Dale
Clarke Franz takes us into a place
that exists
mostly on its own
terms, a forest with three rivers,
elk, bobcats, bear, and other
life that thrives
only in remote locations.
Six contributing
authors familiar with the birds,
flowers,
trails, streams, wildlife, and
forest help give the flavor
of this particular place, enhanced by
oral history from
those who settled and changed the land.
Michigan's
longest and most visible environmental controversy
over oil
and gas development has been in the Pigeon River Country.
Other threats have arisen. Franz examines these in the context of
why the outdoors is so appealing to humans, raising the question
of what constitutes our selves as living beings.
Franz
explores the issues on many levels from landscape
to microbe, poetry to bird song. You can glimpse the
journey here along two tracks.
The
mind track
looks at knowing the forest,
understanding its spaces, acting in the
forest experience,
and searching for specifics.
The practical track
glimpses fishing, hunting, horseback riding, trails, campsites, birds,
lakes and streams, and the outdoor experience itself.
