|
Dr. Charles Preston's "The Golden Eagle: Sovereign of the Skies" will be available at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and in bookstores in May 2004.The Golden Eagle reigns supreme in the skies over open landscapes through most of the northern hemisphere. With a wingspan longer than Michael Jordan is tall, and needle-sharp talons nearly three inches in length, the Golden Eagle can bring down an adult pronghorn or mule deer. Rabbits and hares, however, make up the bulk of the Golden Eagle's diet. By virtue of its position at the top of the food chain, the Golden Eagle is a good indicator of the health and productivity of its environment.Ecologist, zoologist, and raptor biologist Dr. Charles Preston has just completed a book on the Golden Eagle (Golden Eagle: Sovereign of the Skies) due out through Graphic Arts Center Publishing in May 2004. Montana resident Gary Leppart provided nearly 100 magnificent color photographs and the initial impetus for the project. Dr. Preston is the Founding Curator and Curator-in-Charge of the Draper Museum of Natural History. The innovative and widely acclaimed 55,000 square-foot Draper Museum opened in 2002, as part of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center complex, in Cody, Wyoming. The Draper Museum of Natural History has become a model for a new genre of immersive natural science museums focused on the integration of humans and nature near globally important conservation areas, such as Yellowstone National Park. Prior to his current appointment, he was Chairman of the Department of Zoology at the Denver Museum of Natural History, and before that Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He holds or has held adjunct faculty appointments in biology and environmental science at the University of Colorado (Boulder and Denver campuses) and in environmental policy and management at the University of Denver, and has received numerous awards for his teaching, research, curatorial, and public service activities. A zoologist and ecologist, Dr. Preston's interests focus on ecological and socioeconomic aspects of wildlife conservation and management in and around national parks and other wilderness reserves. He is currently exploring the dynamics of early successional forest ecosystems in the Greater Yellowstone region. He is also interested in the evolving role of natural history museums in society, and is a strong advocate for the role of museum scientists as public educators. He is the author of three books and more than fifty other scientific, technical, and popular publications. He is currently at work on a companion book to the Draper exhibits, entitled Greater Yellowstone adventure: The Braided Paths and Tangled Destinies of Humans and Nature in Yellowstone Country. Chuck Neal's book, "Grizzlies in the Mist," is now available.Chuck Neal's long-awaited book, "Grizzlies in the Mist," is now available at Cody Newsstand for $14.95. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center gift shop also plans to carry Chuck's book..Over the past 25 years, Mr. Neal, a long-time resident of Cody, has spent as much time as possible in the Yellowstone backcountry, observing and studying grizzly bears. His book provides a combination of adventure, interesting and informative comments, and an ecological understanding of the great bears, their environment, and their future. Join Chuck as he takes you along on a snowy October trip into grizzly country. See the sights he saw, and share with him the exhilaration of watching a female grizzly bear foraging with her cubs, then seeing her and her cubs escape the unwanted advances of a large male grizzly, and finally, realizing that the bears had later passed unseen within 50 yards of where Chuck had been observing them. Mr. Neal worked for over thirty years in several government agencies, in both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of the Interior. Most of Chuck's professional life has been spent in the Rocky Mountain states, from New Mexico to Montana, and he draws on his vast catalog of field studies to relate his experiences; this is one book you must read if you want to know what it's like to tramp the backcountry in search for the majestic grizzly. Dave Bragonier's "Wild Journey" shares some of his experiences as a Wyoming game warden.Dave Bragonier is a 35-year veteran Wyoming game warden. He is a past-president and life member of both the Wyoming Game Wardens' Association and the Wyoming Peace Officers' Association. Besides being a longtime Audubon member, he also serves on the Wyoming Wildlife Federation board of directors. Dave and his wife, Germaine, have three grown children and now live on their row-crop and hay farm near Powell, where they have dedicated 20 acres, including a six-acre wetland, to wildlife.Dave's book, Wild Journey, relates a number of his interesting experiences with poachers, and tells of exciting horseback trips into the Yellowstone region's backcountry. Along with other wildlife-related issues, Dave gives his observations of the grizzly bear and tells how campers can safely share the backcountry with the animal. Dave's book was published by WordsWorth, Cody, Wyoming, and sells for $16.95. The book may be found in a number of bookstores. To purchase the book from the author (add $2.00 S&H), contact Dave at the following:
Here are some comments from the back cover of Wild Journey. “Dave lays it all out with refreshihng pungency ... like sagebrush or campfire smoke. Whether he's portraying slob hunters, the Yellowstone fires or de-listing the grizzly bear ... you want to read and heed. This straight shooter pens a thoughtful, wise, witty, passionate book. Never a finer law officer wore the proud red shirt of the Wyoming Game and Fish.” - Alan K. Simpson, former U.S. Senator from Wyoming “This book is straiaght from the heart and shoulder of one of America's smartest and toughest wildlife officers. Dave Bragonier understands what our society - even the environmental community - does not: that enlightened wildlife law means nothing without adequate enforcement. I hope that people who care about the earth as man did not make it will heed Dave's message and change a system that frustrates, undercuts and punishes the thin green line he so bravely stands with.” - Ted Williams, Editor-at-large, Audubon magazine “Wildlife and other living resources of this great land of ours die without making a sound. The only voice they have are the likes of Dave Bragonier, who wastes little time challenging those in high places who make serious resource management decisions. It is obvious from his common sense, soul and conscience that Dave is totally in touch with the national heritage he cherishes.” - Terry Grosz, author of Wildlife Wars Updated: 9/22/06 All information contained in this site is copyright protected. Questions or comments? Contact: Meadowlark Webmaster |
