Marchand, Peter J., authorUniversity of Alaska Press, publisher2022-04-212022-04-212015https://hdl.handle.net/10217/234755Includes bibliographical references and index.When Richard Nixon signed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in 1971, eighty million acres were flagged as possible national park land. Field expeditions were tasked with recording what was contained in these vast acres. Under this decree, five men were sent into the sprawling, roadless interior of Alaska, unsure of what they'd encounter and ultimately responsible for the fate of four thousand pristine acres. Life and Times of a Big River follows Peter J. Marchand and his team of biologists as they set out to explore the land that would ultimately become the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. Their encounters with strange plants, rare insects, and little-known mammals bring to life a land once thought to be static and monotonous. And their struggles to navigate and adapt to an unforgiving environment capture the rigorous demands of remote field work. Weaving in and out of Marchand's narrative is an account of the natural and cultural history of the area as it relates to the expedition and the region's native peoples. Life and Times of a Big River chronicles this riveting, one-of-a-kind journey of uncertainty and discovery from a disparate (and at one point desperate) group of biologists.--Provided by publisher.Preface -- Prologue. Traveling heavy -- I. Circle -- II. Flat Water -- III. Kandik -- IV. Nation -- V. Charley River -- VI. Headwaters -- VII. The Years After.born digitalbooksengCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.All rights reserved. User is responsible for compliance. Please contact University Press of Colorado at https://upcolorado.com/our-books/rights-and-permissions for use information.Marchand, Peter J. -- Travel -- Yukon River Valley (Yukon and Alaska)Natural history -- Yukon River Valley (Yukon and Alaska)Biodiversity -- Yukon River Valley (Yukon and Alaska)Life and times of a big river: an uncommon natural history of Alaska's Upper YukonTextAccess is limited to the Adams State University, Colorado State University, Colorado State University Pueblo, Community College of Denver, Fort Lewis College, Metropolitan State University Denver, Regis University, University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, University of Denver, University of Northern Colorado, University of Wyoming, Utah State University and Western Colorado University communities only.