This fall the USFWS Library invites you to read along with us. America's Wild Read is featuring Return of the Bison: A Story of Survival, Restoration, and a Wilder World by Roger Di Silvestro.
We hope you join us for our online book discussion on Thursday, November 7th at 3 pm ET. Please register in advance using the link below.
Return of the Bison is an excellent biography of America's most iconic mammal. Millions of bison once roamed North America and their history is deeply intertwined with many Indigenous communities. They were integral to Indigenous Peoples, providing meat for food, hides and fur for clothing and shelter, other parts for tools, and still hold great significance today. With westward expansion of European settlers during the 18th and 19th centuries, bison were hunted to near extinction: hunted for subsistence, commercial sale of meat and hides, simply for sport, and other more complex reasons. If it weren't for the work of Tribes, states, and the Department of the Interior, the bison wouldn't be here today. Although they're back from the brink and the security of the species is a conservation success worth celebrating, there remains an ongoing struggle for their recovery.
Join us to learn more about this symbol of our American identity and one of the greatest conservation success stories of all time.
If you are an FWS employee, you can access an eBook, or audiobook version of Return of the Bison through our Libby Library. For more instructions, see the Libby Library Guide. FWS employees may also email catherine_blalack@fws.gov to borrow a print copy as available. For the general public, Return of the Bison can be found at your local library or bookstore.
The Wild Read book club meetings are a place where the readers reflect on the reading, answer discussion questions, and connect through a conversation on conservation literature.