I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
In his beloved poem, "The Road Not Taken," Robert Frost uses the imagery of divergent roads where we as travelers in life must choose which road we will follow. Indeed, our lives continually require us to make choices. Some may have only minor consequence. But Frost’s “fork in the road” analogy seems to suggest major choices we must make. We all make choices that shape our moral and spiritual identity, form our social network, influence how we use material resources, and sensitize us to our vocational calling and purpose in life. Whether our choices are good or bad, we are all given time, talents, and treasures to use as stewards of these as gifts and opportunities.
This month’s blog presents a book review of Forests, Wetlands and Flamescapes, subtitled Wildlands of the Dayton, Ohio Region in 1800…and Today, authored by my friend, David Nolin. From my vantage point, Dave seems to have taken "the one less traveled' -- one that “was grassy and wanted wear.” Whether I am correct in placing Dave on such a path and whether I’m making a correct application of Frost’s intent will remain to be seen. I will leave it for Dave and other readers to comment and steer me aright if necessary. But stay with me and we’ll see where this blog leads.
How Things Used to Be
One’s preference for the “road less travelled” can take different forms. Some of us prefer to apply this preference literally when we leave the highways and interstates behind to view the landscape from rough and winding country roads. We may even be prone to stop along country roads to hike offroad, where we are permitted, to find trails and paths less traveled, and where landscapes remind us of “how things used to be.” Such places offer a quietness from the bustle of our busy world, solace to appreciate the beauty of the natural landscape, and time to observe the diversity of its resident flora and fauna. For some of us, after we have rolled back the distractions of every-day life to reflect on the natural landscape, we encounter new and worthwhile questions.
Dave Nolin has been among those who have long been fascinated by “how things used to be” in the landscapes of southwestern Ohio. During his 30-year career with Five Rivers MetroParks of Dayton, Ohio, Dave has been active in the discovery, acquisition, and land stewardship of numerous natural area treasures of the surrounding region.
Forests, Wetlands and Flamescapes gives us an account of what Nolin has learned from extensive field studies and research into historic accounts and mapped data, all of which he has compiled into an understandable, fascinating, and beautifully illustrated book. Readers are treated to an account of “how things used to be” in landscapes of southwestern Ohio, the forces that have historically shaped these landscapes, and the land management principles that we ought to follow to maintain these biological and historical treasures.
For History Lovers
Readers of Forests, Wetlands and Flamescapes who love history will be treated to numerous accounts describing the various plant communities of southwestern Ohio complete with color photos and maps. Prior to the entry of agriculture and industry, Native Americans used fire to hunt game animals and maintain prairie grasslands for good grazing. Readers who have believed that land stewards can keep landscapes “the way they used to be” by simply leaving them undisturbed will be in for a surprise. From the historical records, Nolin argues just the opposite—the only way to conserve many of these natural areas such as open prairie grasslands is to disturb them! In other words, in order to conserve them [Latin, con- (with) + servitium (service)] we must “serve with” them by planning and executing disturbances typical of those which have sustained them for centuries. To use Robert Frost’s analogy, these natural areas are each like the road that “was grassy and wanted wear.”
Readers who love maps will be interested in how Dave is leading the effort to refine an older map published in 1966. This map, entitled Natural Vegetation of Ohio at the Time of the Earliest Land Surveys, was compiled from mapped data from the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) obtained prior to 1800.
The coming of Spring is a great time to follow “roads less traveled” to find the botanical treasures of remnant natural areas. My wife and I are planning to use Forests, Wetlands and Flamescapes to explore some of these natural areas. Chapter 5, “Some Modern Lifeboats,” serves as a guide to twenty-one protected natural areas within the Dayton, Ohio region that are accessible to the public. Nolin gives the location of each of these natural areas on a map of the Dayton regional area and describes the landscape and past disturbances. Each natural area is also highlighted with photos of notable plant species and an aerial map of the designated hiking trails.
In conclusion, if you are among those of us who love the “road less traveled” or know someone who has that love, may I heartily recommend Forests, Wetlands and Flamescapes. And don’t be surprised this Spring if you are hiking in one of the treasured landscaped described in this book to run upon Dave Nolin and maybe his wife, Catherine, already there enjoying it.
Where to Purchase:
Nolin, David. 2024. Forests, Wetlands and Flamescapes: Wildlands of the Dayton,
Ohio Region in 1800…and Today. Generis Publishing.
For more information and purchase, go HERE.
Recommended Further Reading:
Nolin, David. 2018. Discovery and Renewal on Huffman Prairie: Where Aviation
Took Wing. Kent State University Press
For purchase, go HERE. Book review, go HERE.
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