Book Review: The Nature of this Place "Find your place on the planet. Dig in, and take responsibility from there." —Gary Snyder Published on Dec 13, 2011 - 5:31:53 AM
NEVADA CITY, Calif. December 13, 2011 - The Yuba Watershed Institute creates a long view of natural life in its namesake region with collected works from its periodic publication Tree Rings, 1991 to 2010. A compendium of essays, poems, natural observations, art and photography—this book documents individual components of a watershed system, a treasured place and incidentally, a functional human community, with some shared goals.
Field notes on bird migration, evaluation of rain beetles and their bungling behavior, intermingle with journal sketches and sweet stanzas. Essays range from those by internationally recognized writers like Gary Snyder and Wendell Berry to essential Ridge residents like poet Steve Sanfield and author Hank Meals. Contributors are too many to name, but locals will recognize many friends, associates and community stalwarts on these pages.
Editors Bruce Boyd and Liese Greensfelder have artfully complied The Nature of this Place into five chapters: Watershed-Bioregion-Brush, People-Place, Forest Work, River-Meadow-Fire and Sightings. Their mindful selections guide the reader gently into a deeper understanding of each area as a unique living system within the context of a broader whole. There is a nice blend of seasonal writings interwoven in the chapters, giving a certain ‘fairness' to the portrayal—it's not all sunshine and wildflowers or the trumpet of migrating Sandhill Cranes—readers get to join authors wading in the mud, watching a swift mountain lion deer kill, learning about wild fire and crawling through Manzanita in the varied writings. Photos document forest vignettes, historical context as well as catastrophic events, like the flood of '97.
The foreword by Gary Snyder clears a space in the forest of writing to see a wide sky, quickly occupied by contributors like Tavia Cathcart, who writes in Shadow of the Manzanita, "I never would of guessed that such a subtle landscape as the Yuba Watershed could grab me.... A land of extremes—winter snow turns to summer drought; too much water is followed by no water; storm-cluttered skies give way to a white-hot burning sun. A land between black and white."
Published by Comstock Bonanza Press in Grass Valley, a clean and simple book design by Dave Comstock lends itself to the aesthetic appeal of the topic and enhances the lovely black and white drawings and photos which are scattered selectively over this 218 page soft-bound book.
The editors have included thorough appendixes, making this a useful science-based reference manual. But The Nature of this Place is really a book that could be so many things to so many people, encompassing literature, visual art and science all at once—a reflection of the multi-dimensional watershed system. By going deeply in one geographic location, these writings teach about all places. For those living in or near the Yuba Watershed, this book offers a loving portrait of the unique and stunning nature of this extraordinary place.
The Nature of this Place is a worthy read for those living here and a special candidate for giving—it commemorates a great beauty, teaches and shares with those who have yet to be bewitched by this uncommon landscape. It is available locally at the Apple Store and Harmony Books in Nevada City and The Bookseller in Grass Valley. Retail price is $20.
Investigations and Adventures in the Yuba Watershed
Bruce Boyd and Liese Greensfelder, editors
with foreword by Gary Snyder
Comstock Bonanza Press, 2010
Pamela Biery is a freelance writer and communications professional with deep roots in the Sierra Nevada. Her work has appeared in regional and national publications. She maintains a website at www.PamelaB.com.
By submitting a comment you consent to our rules. You must use your real first and last name, not a nickname or alias. A comment here is just like a letter to the editor or a post on Facebook. Thank you.
