In a Wild Place: A Natural History of High Ledges

by Ellsworth Barnard, Charles H. Joslin (Illustrator)

In the Deerfield River Valley, a rocky outcrop forms the cliffs at the heart of the High Ledges Wildlife Sanctuary. This collection of essays explores the nature and conservation of the place through the personal history of a man who was born there and has returned regularly for 90 years.

105 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1998

About the author

Ellsworth “Dutchy” Barnard (1907-December 2003) attended Massachusetts Agricultural College, and received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1928. Barnard began teaching college English in 1930 at Massachusetts State College. In the fall of 1957 he took a position at Northern Michigan University (NMU). As chairman of the English department, Barnard presided over a selection committee which brought the first African-American faculty member to NMU. During the 1967-1968 academic year, he led the faculty and student body in protesting the dismissal of Bob McClellan, a history professor. Although the effort to reappoint McClellan was successful, Barnard had already tendered his resignation at NMU and returned to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst for the 1968-1969 academic year. He ended his career at UMass as the Ombudsperson, the first to fill that office. Barnard retired in 1973 and lived in Amherst until his death in December 2003.

Reviews

[Carrie Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. His love for the Sanctuary is evident, and it's made me want to go explore it soon.