{"id":149,"date":"2025-05-29T20:33:02","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T00:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bd.bioregionals.org\/?p=149"},"modified":"2025-05-29T20:33:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T00:33:02","slug":"the-once-and-future-great-lakes-country-an-ecological-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bi.gflbioregion.org\/?p=149","title":{"rendered":"The Once and Future Great Lakes Country: An Ecological History"},"content":{"rendered":"

John L. Riley\u2019s The Once and Future Great Lakes Country: An Ecological History<\/em><\/strong> is a sweeping, deeply researched account of environmental transformation in the Great Lakes region. Spanning from the last Ice Age to the present, Riley blends ecological science, historical narrative, and personal reflection to illuminate how this once-abundant landscape was reshaped by Indigenous stewardship, European colonization, industrial exploitation, and, more recently, efforts at ecological restoration.(rhnaturalists.ca<\/a>)<\/p>\n

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? Overview and Structure<\/h3>\n

The book is divided into three thematic sections:<\/p>\n

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  1. The Land and What Happened to It<\/strong> \u2013 This section traces the region\u2019s ecological history from pre-1500 Indigenous land management through the upheavals of European contact, including the introduction of disease, warfare, and resource extraction. Riley emphasizes that Indigenous peoples actively managed the land through sophisticated horticulture and controlled burns, contradicting the myth of a \u201cpristine wilderness.\u201d (mqup.ca<\/a>, NiCHE<\/a>)<\/li>\n
  2. Voices of Nature Past<\/strong> \u2013 Here, Riley presents vivid accounts from early explorers and settlers, documenting the staggering abundance of wildlife\u2014such as six-foot sturgeons in Lake Michigan and vast flocks of passenger pigeons\u2014and the subsequent ecological collapse due to overhunting, deforestation, and the introduction of invasive species. This section offers a poignant chronicle of loss and change. (tom4tnc.blogspot.com<\/a>)<\/li>\n
  3. Nature\u2019s Prospect<\/strong> \u2013 The final section examines contemporary challenges and restoration efforts, including the impacts of climate change, urban sprawl, and globalization. Riley discusses initiatives like land protection and rewilding, highlighting a growing societal commitment to ecological renewal. He reflects on his own experiences restoring a farm in Mono Township, Ontario, as a microcosm of broader environmental recovery. (Project MUSE<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    ? Key Themes<\/h3>\n