Résumé

This lyrical and passionate celebration of the Oregon high desert is devoted to delivering a compelling argument for its conservation. Waterston masterfully weaves together diverse voices (ranchers, environmentalists, artists, government employees, Native Americans) in a series of lessons on the history, geology, biology, geography, politics, and ethics of this desert landscape in the context of hiking the Oregon Desert Trail. Not a travelogue but a deep examination of regional issues with parallels at the national level—and unlike many environmental books that focus on environmental issues at the expense of understanding human communities—this text examines the pertinent conflicts within the context of rural communities impacted by local environmental issues. The author's thesis is clear: regardless of the details, all parties to a conflict (e.g., ranchers versus environmentalists) must work together for the best solutions. With deep roots in this region and personal history as a rancher, the author is well positioned to poke at the irony of conflicting claims made by parties with clearly different interests, and her engaging text is at once witty and informative. Walking the High Desert unpacks the complexity of conservation issues as lived experience, and will make a tremendous contribution as a defining text for Western conservation advocates and the policy questions they face.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. Reviewer: C. L. Johnson, emerita, Gustavus Adolphus College