Buffalo Bill Center of the West

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Buffalo Bill Center of the West

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  • Visit
    • Current HoursDecember 1–February 29: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Thursday–Sunday
    • Hours & RatesPlan your visit to the Center of the West.
    • Group SalesWe welcome commercial group and bus tours.
    • Facility RentalsThe Center is the perfect place for your next event.
    • Visiting YellowstoneYour best stop on the way to or from Yellowstone.
    • LodgingSelect from a variety of local accommodations.
    • ItinerariesDiscover some quick day trips in and around Cody.
    • DirectionsFind driving directions and check road conditions.
    • StoriesFind your story among ours.
    • Calendar of EventsSee what events are happening during your visit here.
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      • Draper Natural History Museum Buffalo Bill Center of the West
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      • NewsroomStay up-to-date with all Center happenings.
  • Learn
    • School Programs & ResourcesEssential info and resources for teachers and students.
    • Family ProgramsFamily-friendly programs, activities, and craft ideas.
    • InternshipsCollege students may apply to gain museum experience.
    • Skype in the ClassroomLive, interactive K–12 field trips.
    • WorkshopsExplore hands-on programs for kids, families, and adults.
    • Conservation InternshipsTraining for conservators from all over the world.
    • Pre-K ProgramsSet up a guided tour for your preschool class.
    • Field TripsInvestigate outdoor adventures for adults and children.
    • Highlights MapsDiscover collection highlights in each of our museum.
    • Games and InteractivesLearn about the collection through online interactives.
    • Lectures & FilmsPlan for future talks and view past program videos.
    • Western EssaysDelve into historical information on western topics.
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Clothing and Accessories
    • Gifts
    • Native American Replicas
    • Fine Art
    • Quality Leather
    • Native American Jewelry
    • Navajo Rugs
    • Pottery
    • Prints
    • Media
    • Baskets
  • Research
    • McCracken Research LibraryFind books, photos, archives, media, and more.Buffalo Bill Center of the West
    • Digital CollectionsExplore our extensive photo and manuscript collections.
    • Archival Collection List and Finding GuidesBrowse inventories of archival collections.
    • The Papers of William F. CodyDiscover scholarship on the man and the myth.
    • Fellowship ProgramContribute to new scholarship using Center collections.
    • Buffalo BillUncover in-depth information about William F. Cody.
    • Greater Yellowstone Natural HistoryLearn more about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
    • Western ArtDelve into the lives and works of western artists.
    • Plains IndianDiscover more about Plains Indian tribes and collections.
    • FirearmsFind a firearms bibliography, glossary, and more.
    • ConservationFind out how we preserve Center collections.
    • Rights and ReproductionsLicense or reproduce images from our collections.
  • Support
    • Planned GivingLeave your legacy with a bequest or estate gift.
    • Patrons BallAttend our annual gala fundraiser.
    • MembershipBecome a supporter and receive great benefits.
    • VolunteerSupport the Center with your time and talent.
    • Our next raffle car: a 1967 Pontiac GTOBuy your tickets online for this amazing prize!
    • Give TodayMake a donation to programs and operations.
    • Why I SupportSee what motivates donors to give to the Center.
    • We have a winner for the car raffle for 2019Winner: from Lusk, Wyoming, with ticket #0553
    • Raptor ExperienceHelp provide care for our avian friends.
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Home > Newsroom > National Outdoor Book Awards honors Center of the West curators’ annotated edition of classic grizzly bear tale

National Outdoor Book Awards honors Center of the West curators’ annotated edition of classic grizzly bear tale

November 18, 2015 by Nancy McClure

Dr. Charles Preston and Jeremy Johnston collaborated on a new annotated edition of "Wahb: The Biography of a Grizzly" that won a National Outdoor Book Award in the Classic Edition category.

Dr. Charles Preston and Jeremy Johnston collaborated on a new annotated edition of “Wahb: The Biography of a Grizzly” that won a National Outdoor Book Award in the Classic Edition category.

The National Outdoor Book Awards (NOBA), the outdoor world’s largest and most prestigious book award program, has tapped Wahb: The Biography of a Grizzly as its winner in the Classic Division of its 2015 awards. Originally penned by Ernest Thompson Seton in 1900, Buffalo Bill Center of the West Curators Jeremy M. Johnston and Charles R. Preston have reintroduced the book to a new generation of readers.

Seton’s story details the life of an imaginary grizzly bear named Wahb and his struggles to survive in the Yellowstone National Park region. Although classified as fiction, Seton based Wahb’s story on various bear stories, many from the area surrounding the park. Seton’s work was very popular at the time, but raised concerns among other naturalists—including President Theodore Roosevelt—about its accuracy in depicting grizzly bear behavior.

The curators’ new edition takes Seton’s classic tale and original illustrations, and combines it with Preston’s and Johnston’s insights into the historical and scientific context for Wahb’s story. The book is “fully annotated with impeccably researched notes describing what is accurate and what is not, based on what we now know of bear behavior,” writes the outdoor book award group. “The annotations, alone, are useful and instructive in understanding our changing attitudes toward this remarkable mammal.”

Preston and Johnston discuss their edition of "Wahb."

2015 award winner, Classic Division.

“My heartiest congratulations to Jeremy and Chuck on this distinguished honor,” says Bruce Eldredge, the Center’s executive director and CEO. “This is one of those projects that has it all: history, legend, natural science, story-telling, art, and more. Our curators’ work demonstrates that concerns for wildlife conservation are timeless.”

Sponsored by three groups—the National Outdoor Book Awards Foundation, the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education, and Idaho State University—the non-profit, educational program’s annual awards “honor the best in outdoor writing and publishing.”


Since 1917, the award-winning Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, has devoted itself to sharing the story of the authentic American West. The Center is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. For additional information, visit centerofthewest.org or the Center’s Facebook page.

Filed Under: Newsroom
Tagged With: Biography of a grizzly, Charles Preston, Ernest Thompson Seton, Jeremy Johnston, National Outdoor Book Awards, news release, Wahb

 

About Nancy McClure

Nancy works in the Center of the West's Public Relations Department in electronic communications. Her work includes writing and updating website content, publicizing events, updating electronic signage, working with images, and producing the e-newsletter Western Wire. In her spare time, Nancy enjoys photography, reading, and playing the flute.

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