UA Press book explores upper Yukon's natural history
April 19, 2015
The University of Alaska Press has released a new book, "Life and Times of a Big River:
An Uncommon Natural History of Alaska's Upper Yukon," by Peter J. Marchand."Life and Times of a Big River" weaves together the fascinating cultural and natural history of Interior Alaska through the story of a field expedition conducted by five biologists in a 4,000-square-mile, roadless area. The expedition followed signing of the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which required the federal government to recommend whether millions of acres of Alaska land should be placed in new parks, refuges and other conservation areas. The biologists' findings were to help decide the fate of a vast area that would ultimately become the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve.
And yet this is a human story, related through the personal experiences — the uncertainties, discoveries, accidents, and encounters with others — recorded by this disparate (and at one point desperate) group of biologists. Weaving in and out of this narrative is an account of the natural and cultural history of the area, told as it related to the expedition and to people living in the Bush. The five scientists explore every aspect of the land itself: from fossil tree ferns to rare insects and little-known mammals, deciphering a record of change in a land often thought of as static and monotonous. Against this background the history of both aboriginal and Anglo exploitation and adaptation to a very demanding environment is also told. In the context of the expedition, the natural and cultural history takes on an uncommon relevance and insight.
This expedition may well represent the last of its kind, conducted before the explosion of satellite communications and geographic positioning technology forever changed scientific field work in remote regions.
For more information about this title and many more, please visit www.uapress.alaska.edu or call 800-621-2736.