Natural History of Western New York

The essays in this book combine the authors' personal experiences walking through the landscape and among the plants of Western New York with both hard-to-find historical writings and contemporary studies. Together they bring that environment to life. While on one level, this work can be a guide book for anyone exploring the region, more importantly it can help us understand how forces, some ancient and some contemporary, influence our lives. Through this understanding, we gain a deeper sense of place. And, as the author and conservationist Paul Gruchow observed, "with out a sense of place ... we will never be truly human."