Tapestry Press
Our Natural History
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Tapestry Press
Our Natural History
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Our Natural History, The Lessons of Lewis & Clark by Daniel Botkin. 2004. Oxford University Press. 304p. Daniel examines Lewis and Clark’s diary of their epic journey, other natural history writings and visits sites along their trip to discover lessons that apply today. Daily they recorded exact notes on the landscape, flora and fauna, weather, and daily events. These notes allowed Daniel to estimate bison numbers and wolf numbers, for example, in comparison to today. He praises their consistency and exactness and bemoans the lack of similar records today. He contrasts the Missouri River that they traveled with that river today. As Lewis & Clark traveled upstream they encountered marshes, rich wildlife, a river tortuous with meanders, islands and flooding. That river today is confined by numerous dams and restricted by channelization. It lacks much of its original wildlife and most fish that Lewis & Clark recorded. Daniel emphasizes that change is the rule in natural settings. Meanders in the Missouri River move the river across its flood plain about 250 feet every year. He quotes an unnamed engineer who said, “I spent a year putting a bridge over the Missouri River; I’ve spent my time ever since keeping the river under the bridge.”From the
expedition notes Daniel attempts to characterize the pre-European settlement
landscape in Western Oregon. Some of Clark’s writings describe a continuous
cover of huge ancient trees, conifers 7 to 8 feet in diameter and 200 feet high.
However, Daniel notes that Native Americans arrived about 11,000 years ago. They
set fires that cleared areas producing upland grass covered prairies. This
suggests a patchwork landscape. Recently a set of old USGS maps made from ground
surveys from 1850, 1890, 1920 and 1940 has been discovered. Forests older than
200 years covered 40% of the Oregon Coast Range in 1850; 46% in 1890; 50% in
1920 and 19% in 1940. Review written May 7, 2009 Back to Book Reviews
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