The Last River Rat: Kenny Salwey's Life in the Wild - Softcover

Salwey, Kenny; Bestul, J. Scott

3.9

106 ratings by Goodreads

9781938486555: The Last River Rat: Kenny Salwey's Life in the Wild

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1938486552 ISBN 13: 9781938486555

Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing, 2015

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

Kenny Salwey is a modern-day American hermit who has lived most of his life in the Mississippi river bottoms, coming to know the river ecosystem with an intimacy unavailable to most. Now, Kenny shares his love of, and knowledge about, the mighty river. The Last River Rat is a seasonal look at Kenny’s unique life.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

Kenny Salwey is the last of a breed of men whose lifestyle has all but disappeared in this fast-paced, high-tech digital world. For thirty years, this weathered woodsman eked out a living on the Mississippi River, running a trapline, hiring out as a river guide, digging and selling roots and herbs, and eating the food he hunted and fished. Today, Salwey is a master storyteller, environmental educator, keynote speaker, nature writer, and advocate for the Upper Mississippi River. He has presented his true-life adventures and words of natural world wisdom to both adult and young audiences across the Upper Midwest. By sharing his hard-learned experiences, his respect for the Mississippi River, and his love of the natural world, Salwey hopes to inspire his audiences to protect this precious and fragile ecosystem. J. Scott Bestul is a regional editor for Field & Stream Magazine and a contributing editor for Sporting Classics magazines. He was born in Madison, WI, where he grew up loving the outdoors, hunting, and fishing. After graduating from Winona State University, he taught English in secondary schools for four years before he decided to pursue his dream of writing. He is now a full time writer for a variety of magazines.

From School Library Journal:

Adult/High School-Fans of Gary Paulsen and Tom Brown, teens who head for the woods when school is out, and city slickers who want to connect with the outdoors will relish this month-by-month glimpse into the disappearing way of life of a woodsman who lives off the land on a swampy and hilly bank of the Mississippi in Wisconsin. Salwey, a loner who decided to communicate his love of the wild with others in an effort to conserve and protect it, shares with a professional outdoors writer one year in the woods. He begins with April, and the format repeats for each month thereafter: first a short piece by Bestul on the climatic changes, then the two spend some time sharing a seasonal activity, such as ginseng hunting or deer hunting, followed by a piece in which Salwey tells something about his experience in the woods. This coverage is wonderfully evocative-one can almost hear the geese honking. Biology and earth science teachers will find the book an excellent resource for following the natural year as the school year proceeds; no month's reportage depends on previous months. Readers will find it is a privilege to accompany the pair through this fascinating and lovely corner of the world.

Judy McAloon, Potomac Library, Prince William County, VA

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.