A Prairie Coulee

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Coulees are former glacial spillways, and the most distinctive of the
many diverse prairie environments. They are natural wildlife corridors,
supporting a variety of plant and animal life. This book is an overview
of these microcosms—a glimpse into a world that is an essential part
of the prairie experience.

As Willock explains, each coulee is different in topography. Each is a
microclimate that makes a distinctive habitat for a wealth of grasses,
shrubs, insects, birds, and animals. Coulees provide a sharp contrast to
the flat, monotonous grasslands that surround them. They are the
prairie’s wilderness, the wild places in the midst of the world’s
largest garden.

Willock explores coulees by looking in turn at each feather or group of
inhabitants: water, plants, birds, mammals, and so on. The section on
animals, which is especially wide-ranging, includes bats, buffaloes,
rabbits, marmots, ground squirrels, gophers, and more.

The well-researched, carefully written text is supplemented by a small
portfolio of approximately 40 color photos. These are unexceptional, but
serve as illustrations.