case of Brown v. Board of Education. By focusing on materials and processes intrinsic to all things and by highlighting the nature of the United States, Fiege recovers the forgotten and overlooked ground on which so much history has unfolded. In these pages, the nation's birth and development, pain and sorrow, ideals and enduring promise come to life as never before, making a once-familiar past seem new. The Republic of Nature points to a startlingly different version of history that calls on readers to reconnect with fundamental forces that shaped the American experience. For more information, visit the author's website: http://republicofnature.com/

Natural Kansas

Natural Kansas PDF Author: Joseph T. Collins
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780700602582
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 226

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Book Description


Kansas Land

Kansas Land PDF Author: Thomas Dean Isern
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Kansas
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
Examines the social, political, and geographical history of Kansas from its pre-history to the present.

Kansas Land

Kansas Land PDF Author: Thomas Dean Isern
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Kansas
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Examines the social, political, and geographical history of Kansas from its pre-history to the present.

Kansas Trail Guide

Kansas Trail Guide PDF Author: Jonathan M. Conard
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
ISBN: 0700620664
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
From the windswept plains to the majestic Flint Hills, the subtle beauty of the Sunflower State is best appreciated from its myriad wide-ranging trails. And whether you’re an avid hiker or desultory explorer, a bicyclist or horseback rider, this book makes a most congenial guide. An invaluable companion for exploring new trails or learning about accustomed routes, this comprehensive guide will tell you all you need to know (as well as what it might surprise you to learn) about the trails that crisscross Kansas—history and geography, wildlife and scenery, park locations and cultural possibilities, and, now and then, even a bit of geology and botany. The illustrated guide includes detailed full-color maps, GPS coordinates, and, of course, extensive route descriptions—through historic sights and prairies and state parks, to lakes and rivers and wildlife refuges. The authors identify the best trails for families or going solo; for running or hiking, biking or horseback riding; for hunting wildflowers, encountering wildlife, enjoying scenic vistas, or exploring Kansas history. They also include helpful descriptions of flora and fauna, and historical highlights for each area. Concise, complete, and engaging, this is the guide anyone journeying the trails of Kansas, seasoned hiker and armchair traveler alike, should not be without.

Bounded People, Boundless Lands

Bounded People, Boundless Lands PDF Author: Eric T. Freyfogle
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 9781597263252
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
What right do humans have to claim sovereignty over the land, to build fences and set boundaries when nature itself recognizes no such boundaries? Is there hope for a new land ethic that is less destructive toward the land, that views nature as something to be valued and nurtured rather than exploited and "developed"?One of the main challenges of contemporary environmentalism is to find a lasting, more ethical way for people to live on the planet. In Bounded People, Boundless Lands, legal scholar Eric T. Freyfogle asks a series of pointed and challenging questions about the human quest for ecological harmony. Deftly interweaving moral and ethical considerations with case studies and real-life situations, Freyfogle provides a deep philosophical examination of personal responsibility and the dominion of human beings over the earth. He raises provocative questions about private property rights, responsible land ownership, the rights of wildlife, and ecological health. Although the questions that Freyfogle asks are not new, they are presented in the context of contemporary events, often connected to legal cases, which allows him to bring age-old issues up to date, and to make direct connections between abstract concepts and our own lives.Throughout, Freyfogle questions the way human beings envision the land, thinking they can claim nature as their own, and criticizes market approaches to valuing and using nature. As an introduction to land ethics, but one that embraces environmental, legal, and philosophical arguments, Bounded People, Boundless Lands is a unique contribution to the environmental literature.

Hope Amid Hardship

Hope Amid Hardship PDF Author: Linda Johnston
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493005987
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 227

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Book Description
Why did they stay? Despite the challenges of loneliness, drought, and political turmoil Kansas pioneers faced, many found and wrote about joy and beauty in their adopted communities. Letters and diaries describe the times that gave them reason to sing, dance, and celebrate – moments when their burdens were lighter. This volume brings together reflections of 50 individuals of different ages, backgrounds, and outlooks who helped shape the identity of the Sunflower State.