Botanical Essays from Kent Observations on the Botanical Features of a University Town in Ohio Tom S. Cooperrider foreword by Hope Taft afterword by David E. Boufford 2010, c. 80 pp ISBN 978-1-60635-043-0 Cloth, $16.95t courtesy of our partner, Atlas Books Call (419) 281-1802 to order by phone.

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A leading Ohio botanist reflects on Kent’s remarkable flora

During the latter half of the twentieth century, the world witnessed the rise of the modern environmental movement. Chronicling this significant occurrence in Ohio, and specifically in Kent, a university town in the American Midwest, Botanical Essays from Kent is a collection of writings and photographs that capture the spirit and excitement of botanical fieldwork during the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. Kent Bog, dedicated as a state nature preserve in 1987, is the book’s focal point.

With personal narratives 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, 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 plant 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.

“By turning the pages of this book and absorbing Tom’s knowledge from its beautifully written passages, you will not only discover local history and fascinating information about plants, but also be drawn into the world of a botanist and have its secrets revealed in language every gardener can understand.”—Hope Taft, from the Foreword

“Tom Cooperrider writes with the authority reflecting a lifetime devoted to the study of the world of Nature. He chooses his words carefully, inviting a closer look at wonders such as the Kent Bog, a living relic of the Ice Age that has somehow survived centuries of change in Northeast Ohio. His finely crafted portraits beckon readers to appreciate a bounty of marvels that they might otherwise overlook.” —Roger J. DiPaolo, editor of the Kent-Ravenna Record-Courier

A native Ohioan, Tom S. Cooperrider is a botanist, an expert on Ohio flora, and a professor emeritus of biological sciences at Kent State University. 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. Cooprrider is a Fellow of AAAS, the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Hope Taft is the former First Lady of Ohio and founder of the Ohio Heritage Garden at the Governor’s residence. David E. Boufford is senior scientist at the Harvard University Herbaria.