Hidden Prairie: Photographing Life in One Square Meter by Chris Helzer (review)

Chris Helzer is a talented photographer, and this book does not disappoint. I found the closeup photographs he took of the prairie flora and fauna that are included in the book to be very visually appealing.

As impressive as the photographs are, I was equally impressed with the quality of Chris’s writing, and was especially drawn to the concept of documenting the life found over the course of a year in a square meter of Nebraska prairie. What a wonderful idea to focus on what happens in only a square meter! This concept could be applied to many types of habitats found throughout the Great Plains. I know that I often get caught up in seeking wide vistas and hiking to explore what is over the next hill or around the next bend. However, this book makes you want to slow down and to appreciate all that is happening in the small areas right in front of our noses.

I really enjoyed the various stories included in the book and particularly how they were laid out. Chris did a great job of using humor in describing things and using insightful narration throughout the work. Examples include his chapter on the “Milkweed Snub” and “Beleaguered Sunflowers.” Those stories helped to demonstrate that nature is unpredictable and that we need to learn, as Chris did, to celebrate what it provides us and not despair over what we had hoped it would provide.

I suppose that I need to include at least one criticism in my review, so here goes. Several of the insects photographed were not identified to species (e.g., “fly on Maximillian sunflower leaf ” or “beetle on Maximillian sunflower leaf ”). Insect identification is challenging, so perhaps there were not enough characteristics in the photo to allow identification to the species level, or perhaps the photos were not shared with the experts on those species. If that was the case, then it would have been helpful to mention that.

I highly recommend this book. It is well written and easy to read. After reading it, I know that I will try to slow down and take a closer look at the amazing species and their incredible interactions happening each day right in front of us. Children naturally do this, and we need to continue to encourage that, and do it more ourselves. I am looking forward, with anticipation, to the next project that Chris takes on.