Kentucky's natural beauties have bid farewell to their long-time chronicler, Art Lander, as he concludes 53 years of documenting the state's natural wonders.
After five decades of chronicling the great outdoors of Kentucky, veteran writer Art Landers is hanging up his pen. In a heartfelt farewell, Landers expressed his gratitude to his loyal readers and acknowledged the invaluable support he received from various sources throughout his illustrious career.
Landers, who has spent 23 years as the outdoors staff writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper, began his journey in the world of journalism with a focus on the outdoors. His writing journey took a significant turn when he started working with the Clabes family, biologists with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, who provided him with valuable information and insight.
In his career spanning over five decades, Landers wrote more than 550 articles on various topics related to Kentucky's wildlife, habitats, and outdoor activities. These articles covered a wide range of subjects, from Kentucky's diverse fish and wildlife species to native trees, snakes, turtles, and nesting birds. He also delved into invasive and non-native species, quality fishing and hunting, natural resource management, forest management, and seasonal mowing and planting forage crops.
Landers' writings also touched upon topics such as Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), deer and wild turkey harvest data, hunting strategies, ground blinds, treestands, archery gear, deer rifles, hunting with flintlock longrifles and turkey shotguns, Kentucky's elk herd, furbearers, small game, songbirds, migratory birds, waterfowl, and fish articles on sportfish species, their management, native walleye restoration, striped bass, ancient fish species, the invasion of Asian carp, non-native mussels, and nuisance rooted aquatic vegetation in Kentucky's lakes.
Throughout his career, Landers also penned a few memorable book reviews and features on notable Kentuckians in history, such as explorer and early settler Squire Boone. Furthermore, his writing portfolio includes three books and contributions to several other books.
In the later part of his career, Landers' focus shifted towards major reservoir and small lake profiles, with an emphasis on marinas, boat ramps, and fish species, and how to catch them.
Landers expressed his appreciation to the Clabes family, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, and the readers who have supported him throughout his career. He also thanked the team at Kentucky Forward and the Northern Kentucky Tribune website, where he has been writing weekly articles since 2013.
Landers' retirement marks the end of an era in Kentucky's outdoor journalism. His contributions to the field will undoubtedly be missed, but his legacy will live on in the countless lives he has touched and the knowledge he has shared about Kentucky's great outdoors.
[1] - Clabes Family Publications [5] - Northern Kentucky Tribune
- Art Landers, after a storied five-decade journey chronicling Kentucky's great outdoors, thanked the Clabes family, biologists with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, for their invaluable support and information throughout his career.
- Despite his retirement, Landers' focus on Kentucky's lifestyle, particularly outdoor-living and home-and-garden, as well as sports, will continue to be showcased through his weekly articles on the Northern Kentucky Tribune.
- In his 23-year tenure with the Lexington Herald-Leader, Landers penned numerous articles about various aspects of outdoor living in both northern and southern Kentucky.
