Life on Matagorda Island (Gulf Coast Books, sponsored by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.18 (563 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1585443379 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 264 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2017-06-12 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
"Great for science majors/lovers" according to njo. Not what I expected- very scientific. Five Stars The adventure was real. "Five Stars" according to Jerry G.. good read
Take all those amenities away and consider existing alone on the island fulltime, even during hurricanes.When Wayne and Martha McAlister moved to Matagorda Island, a wildlife refuge off the central Texas coast, they anticipated staying perhaps five years. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wayne McAlister fell under the island’s spell the moment he stepped out of his aging house trailer and met his first Matagorda rattlesnake. We try to stay in the background, enthralled observers,” McAlister writes. An enjoyable day’s excursion requires shade, dark glasses, sunblock, drinking water, food, and, of course, a shower afterward. He also relates the more sinister aspects of living on a barrier island, such as finding himself ankledeep in quicksand. In Life on Matagorda Island, Wayne McAlister shows what life was like amid such isolation.McAlister revels in the ghostly twinkles of nights on the beach, as luminescent comb jellies, sea walnuts, and glow worms light up every crest of wave. Except for the road and some occasional fence posts, the island appears untouched by humans. He watches hungry whooping cranes snatch striped mullet trapped in tidal pools; hunts for Hurter’s spadefoots, reclusive amphibians that surface during warm deluges; and sinks t
From the perspective of a successful teacher for three full decades, McAllister is a prime example of an insatiably curious mind, who not only self-instructs, but also brings an excitement to the learning and problem solving experience. McAllister’s life philosophy and sense of place, a journey that we experience in reading this account, is a state of awareness that all who call themselves naturalists ought to aspire. “This very personal, intimate account of the author’s inquiry into the natural workings of Matagorda Island ought to be required reading for everyone who visits the place and certainly for anyone who works there. In the process he provides a model roadmap for th