Bayou D’Arbonne Swamp: A Naturalist’s Memoir of Place

by Kelby Ouchley

WINNER OF THE 2023 JOHN BURROUGHS MEDAL for excellence in natural history writing,  Bayou D'Arbonne Swamp addresses the vibrant natural, cultural, and social history of a north Louisiana swamp. Kelby Ouchley grew up near Bayou D'Arbonne Swamp, and he later spent much of his professional life as a wildlife biologist and naturalist overseeing the national wildlife refuge created from much of the area. His deep personal and professional connections to the landscape give him valuable insight into the enormous changes that have struck the swamp over the last century and the reasons behind this transformation. In this fascinating narrative, Ouchley offers a kaleidoscopic view of Bayou D'Arbonne Swamp that reveals its unique past and distinctive flora, fauna, and people.

Although these are stories of a particular swamp, they tell us much about issues facing other wetlands, as well as prairies, mountains, and deserts, when viewed through an ecological, social, and historical lens. Ouchley aims to foster an awareness of the environmental impacts of human decisions that encourages readers to consider ecological choices in their daily lives. The result is a work that presents an intimate and multilayered natural history of Bayou D'Arbonne Swamp that extends beyond the edges of the ever-changing Louisiana wetland, informing the environmental history of Louisiana, conservation, and ecological change.

Genres: Nature

192 pages, Hardcover

Published September 7, 2022

About the author

Kelby Ouchley is a naturalist and managed National Wildlife Refuges for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for 30 years. His first book, "Flora and Fauna of the Civil War: An Environmental Reference Guide," was published by LSU Press in 2010. A collection of his essays, "Bayou-Diversity: Nature and People in the Louisiana Bayou Country," will be released by LSU Press in October 2011. His first novel, "Iron Branch: A Civil War Tale of a Woman In-Between," is availalbe for Kindle and other e-readers. Since 1995, Kelby has written and narrated a weekly conservation-related program for KEDM 90.3 FM, the public radio station that serves the Ark-La-Miss area. He has been awarded the Louisiana Governor's Conservationist of the Year Award. Kelby and his wife, Amy, live in the woods in Rocky Branch, Louisiana, in a cypress house surrounded by white oaks and black hickories.

Reviews

[Sofija · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an ode to Bayou D'Arbonne. It is a series of vignettes inside chapters, where every vignette has a different point to make. Ouchley writes about the bayou with such intensity and appreciation that shine through every chapter. He starts by explaining how Bayou D'Arbonne got its name, then describes the history of the place and the cities around it. After that, he focuses more on the flora and fauna of the bayou. Ouchley intricately describes the different groups of animals that live there (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish) and the types of trees that make up the forest around the bayou. The parts where Ouchley talked about his family's history weren't interesting to me. I enjoyed the little anecdotes from his childhood and his time spent working as an officer for the National Wildlife Refuge in the bayou D'Arbonne.
The author invites the reader to pay attention to the organisms around us, to learn their names, and how they spend their lives. It is one step forward to caring about what happens to plants and animals, not thinking of yourself as separate from the rest of nature. The basic principle of ecology - all beings are connected - is what the author wants to convey. He talked about the effect of building dams on the Ouachita river, and the creation of lake D'Arbonne on the bayou. He covered important topics that go beyond this particular ecosystem. Another thing I loved was the little drawings/sketches of animals, trees, and places. I wish there were more of them. This is a good book for someone interested in biology, especially hydroecology.
(Thank you to Edelweiss for the review copy)

[Beth James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many pieces of naturalism end up being more about the author than the place. Kelby, however, uses his own family history to open the reader's eyes to the personality of a truly magical location. There's nothing wrong with nature featuring prominently in one's own story, but sometimes it's nice to hear a place's own voice, as aspirational as that sounds. Anyone who has had the pleasure of loving this particular slice of wild will recognize her immediately in these pages, and be grateful to visit her again, if only in their mind.

[Philip Clum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bayou D'Arbonne Swamp, A Naturalist's Memoir of Place is a wonderful read spanning the elements of ecology, science, history and personal remembrance. All contained in the often mysterious and sometimes magical world of the bayou swamp. I can't recommend it highly enough.

[R.K. Goff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful book. I'm so glad I found it. It’s a rare and happy thing when you find a book that’s both relaxing and interesting.