Native Trees of the Midwest is a definitive guide to identifying trees in Indiana and surrounding states, written by three leading forestry experts. Descriptive text explains how to identify every species in any season and color photographs show all important characteristics. Not only does the book allow the user to identify trees and learn of their ecological and distributional attributes, but it also presents an evaluation of each species relative to its potential ornamental value for those interested in landscaping. Since tree species have diverse values to wildlife, an evaluation of wildlife uses is presented with a degree of detail available nowhere else. The revised and expanded second edition contains a chapter on introduced species that have become naturalized and invasive throughout the region. All accounts have been reviewed and modifications made when necessary to reflect changes in taxonomy, status, or wildlife uses. Keys have been modified to incorporate introduced species.

An engaging, personalized look at the interplay between people and nature in the northeastern and midwestern United States, from prehistory to the present. The Northeast and Midwest regions of the United States provide a fascinating case study for the emergent field of environmental history. These regions, with their varied resources, were central to the early economic success of the nation. Consequently, the early industries in these regions altered and depleted the landscape as people changed their locations and occupations. Fishing and whaling on the northeastern coast have given way to tourism and sailing. The great stands of timber around the Great Lakes have been replaced by farms and dairies. The textile mills, powered by the falls of the Piedmont and once yielding wealth, now stand empty. That humans shape their environment and, in turn, must respond to the consequences is broadly obvious. Using the voices of historical figures, both notable and obscure, this book brings to life the interaction between humans and their environments and illustrates the consequences of those interactions. Part of ABC-CLIO's unique Nature and Human Societies series, this book enables readers to better understand humanity's effect on the environment.

This first-ever encyclopedia of the Midwest seeks to embrace this large and diverse area, to give it voice, and help define its distinctive character. Organized by topic, it encourages readers to reflect upon the region as a whole. Each section moves from the general to the specific, covering broad themes in longer introductory essays, filling in the details in the shorter entries that follow. There are portraits of each of the region's twelve states, followed by entries on society and culture, community and social life, economy and technology, and public life. The book offers a wealth of information about the region's surprising ethnic diversity -- a vast array of foods, languages, styles, religions, and customs -- plus well-informed essays on the region's history, culture and values, and conflicts. A site of ideas and innovations, reforms and revivals, and social and physical extremes, the Midwest emerges as a place of great complexity, signal importance, and continual fascination.

“For gardeners, botanists, and fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder, this book looks at the beloved Little House on the Prairie author’s relationship to nature.” —Publishers Weekly The universal appeal of Laura Ingalls Wilder springs from a life lived in partnership with the land, on farms she and her family settled across the Northeast and Midwest. In this revealing exploration of Wilder’s deep connection with the natural world, Marta McDowell follows the wagon trail of the beloved Little House series. You’ll learn details about Wilder’s life and inspirations, pinpoint the Ingalls and Wilder homestead claims on authentic archival maps, and learn to grow the plants and vegetables featured in the series. Excerpts from Wilder’s books, letters, and diaries bring to light her profound appreciation for the landscapes at the heart of her world. Featuring the beloved illustrations by Helen Sewell and Garth Williams, plus hundreds of historic and contemporary photographs, The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder is a treasure that honors Laura’s wild and beautiful life.

New Stories from the Midwest presents a collection of stories that celebrate an American region too often ignored in discussions about distinctive regional literature. The editors solicited nominations from more than 300 magazines, literary journals, and small presses and narrowed the selection to 19 authors. The stories, written by Midwestern writers or focusing on the Midwest, demonstrate that the quality of fiction from and about the heart of the country rivals that of any other region. Guest editor John McNally introduces the anthology, which features short fiction by Charles Baxter, Dan Chaon, Christopher Mohar, Rebecca Makkai, Lee Martin, and others.

To know a place deeply means to understand it on several levels, layered almost as if from bedrock to topsoil. Midwest Bedrock: The Search for Nature's Soul in America's Heartland takes readers on a journey across all twelve Midwest states to natural settings that defy typical stereotypes of the Midwest landscape. Each chapter focuses on one focal region or locality within each state, often seeking out lesser-known landscapes steeped in beauty and story. Author Kevin Koch invites readers to join him on a journey through the beauty of the Midwest and to discover such places as Wisconsin's 1,100-mile Ice Age Trail that follows the furthest reach of the last glacier; Minnesota's Lake Itasca, headwaters of the Mississippi River; and Indiana's Hoosier National Forest, which still cradles hidden graveyards from long-abandoned farm communities. Part history, part memoir, part interview-based research, Midwest Bedrock is a personal narrative of exploring the natural beauty of America's Heartland, where each location tells the stories of the past that linger on the landscape.