The Prairie Keepers: Secrets Of The Grasslands (Paperback)

~ Marcy Houle (Author) "A PIERCING WIND rattled the brittle grass, like a hand shaking a maraca..." (more)
Key Phrases: buteo nests, female ferruginous, red diggers, Forest Service, Zumwalt Prairie, Nez Perce (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Zumwalt prairie in northeastern Oregon is one of the last of our native grasslands. Surrounded by public lands, it covers nearly 200 square miles, most of it privately owned and managed by ranchers. Wildlife biologist Houle (Wings for My Flight), who spent a season in the Zumwalt studying hawks, writes an engaging personal story of her time there. Finding the densest concentration of hawks in the lower 48 states, she set out to discover why. This led to the study of the entire ecosystem, and she learned, to her surprise, that cattle played a vital part in the wildlife community?properly managed, livestock can enhance wildlife habitat. Houle came to the prairie with a bias toward public lands; she left convinced that it can be safe in private hands.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Wildlife biologist Houle (Wings for My Flight, LJ 5/15/91) spent two and a half years studying the Zumwalt, a remote grassland in northeastern Oregon. Attracted by the large number of hawks in the area, she set out to determine how ranching has affected the plants and wildlife of one of the last native North American prairies. This work reads in large part like a mystery with a dash of romance. In the process of attempting to understand the region's biodiversity, Houle confounds and courts various ranchers and government employees. She has an excellent eye for detail but tends toward the overly dramatic (a truck becomes stuck in an "oozing coffin" of mud), and the book suffers from too many analogies and dialog that often sounds contrived. On the whole, however, this is an interesting work that draws surprising conclusions and illustrates the difficulties and rewards of field research. This work should appeal to most birdwatchers and naturalists. Recommended for public and regional collections.?Tim Markus, Evergreen State Coll. Lib., Olympia, Wash.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (February 27, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 020140821X
• ISBN-13: 978-0201408218
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,123,702 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scientific information can be easy to read., October 26, 1996

By A Customer

Marcy Houle is a wildlife biologist yet her books read as easily as those of any good fiction writer. As Marcy presents the science of her work, in this case the study of hawks, the reader becomes involved in a very interesting story. As man's use of the land becomes more invasive of nature, man needs a better understanding of how his actions effect not only the earth but also himself. Marcy's study of a 200 square mile area known as "The Zumwalt Prairie" in northeastern Oregon provides an informative, interesting, and enjoyable look at man's impact on nature. Well worth reading!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read This Book, May 23, 2000

By	C. Keith (Portland, Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

This book gave me a fascinating view of an area I did not know existed. Ms. Houle lets us explore the Zumwalt with her as she studies the birds of prey on the prairie, the delicate balance of the natural food chain, and the effect of human land management. I have been far more aware of the different birds of prey since reading this book. Ms. Houle's writing induced me to search out other books, identification charts, and exhibits about these fascinating creatures.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wildlife Field Research - A Delightful, Personal Account, August 9, 2004

By	Michael Wischmeyer (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Prairie Keepers: Secrets of the Grasslands (Hardcover)

The Prairie Keepers is a charming account of a graduate student's summer wildlife biology project. I enjoyed sharing Marcy Houle's youthful enthusiasm for the rugged Zumwalt Prairie, her fascination with prairie wildlife, and her persistent efforts to determine why the buteo hawks thrived in this remote area in Oregon. Her descriptions of the adversarial relationship between the ranchers of the Zumwalt Prairie and the government employees (Forest Service, BLM, Fish and Wildlife Services, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Game) managing public land were thoughtful and well-balanced. Her recognition of the role ranchers play in preserving the Zumwalt Prairie was particularly insightful.

The remote Zumwalt Prairie in northeastern Oregon is home to a large concentration of buteo hawks - the ferruginous hawks, red-tailed hawks, and the Swainson hawks, all characterized by distinctive broad, round-tipped wings, husky bodies, and wide fanning tails. Elsewhere most hawk populations appear to be in decline. What makes the Zumwalt prairie habitat special?

Marcy Houle had a daunting summer job: locate and identify the nesting buteo population on the 200 square mile Zumwalt prairie. Climb the trees and place leg bands on the hatchlings while cautiously ignoring angry parents. Identify and measure relevant ecological parameters that might offer clues why the Zumwalt prairie is so attractive to buteo hawks.

Her account brought back memories of a summer several years ago when I mapped paleomagnetic trends in southwestern Montana. My field work was in many ways different; I certainly never climbed trees to place leg bands on hawk hatchlings! Nonetheless, I readily related to Marcy Houle's description of her field activities: careful reading of topographic maps and aerial photos, exercising care on private property, and completing transects of range conditions. Thanks to Marcy Houle for an enjoyable book.