Naturally . . . South Texas: Nature Notes from the Coastal Bend

Corrie Herring Hooks Series

by Roland H. Wauer, Mimi Hoppe Wolf (Illustrator)

The Golden Crescent of South Texas, a fifteen-county region along and inland from the middle Gulf Coast, is often called "the Crossroads" because of its natural diversity. Located in the heart of the Gulf Coast Prairie and Marshes, the area also encompasses the trailing edges of the South Texas Plains, Post Oak Savannah, and Blackland Prairie. This confluence of ecological zones makes it a wonderful place for birding and for observing the changing face of nature, especially during seasonal transitions. In this book, Ro Wauer describes a typical year in the natural life of South Texas. Using selected entries from his weekly column in the Victoria Advocate newspaper, he discusses numerous topics for each month, from the first appearance of butterflies in January, to alligators making a comeback in July, to the Christmas bird count in December. His observations are filled with intriguing natural history lore, from what sounds mockingbirds will imitate (almost any noise in their neighborhood) to how armadillos swim (by inflating themselves to increase their buoyancy).

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2001

About the author

Roland Wauer is a retired National Park service interpreter and biologist for Big Bend National Park (Texas). Roland continues to work as a naturalist and scientist.

Reviews

[Karen Forcum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a person who is always striving to learn new things. This book has wonderful facts about all the wonderful things found in nature. I learned so many new facts about nature's inhabitants that it filled me with joy.