Last week, I was lucky enough to be able to visit and stay in both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. After being surrounded by the incredible landscapes and having read the all of the guides we had, I still wanted to learn more about the national parks. I chose Yellowstone DNA: A Tale of Wolves, Wildlife, and Humans by Scott Huber from a local bookstore in Jackson, Wyoming, thinking that it would be a great way to learn more about Yellowstone, the most iconic of the 63 national parks.
As indicated by the latter part of its title, Yellowstone DNA: A Tale of Wolves, Wildlife, and Humans by Scott Huber explores the relationships found in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Every chapter has a different perspective, from the Shoshoni (also spelled Shoshone) Sheepeaters to wolves, park rangers, and trappers. The characters, some who truly existed and others sprouting from Huber's imagination, all play a different and important role in the delicate environment, so when some of its elements disappear, we are taken on a journey through the ages, following the same characters and their descendants interact with Yellowstone as it takes a turn for the worst.
Do We Want to Turn the Page?
Warning! This next section may contain spoilers about the book. Also, all ratings are based entirely on my opinion and WILL be biased and subjective.
The Blurb:
Wolves created Yellowstone.
From a time beyond memory, their role as keystone predators shaped North America's greatest biological treasure. Known as The American Serengeti, it was truly pristine, the largest intact ecosystem in the western hemisphere. Wolves were the thread that held Yellowstone's tapestry together.
Enter man.
The Mountain Shoshoni revered wolves. Ranchers and hunters reviled them. Park rangers were ordered to shoot them. By 1926 wolves had been systematically eradicated from the park.
For the next seventy years wolves were absent from the ecosystem.
Yellowstone's tapestry unraveled.
Despite years of bitter fighting, wolves were restored to their rightful place in 1995. Their return to Yellowstone prompted an amazing transformation, as the park and its wildlife blossomed anew.
And yet, the battle over reintroduction continues today and beyond.
Each stakeholder in the conflict, human and animal, has a story to tell in this "true history told by fictional characters."
The Author: Scott Huber
Scott Huber has worked as a park ranger, an outdoor educator, and a wildlife tour guide in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. In addition to being an avid birder, he is a lifelong hiker, fisherman and hunter.
Scott was first enchanted by the beautiful songs of gray wolves near Wyoming's Sunlight Basin. In Yellowstone's Lamar Valley. Scott was privileged to experience close encounters with wolves and their pups.
The author and his wife have a cabin located between the Absaroka Mountains and the Wind River Range in northwestern Wyoming. They winter in biodiverse Portal, Arizona.
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