Books by Bill Volkert
For more information or to purchase a copy, please contact us.
This is a collaborative work by Bill and archeologist Kurt Sampson. This 500-page book documents all known Indian mounds in Dodge County, Wisconsin and the Upper Rock River Basin. It compiles a vast history of the prehistoric Woodland Period of Wisconsin and includes historic survey maps and information on the conical and effigy mounds of the area. In total, they have discovered 135 mound sites consisting of 1074 mounds, many of which have been destroyed.
This book contains all known information of the area's Indian mounds taken from various historical sources resulting in a comprehensive summary. While some of this information has been published in the past in the Wisconsin Archeologist journal and by prevalent Indian mound surveyors such as Increase A. Lapham and T.H. Lewis, much of this has not been readily available or easily accessible to the public. The book also includes a vast amount of previously unpublished material gathered from personal journals and other sources. Additionally, new LiDAR imagery has been included for most of the existing mound sites. This book is a valuable resource for both professional and amateur archeologists, and the general public with an interest in Indian mounds.
Available for $40.00, plus $8.00 shipping.
This book contains all known information of the area's Indian mounds taken from various historical sources resulting in a comprehensive summary. While some of this information has been published in the past in the Wisconsin Archeologist journal and by prevalent Indian mound surveyors such as Increase A. Lapham and T.H. Lewis, much of this has not been readily available or easily accessible to the public. The book also includes a vast amount of previously unpublished material gathered from personal journals and other sources. Additionally, new LiDAR imagery has been included for most of the existing mound sites. This book is a valuable resource for both professional and amateur archeologists, and the general public with an interest in Indian mounds.
Available for $40.00, plus $8.00 shipping.
In 2014-15 my wife, Connie, and I took a trip of a lifetime. We traveled throughout southern Africa, Madagascar, India, Nepal, Southeast Asia and Borneo in search of adventure, birds and wild places. We certainly wanted to see as many new birds as possible, but this was not intended to be just a big-year trip. We also wanted to see a few cultural sites along the way and photograph the wildlife and natural areas we visited. Altogether, we traveled 55,000 miles, sighted over a thousand new birds, and took more than 35,000 pictures.
Also included is a summary of how we planned such an extended travel and some tried-and-true travel suggestions. All of this may be useful to anyone who may consider undertaking their own extended birding trip to foreign places. There is also an appendix of all birds and mammals sighted as well as a calendar of our daily itinerary.
Available for $19.95, plus $5.00 shipping. Currently Sold Out!
Also included is a summary of how we planned such an extended travel and some tried-and-true travel suggestions. All of this may be useful to anyone who may consider undertaking their own extended birding trip to foreign places. There is also an appendix of all birds and mammals sighted as well as a calendar of our daily itinerary.
Available for $19.95, plus $5.00 shipping. Currently Sold Out!
"Where to Watch Birds in Nicaragua"
Bill's first book was published in January 2014. This book is the only birdwatching guidebook to Nicaragua and includes detailed information on the best birding sites in the country. Included are directions to each site, information about accommodations, contact information, trail maps and a complete list of bird species for each site. This book contains detailed information on more than two dozen of the most important birding sites in Nicaragua. Bill has traveled seventeen times to Nicaragua since 2002 and spent several years of research to produce this book. A portion of the profits from this book will go toward bird conservation projects in Nicaragua.
Available for only $15.00, plus $5.00 shipping.
The checklist to the birds of Nicaragua serves as a companion piece to this birdwatching guidebook.
Bill's first book was published in January 2014. This book is the only birdwatching guidebook to Nicaragua and includes detailed information on the best birding sites in the country. Included are directions to each site, information about accommodations, contact information, trail maps and a complete list of bird species for each site. This book contains detailed information on more than two dozen of the most important birding sites in Nicaragua. Bill has traveled seventeen times to Nicaragua since 2002 and spent several years of research to produce this book. A portion of the profits from this book will go toward bird conservation projects in Nicaragua.
Available for only $15.00, plus $5.00 shipping.
The checklist to the birds of Nicaragua serves as a companion piece to this birdwatching guidebook.
A Checklist of the Birds of Nicaragua
Completely revised and updated, this checklist includes 749 species, with the most recent records as of September 2013. This is the first checklist of the birds for Nicaragua written for an English-speaking audience and includes space for 10 days of daily sightings.
Cost is $3.00, plus $1.50 shipping.
To order, please contact us.
Also Available - The Pottery Tradition of San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua
First published in 2012, the second edition has been revised and greatly expanded to include more than 200 color photographs. This book tells the story of the village, its pottery making tradition and documents the entire process involved in producing this unique art form. It also features numerous local artists.
This small village has been producing pottery for over a thousand years. More recently, they have turned this cultural tradition into a contemporary art form, producing a variety of easily-recognized styles. These are described and illustrated in the book.
Bill has traveled to Nicaragua repeatedly to work on a range of bird conservation projects over the past twenty years. During his travels he discovered both this unique local art form and also the story behind its creation. Profits from the sale of this book will be used to fund scholarships for the people of San Juan de Oriente to attend a series of classes at the Village Pottery School.
Cost is $19.95, plus $5.00 shipping.
Bill and Connie have been working on their land since 1982 to restore a series of natural communities native to this part of Wisconsin. While only 5 acres in size their land is adjacent to the Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest and lies along the shore of Birchwood Lake. A seven-acre wetland joins their land which they also manage.
Over the years they built their house on this land and began removing invasive plants, including common buckthorn, Asian honeysuckle and multi-floral rose plus a host of non-native herbaceous plants. They planted an old corn field to native prairie where Connie also established a native plant nursery. All of the seeds for this were gathered from nearby sources to maintain the local genetic varieties.
As their woodland was cleared of invasive shrubs native wildflowers began to reappear. They also introduced a few varieties of woodland wildflowers which also came from local sources. Over the years they have not only continued to manage their land but also documented their progress. Thousands of pictures were taken to catalog the changes. Additionally, they maintained a list of all of the plants and animals found on their land which now totals more than 700 species, including 211 kinds of birds.
In order to provide a history of their land and restoration efforts they compiled a summary which will be useful to future landowners and Glacial Lakes Conservancy. The story of their land and land management efforts has been summed up as a pictorial history and was recently published as a book. Their story may be of interest to other landowners who are working toward very similar goals.
Available for $19.95, plus $5.00 shipping.
Over the years they built their house on this land and began removing invasive plants, including common buckthorn, Asian honeysuckle and multi-floral rose plus a host of non-native herbaceous plants. They planted an old corn field to native prairie where Connie also established a native plant nursery. All of the seeds for this were gathered from nearby sources to maintain the local genetic varieties.
As their woodland was cleared of invasive shrubs native wildflowers began to reappear. They also introduced a few varieties of woodland wildflowers which also came from local sources. Over the years they have not only continued to manage their land but also documented their progress. Thousands of pictures were taken to catalog the changes. Additionally, they maintained a list of all of the plants and animals found on their land which now totals more than 700 species, including 211 kinds of birds.
In order to provide a history of their land and restoration efforts they compiled a summary which will be useful to future landowners and Glacial Lakes Conservancy. The story of their land and land management efforts has been summed up as a pictorial history and was recently published as a book. Their story may be of interest to other landowners who are working toward very similar goals.
Available for $19.95, plus $5.00 shipping.