About the Book
TURKEY CREEK PRESERVE
A SACRED JOURNEY
As natural environments disappear from the earth, Turkey Creek Preserve Charitable Foundation and the University of Nebraska at Omaha partner to protect and restore over 915 acres of land, plants, and wildlife to their natural state, providing natural habitats to Eastern Nebraskan and migrating creatures.
Reviews
"Uncommonly beautiful, in its reverence for the natural world, visual records of wildlife, and writing."
—Doug Tallamy, Entomologist, Ecologist, and Conservationist
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"The book embodies Turkey Creek Preserve perfectly, illustrating why we should all care, each and every day."
—Joel Sartori, Photographer and Fellow, National Geographic Society
Founder, National Geographic Society Photo Ark
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"The book is a treasure, capturing Turkey Creek Preserve through words and photos and inspiring current and future generations to remember the critical importance of conservation."
—Donna Kush, President and CEO, Omaha Community Foundation
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"Perfectly encapsulates all aspects and seasons of a truly wonderful habitat restoration. A masterpiece."
—Matt Darling, Executive Director, Fontenelle Forest
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"Today I learned that a bat can eat over a thousand insects a night, that turtles swam and crawled the planet before snakes and alligators, and that our ecosystem would not survive without birds, bats, butterflies, moths, bees, flies, beetles, ants and wasps. A thought-provoking book."
—Tish Walker, reader
About the Authors
Connie Kostel Spittler
Author/Editor Connie Kostel Spittler has written two award winning nature books with her photographer husband, Robert J. Spittler. Her literary credits include two novels, one creative non-fiction, and one book of poetry. Her writing has appeared alongside notable authors; the Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, Barbara Kingsolver, and Terry Tempest Williams.
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Mary Macchietto Bernier
Mary Macchietto Bernier, an active member of the Omaha and Nebraska writing community, writes and publishes fiction and creative nonfiction stories and poems. She has also worked as a teacher and manager at UNO, and as Senior Development Director at the University of Nebraska Foundation. She currently owns Inspired Giving, consulting on various philanthropic projects.
About the Photographers
Alex Wiles
Alex Wiles is an environmental filmmaker, photographer, and storyteller based out of Omaha Nebraska.
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Susan Gucciardo
Susan Gucciardo is a retired ecologist interested in the historical use of the landscape by man.
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Kim Sosin
After retiring as Emerita Professor of Economics at UNO, Kim renewed her love of writing and photography about nature to publish Your River, Your Dance about the sandhill cranes.
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Phil Swanson and Kim Justus
Nature Photographers Phil Swanson and Kim Justus also contributed several images to the book.