Review
The marshes along the Ohio shore of Lake Erie represent less than ten percent of the vast wetlands that were there two hundred years ago. This book explores both the human and natural history of the marshes between Toledo and Port Clinton, Ohio. The Marshes of Southwestern Lake Erie begins with an almanac, a celebration of marsh life throughout the year, enriched by personal experiences. Louis Campbell's encounters include a pair of bloodthirsty shrews, a roguish gallery of courting waterfowl, and a rhythm-challenged bittern. He invites the reader to share the risky pleasures of punting and the eerie night sounds of the marsh in May. Also presented is the history of the marshes from the Ice Age to the present, as they were transformed into drained, flood-plagued farmland, then to drought- and flood-plagued private hunting clubs, and finally to government-protected marshes sealed off by huge dikes from the gift and the threat of Lake Erie. Readers will never again take these wetlands for granted! -- Midwest Book Review
