This book documents nearly 500 US and Canadian locations where wildlife refuges, nature preserves, and similar properties protect natural sites that lie within the North American Great Plains, from Canada's Prairie Provinces to the Texas-Mexico border. Information on site location, size, biological diversity, and the presence of especially rare or interesting flora and fauna are mentioned, as well as driving directions, mailing addresses, and phone numbers or internet addresses, as available. US federal sites include 11 national grasslands, 13 national parks, 16 national monuments, and more than 70 national wildlife refuges. State properties include nearly 100 state parks and wildlife management areas. Also included are about 60 national and provincial parks, national wildlife areas, and migratory bird sanctuaries in Canada's Prairie Provinces. Many public-access properties owned by counties, towns, and private organizations are also described.

This book describes the major plant and animal components of Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, an 850-acre National Audubon Society tallgrass prairie in Lancaster County, southeastern Nebraska. In addition to providing a species list of the area's plants (368 species), there are comprehensive annotated lists of its birds (240), mammals (43), reptiles (23), and amphibians (10). There are also variably complete annotated lists of the area's butterflies (76), sphinx moths (30), silk moths (7), dragonflies (24), damselflies (11), grasshoppers (9), katydids (11), mantids (2), and walkingsticks (2). Brief profiles of life histories and ecologies of 55 animal and 7 plant species are included, as well as information on nearly 100 public-access native grasslands in eastern Nebraska. The text comprises more than 68,000 words, 400 references, and a glossary of 125 biological/scientific terms as well as more than 40 line drawings by the author.

The perfect glove-compartment companion, is a guide to the geology, natural resources, and landscapes along nine of the state's major highways. Covering more than 2,600 miles, Buchanan and McCauley have provided mile-by-mile descriptions of interesting features, both contemporary and historical, to be seen all across the state. The information is organized by highway, so that modern-day explorers can follow the road logs easily, learning about the land they travel through. Of the tradition of roadside geologic descriptions, Buchanan and McCauley write: "In some ways highways provide convenient access to geology because roads often cut through hills, exposing formations never seen before ... For many geologist, road construction is an occasion akin to Christmas or the Fourth of July." The nine highways, which criss-cross Kansas, were chosen for a variety of reasons. Some, like I-70, I-35, and the Kansas Turnpike, carry heavy traffic; some, like U.S. Highways 69 and 36, are the main highways in various parts of the state; others, like U.S. Highways 160 and 83, cut through some of the state's most interesting geology; and one, U.S. Highway 56, was picked because of its history--the road parallels the historic Santa Fe Trail for much of its route, passing the site of old forts and Indian battles. This unique guidebook combines geological, historical, and cultural information with more than 100 photographs, drawings, and maps. Presented in a refreshingly nontechnical way. It is sure to appeal to tourist and native Kansas alike.

"You can't really know the place where you live until you know the shapes and origins of the land around you. To feel truly at home in the Bay Area, read Doris Sloan's intriguing stories of this region's spectacular, quirky landscapes."—Hal Gilliam, author of Weather of the San Francisco Bay Region "This is a fascinating look at some of the world's most complex and engaging geology. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in an understanding of the beautiful landscape and dynamic geology of the Bay Area."—Mel Erskine, geological consultant "This accessible summary of San Francisco Bay Area geology is particularly timely. We are living in an age where we must deal with our impact on our environment and the impact of the environment on us. Earthquake hazards, and to a lesser extent landslide hazards, are well known, but the public also needs to be aware of other important engineering and environmental impacts and geologic resources. This book will allow Bay Area residents to make more intelligent decisions about the geological issues affecting their lives."—John Wakabayashi, geological consultant