John Fisher draws our attention to the interesting observation reported by
the ScienceDaily website that,
during bison mating season, the quietest bulls score the most mates and
sire the most offspring while studs with the loudest bellows see the least
action, according to a surprising new study by researchers at University
of California, Davis, and Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. The
researchers also found that the volume of a bull’s bellow was not related
to its weight or age.
Follow this link for detailed explanation:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081216131014.htm. Use
your browser’s back button to return to this page.
On November 12, 2008, Dave Dolcater and I hosted St. John’s Cub Scout
Pack #5 from Bartlesville. Since that was a school day, they were
scheduled to be at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve Visitor’s Center
about 4:30 p.m. Unfortunately,
with late running school buses and other circumstances, they did not
arrive until about 5:10 p.m. By that time, we were losing light quickly.
After a brief bathroom stop, Dave caravanned the group up the road toward
the pens. They stopped along the road so that the boys could get a good
look at the bison. Last week, through the office in Pawhuska, I received
several thank you notes from the boys and the group leader. I am sharing
one with you. As an adult, I was disappointed that they did not have more
time. From comments such as
I really liked the buffelow [sic]
and Thank you
for helping with the trip
it appears that they were not disappointed.
This made
the whole season for me.
We greet so many visitors each year. Most of the time without knowing what they take with them from their experience at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. It is so nice to have feedback.
From the beginning of Steven Rinella’s fascinating new book, American
Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon, I knew he was going to be writing
about hunting one of these magnificent creatures. And I was very
uncomfortable with that awareness
That discomfort comes from two very different life experiences.…
Follow this link to read the complete book review: http://features.csmonitor.com/books/2009/01/12/american-buffalo/. Use your browser’s back button to return to this page.
Back issues of the Docent Newsletter, to October 2008, can be found in the two green and one blue-black zip-binders, stored in the Perspex rack by the file cabinet in the office of the Visitor’s Center.
Deadline for submission of articles for inclusion in the newsletter is the 10th of each month. Publication date is on the 15th. All docents, Nature Conservancy staff, university scientists, philosophers, and historians are welcome to submit articles and pictures about the various preserves in Oklahoma, but of course the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in particular.