Botanical Essays from Kent: Observations on the Botanical Features of a University Town in Ohio

During the latter half of the twentieth century, the world witnessed the rise of the modern environmental movement. Chronicling this significant occurrence in Kent, Ohio, a Midwestern university town, this collection of writings and photographs captures the spirit and excitement of botanical fieldwork during the 1960s, `70s, and `80s. The Kent Bog, dedicated as a state nature preserve in 1987, is the book's focal point.

With personal reflections based on fifty years of experience, author Tom S. Cooperrider provides fascinating botanical tales on the study and conservation of Ohio flora, the Herrick Magnolia Garden, the work of other local botanists, the protection of rare species and unique areas such as Kent's tamarack bog, the discovery of lost plants, the survival of a famous cultivated tree, and the invasiveness of alien species. Botanical Essays from Kent is a valuable addition to the understanding of local natural history and will be enjoyed by botanists, gardeners, and nature lovers alike.

Emeritus professor of biological sciences at Kent State University, Tom S. Cooperrider grew up on the family farm in Licking County, Ohio. He served in the U.S. Army, mainly with the Third Infantry Division in Germany after World War II. He received his B.A. from Denison University and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. He has authored and coauthored numerous research articles and five books in the field of botany, including Endangered and Threatened Plants of Ohio and Seventh Catalog of the Vascular Plants of Ohio. Cooperrider is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and currently serves as regional reviewer for the Flora of North America Project.
Hope Taft is the former First Lady of Ohio and founder of the Heritage Garden at the Ohio Governor's Residence.
David E. Boufford is senior scientist at the Harvard University Herbaria.