Bayou D'Arbonne Swamp

"Kelby Ouchley's "Bayou D'Arbonne Swamp: A Naturalist's Memoir of Place" is an environmental history of Bayou D'Arbonne in northeast Louisiana. Ouchley grew up near the swamp and has deep familial roots in the area. He later spent much of his professional life as a wildlife biologist and naturalist, overseeing a wildlife refuge superimposed on most of Bayou D'Arbonne. His work addresses the vibrant natural history of the bayou and its cultural and social history. The result is a kaleidoscopic view of the place that reveals its unique history and distinctive flora, fauna, and people. In addition, Ouchley addresses the enormous changes that have occurred in the bayou over the last century, including the array of reasons behind the vast transformations. One of his main goals is to foster an awareness of the environmental impact of human decisions that encourages readers to consider ecological choices in their daily lives. While Ouchley's work is about a specific bayou, readers can apply the themes within his narrative to other wetlands or even prairies, mountains, and deserts. The result is a work that presents an intimate and multi-layered natural history of Bayou D'Arbonne. It is certain to appeal to a broad swath of readers interested in the environmental history of Louisiana, conservation, naturalism, and ecological change"--