The Prairie Builders: Reconstructing America's Lost Grasslands (Scientists in the Field Series) - Hardcover

Collard III, Sneed B.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 061839687X ISBN 13: 9780618396870

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2005

Synopsis

Barely a century ago a vast tallgrass prairie covered America’s heartland. Bison, elk, coyotes, and bear roamed this wilderness. Hundreds of species of prairie plants supported an explosion of birds and insects, including hundreds of kinds of butterflies. By the early part of the twentieth century, however, the tallgrass prairie was gone, its rich soils converted to farms to feed a growing world population.

Here, author Sneed B. Collard III tells the remarkable story of an effort to bring back part of the native tallgrass prairie. By following scientists who are working on the 8,000-acre Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa, readers will learn where the vision for a new prairie came from and how a dedicated group of scientists and volunteers is working to turn this vision into reality, from locating seeds of native prairie plants to using fire to drive out weeds to “bringing home” bison, elk, and one of the prairie’s most spectacular butterflies, the Regal Fritillary.

About this title

About the Author

Sneed B. Collard III has written more than fifty books for young people. In 2006, he received the Washington Post–Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award for his body of work. He lives with his family in Montana.To learn more about Sneed B. Collard III, visit www.sneedbcollardiii.com.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 5-8. In 1989 Congress passed a law setting aside thousands of acres of Iowa cornfields as a National Wildlife Refuge, despite the fact that there was little wildlife there. Determined to re-create the tallgrass prairie that once covered large portions of the Midwest, naturalists and volunteers began the long process of bringing back the plants and animals that were native to the area. This wide-format book documents the restoration of the prairie ecosystem at the new refuge. Collard follows the project over a number of years, discussing everything from the reintroduction of bison to the annual Sow Your Wild Oats Day. He spotlights two particular aspects of the project: the ongoing challenge of finding and encouraging the growth of appropriate plants and the reintroduction of the regal fritillary butterfly. Through the book's clearly written text and many excellent color photos, children will learn not only about this particular prairie project but also about the history of America's tallgrass prairies and the complex web of plants and animals in a particular ecosystem. The well-researched, beautifully designed volume concludes with a glossary and lists of recommended books and Internet sites. Carolyn Phelan
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Edition details

• Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 061839687X
• ISBN 13: 9780618396870
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 80