The Autumn Calf

Book excerpt: Most bison calves are born in mid-spring. However, one August morning at the Konza Prairie Biological Station near Manhattan, Kansas, a new little orange-coated bison is discovered within the herd. The people who manage the herd become concerned about her welfare, as they know that since she is so little she faces many challenges to survive the winter in the tall-grass prairie of the Flint Hills. Will she survive the harsh winter so she can learn to munch fresh new grass with her mother in the spring? This beautifully illustrated book takes the reader through a year on the tall-grass prairie with the bison herd, where we learn about bison management practices, the local plants and animals that grow and live in the ecosystem, and the importance of controlled burning to keep the native prairie grasses healthy and remove invasive species.