<p>From logging to water skiing, rivers have always played a role in the Wisconsin's story. Now a new book by a UW-Madison staff member brings the state's rivers together in sharp detail.</p>
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<p>Created as both a travel guide and a comprehensive history of Wisconsin's waterways, "<a href="http://shop.wisconsinhistory.org/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=902&IDCategory=47">Explore Wisconsin Rivers</a>" is the first book to tackle more than one river or river system.</p>
<p>Author Doris Green, a university relations specialist in the UW-Madison <a href="http://www.sohe.wisc.edu/">School of Human Ecology</a>, had previously written two books on the outdoors, both dealing with caves, mines and tunnels. When Madison-based publisher Trails Books approached her, she says, she couldn't refuse the opportunity to set the tone for a new series.</p>
<p>Like the early river explorers, Green relished the ability to set her own course. The essay style of the text provides a counterpoint to the often-terse snippets found in most guidebooks, stretching her research, organizational and writing skills.</p>
<p>After selecting which rivers to focus on (along with their major tributaries), the first step involved outlining a rough schedule of trips to different sections of the state, primarily over the course of two spring-summer-fall seasons. Over the next few years, she and her spouse explored 17 rivers by "driving, hiking, paddling — including one trip in a replica voyageur canoe — a river cruise on the Mississippi, a train trip along and across the St. Croix, and a helicopter ride over the Lower Wisconsin."</p>
<p>Between trips further afield, she explored rivers close to home and engaged in interviews, library research and online queries to find out more.</p>
<p>Green's day job involves a slightly less adventurous variety of tasks: creating press releases, editing materials for the dean and other SOHE units, managing alumni communications and a yearly almanac, and creating scripts and speeches for special events.</p>
<p>In both her personal and professional writing, she finds connections between people, places and history, providing a deeper context for readers who might not otherwise know what they're missing.</p>
<p>For Green, the task isn't much of a hardship: "This book gave me a perfect excuse to travel, explore and ask nosy questions in every corner of the state."</p>
From logging to water skiing, rivers have always played a role in the Wisconsin's story. Now a new book by a University of Wisconsin-Madison staff member brings the state's rivers together in sharp detail.
New book spotlights Wisconsin's river history
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2008-08-21T00:00:00-05:00
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