Miracle Under the Oaks The Revival of Nature in America

Looks at the grassroots restoration movement that sprouted in the early 1990s, & brings alive one its most astonishing triumph. A small platoon of volunteers began clearing an abandoned tract of land along the north branch of the Chicago River, once a thriving habitat with its tallgrass & ancient oaks but nearly destroyed by weedy brush & debris. As they worked, Vestal Grove revealed itself to be a long-lost ecosystem, neither prairie nor forest but a third type of living community which required certain plants & animals to live in its unique environment. They scoured the countryside for the rare species, many on the verge of extinction, that could thrive there. Elegant black & white drawings.Stevens, William K. is the author of 'Miracle Under the Oaks The Revival of Nature in America' with ISBN 9780788199417 and ISBN 0788199412.