Swamps are for draining--for converting into housing projects and
farmland. Or at least that's been the theory ever since European
settlers rolled across the continent a century ago.
We've drained a lot of swamps since then. Nationwide, we've
"reclaimed" _____% of our wetlands. In Kansas, where we've been
particularly diligent, only 4% of our original wetlands remain.
Now we realize we needed them. Wetlands, it turns out, are vital
pieces of the unfathomable, intricate system that sustains life on
earth.
Among the wetlands that remain, a few are outstanding for their
size, location, and role in feeding and sheltering vast numbers of
birds and other wildlife. Cheyenne Bottoms, waystation for hundreds
of thousands of migrating shorebirds, songbirds, and waterfowl, is
one of the most important wetlands in North America.
Located in central Kansas, on the main migration highway between
wintering grounds in South America and breeding territory in
Canada, the 41,000 acre marsh called Cheyenne Bottoms is a critical
refueling stop for migrating birds. It hosts 90% of the populations
of five species of shorebirds as well as most of the remaining
population of the endangered Whooping Crane and several other
threatened and endangered species. Because of its critical role, it
has been designated by treaty as a wetland of international
importance.
In this book, ecologist/ornithologist John Zimmerman provides an
introduction to the Bottoms that is at once personal, impassioned,
and technically accurate. He describes the Bottoms from many
vantage points. He talks of its history, from its formation 100,000
years ago to the fight to preserve it today. He describes the life
there--the rich variety of birds, mammals, and reptiles to whom
Cheyenne Bottoms is home. He tells of the jeopardy in which the
Bottoms finds itself--buffetted by vagaries of weather, climate
changes, irrigation and water rights, and politics. He also traces
the grass roots effort to save the Bottoms that brought together
conservation groups, garden clubs, grade school and high school
students, and the state government. Finally, he talks about
solutions, both long- and short-term.
General
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