Curry County Mammals, a new book by Jim Rogers, now available
by Ann Vileisis
Through the years, many KAS members told me how much they enjoyed reading Jim Roger’s regular wildlife column in the Storm Petrel. Now, I am very pleased to announce that Kalmiopsis Audubon has published all Jim’s essays in a delightful little book: Curry County Mammals I have known: stories of wild animals, backwoods life, and forest conservation in Southwest Oregon. The book captures some of Jim’s wealth of knowledge and experiences in local forests and hopefully can help inspire us all to better know the natural world and to help protect it.
For those who don’t know about Jim, he’s best known as an industry forester-turned-environmentalist who led efforts to protect both the Grassy Knob and Copper Salmon wilderness areas up Elk River. He is a beloved founding member of KAS and has been engaged in conservation in Curry County for nearly five decades.
Curry County Mammals I have known was compiled by Teresa Bird, who did a terrific job of pulling together the essays with lovely colored illustrations. It also includes an introduction I wrote about Jim’s unique path and why he’s been so important to the history of conservation in our region. The final essay is one Jim wrote about his remarkable personal transformation and efforts to protect the Grassy Knob Wilderness even as the timber wars were brewing.
Michael Kauffman, noted author of Conifer Country, offered this comment after reviewing the book: “With observations made across decades, Jim has nurtured deep connections with the natural world. His stories, weaving personal tales with scientific understandings, give us all a path to better know and connect with the wild mammals of this place.”
The book is now available for purchase at the following local outlets: Port Orford Community Co-op and Gold Beach Books. It would make a terrific holiday gift for your local, nature-loving friends! The book can also be ordered online from Barnes & Noble for $12.95 (here’s the link). Thanks to the generosity of Jim Rogers in sharing his words and stories, we can learn more about wildlife, and all proceeds go to support the work of Kalmiopsis Audubon!