Mississippi's Natural Heritage
Photographs of Flora and Fauna
A generous, magnificent display of the flora and fauna found in the Magnolia State
Description
Mississippi's Natural Heritage: Photographs of Flora and Fauna glories in the plants and animals of the state. Featuring four hundred beautiful color photographs and a complete index of included species, Mississippi's Natural Heritage is the first book of its kind dedicated to Mississippi's natural world. Photographer Wesley L. Shoop spent years photographing a vast array of invertebrates, fossils, amphibians and reptiles, birds, mammals, plants, and fungi, and the book features a section dedicated to each group.
The photographs in this book were taken in LeFleur's Bluff State Park, a dazzling, well-known Mississippi park and urban natural area that exemplifies the biota of Mississippi. Over a thousand species of flora and fauna have been identified on the park's bluff and floodplain. All of these species can be found in forests, parks, and backyards across the state. LeFleur's Bluff is a fascinating microcosm of Mississippi's ecological community. Shoop has created this breathtaking collection of images in the hope that by illustrating the living diversity found in Mississippi, it can inspire a greater appreciation of what we have and how impoverished we will be if we do not protect it.
Reviews
"Wesley Shoop’s knowledge of native Mississippi taxa is immense, rivaled only by his skill with a camera. It has been a joy to watch his photographic collection of our state’s flora and fauna grow, and I’m sure this publication will be a tremendous aid to both the professional and amateur naturalist alike."
- Chris King, education chair and former president of the Jackson, Mississippi Audubon Society
"Through outstanding photographs and field guide-like narratives, Mississippi’s Natural Heritage shines a spotlight on the biota of LeFleur’s Bluff State Park, a beautiful, well-known urban natural area and wildlife corridor in Mississippi’s state capital. This book will surely foster a greater awareness of and appreciation for the diversity of plant and animal life in Mississippi."
- Libby Hartfield, director emerita of the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
"An excellent addition to the growing literature about nature in Mississippi!"
- Frank R. Hensley, professor of biology at Mississippi College