The Bookshop

Decoys and Proven Methods for Using Them

Decoys and Proven Methods for Using Them by veteran waterfowler Wade Bourne is the first book in more than 40 years to offer waterfowlers new methods for using decoys.

The heart of the book features a wide variety of duck and goose hunting layouts from the country's best guides and freelance hunters. Included are more than 30 detailed diagrams and descriptions of spreads and strategies for hunting ducks and geese in small ponds and marshes; large, open lakes; coastal bays; rivers; flooded timber; agricultural fields; and many other waterfowling settings.

This new book also describes the latest advances in decoy technology, including recent developments in decoy materials, keel designs, and mechanical motion decoys like the RoboDuck and Fatal de DUCKtion wing-spinners.

Decoys and Proven Methods for Using Them can be purchased directly from the publisher by calling toll free (800) 45-DUCKS or by visiting www.ducks.org. Hardcover, 6x9, 232 pages, 100 black and white photographs and illustrations. US$24.50, plus US$5.95 shipping, plus US$2.50 shipping for each additional book.

Texas Coastal Wetlands Guidebook

Texas Coastal Wetlands Guidebook, written by Dan Moulton of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and John Jacob of Texas Sea Grant/Texas Agricultural Extension Service, describes, in understandable terms, the general evolution, structure, and functions of coastal plain wetlands as well as threats and major causes of wetland losses. The guidebook will be useful to anyone interested in learning and teaching about the values of Texas' coastal plain wetlands.

Each major wetland type is described, in non-technical terms, with respect to location, geology and soils, hydrology, vegetation, animals, threats, ecological functions, and human values. Most of the 66-page book is devoted to the descriptions of 111 wetland sites, of all types, located on the coastal plain from Louisiana to Mexico that are accessible by the public. Site descriptions are organized by region and include such data as ownership, contact telephone number, size, nearest town, type of wetlands, recreational and educational opportunities, website address, and travel directions. Educational and informational resources are identified throughout the guidebook.

To obtain a free copy of Texas Coastal Wetlands Guidebook, contact Janet Nelson, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Coastal Conservation Branch, 3000 South IH-35, Suite 320, Austin, Texas 78704, (512) 912-7190, janet.nelson@tpwd.state.tx.us. Softcover, 8.5 x 11, 66 pages, 32 color photographs, 25 plant drawings, 11 figures.

Laguna Flamingos: A Groundbreaking Model for Sustainable Ecosystem Restoration

Still in progress, the ambitious, multi-phased, partnership effort underway to restore the extensive Laguna Flamingos ecosystem in Tamaulipas is already being recognized as one of the largest and most successful restoration projects in Mexico. The road to success, however, has not been easy. With Phase I completed and the transition to Phase II already made, project partners took time to recount the hard labor, trials, ingenuity, creativity, and persistence it has taken to bring this degraded ecosystem back to life.

Laguna Flamingos: A Groundbreaking Model for Sustainable Ecosystem Restoration by Eric Gustafson provides a comprehensive overview of this restoration and sustainable development project designed to re-establish a lagoon network and bring ecological benefits to wildlife and economic benefits to people. The book contains an interesting mix of information about the site's historical and ecological significance, project development, steps taken and lessons learned, flora and fauna species benefitting, economic alternatives for cattle ranchers, and future restoration and development plans.

Soft cover, 8.5 x 11, English (Spanish version forthcoming), 59 pages, color and black-and-white photographs and illustrations, maps, graphs, and tables, US$9.99 or MX$95.00, includes shipping. In the United States, order from Conservation Mexico, A.C., c/o U.S.-Mexico Chamber, Ronald Reagan Building/International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 270, Washington, D.C., USA 20004-3021, (202) 371-8680 or 888-USMCOC-1. In Mexico, order from the Cámara de Comercio México-E.U., Av. Fundidora #501-Cintermex PB-114, Col. Obrera, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México 64010, (528) 369-6477.

The Wide World of Suzie Mallard

The Wide World of Suzie Mallard, written by Hazel Hutchins and illustrated by Dominic Catalano, is for readers 4- through 8-years-old. It offers a realistic view of ducks and their place in the natural world, while conveying a story to which children can relate.

The book gives an accurate portrayal of a year in the life of a mallard hen, from the time she hatches, through fall and spring migration, and her return to her natal wetland to nest. Though a book about the natural history of the mallard, the story takes a dramatic turn when Suzie Mallard is knocked from the sky by a storm during her migration south. Rescued by a young girl named Alicia, Suzie regains her health and yearns to return to the northern nesting grounds as the days grow longer and warmer. Will Alicia let Suzie go or keep her forever in the pen she has built beneath a live oak tree? Alicia's decision offers an important lesson about the lives of ducks and other wild creatures.

The Wide World of Suzie Mallard can be ordered from the publisher by calling toll free (800) 45-DUCKS or by visiting www.ducks.org. Hardcover, 8x10½, 32 pages, color illustrations. US$14.95, plus US$5.95 shipping, plus US$2.50 shipping for each additional book.