Nature and the natural world: general interest Books

Book SynopsisTake an exciting journey through the year with this weekly planner inspired by America’s breathtaking national parks. This unique planner invites you on an enlightened planning and scheduling experience, whether for work, school, or your daily life, from July 2024 through December 2025. Thoughtfully composed to guide you through 18 months led by exciting excursions and facts based on your favorite national parks, this planner is designed for outdoor adventurers, bucket listers, and nature lovers alike.  This planner features:   Stunning full-page artistic interpretations of the parks to inspire introspection and appreciation. Weekly quotes to inform your week and spark spiritual nourishment. 18 full-month calendar spreads, from July 2024 through December 2025. 72 weeks with plenty of space to write. Convenient size ideal for carrying in a book bag, briefcase, or purse. E

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Book SynopsisAdventure through the year with this weekly planner inspired by America’s breathtaking national parks. This unique planner invites you on an enlightened planning and scheduling experience, whether for work, school, or your daily life. Thoughtfully composed to guide you through 18 months led by exciting excursions and facts based on your favorite national parks, this planner is designed for outdoor adventurers, bucket listers, and nature lovers alike.  This planner features:   Stunning full-page artistic interpretations of the parks to inspire introspection and appreciation. Weekly quotes to inform your week and spark spiritual nourishment. 18 full-month calendar spreads. 72 weeks with plenty of space to write. Convenient size ideal for carrying in a book bag, briefcase, or purse. Elastic band closure to help secure your planner or mark your place inside. This

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Book SynopsisA collection of inspirational and meaningful quotes perfect for every lover of the great outdoors.

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Book SynopsisIn our technology-driven, workaday world, connecting with nature has never before been more essential. A Wilder Life, a beautiful oversized lifestyle book by the team behind the popular Wilder Quarterly, gives readers indispensable ideas for interacting with the great outdoors. Learn to plant a night-blooming garden, navigate by reading the stars, build an outdoor shelter, make dry shampoo, identify insects, cultivate butterflies in a backyard, or tint your clothes with natural dyes. Like a modern-day Whole Earth Catalog, A Wilder Life gives us DIY projects and old-world skills that are being reclaimed by a new generation. Divided into sections pertaining to each season and covering self-reliance, growing and gardening, cooking, health and beauty, and wilderness, and with photos and illustrations evocative of the great outdoors, A Wilder Life shows that getting in touch with nature is possible no matter who you are and—more important—where you are.Trade Review“The new book that’s becoming our natural beauty obsession. . . . It’s a comprehensive, coffee table–worthy, DIY project–packed manual for enjoying all four seasons through interaction with nature—including recipes (foraged elderflower champagne! Pumpkin butter!), gardening and home tips. . . . It’s also a particularly good resource for natural-beauty buffs.”—Vogue.com “Wander through the pages of A Wilder Life in awe and appreciation. . . . [The book] urges readers to garden with a purpose—to stew, brew, can and pot. . . . . Nature isn’t just a screen saver. It’s a soul saver.” —The New York Times Book Review “Will smarten up any side table.”—Domino “A beautiful, informative, thoughtful compilation of facts, recipes, DIY instructions, and more—a book designed to put you a little more in touch with nature and a lot more in touch with yourself.”—Organic Lifestyle Magazine

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Book SynopsisExpanded and updated hiking guide to the Monadnock region featuring all new maps for each hike!

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Book SynopsisFrom most people's point of view, a barrier beach is a paradox: appealing to visit but appalling to live on. An enjoyable day's excursion requires shade, dark glasses, sunblock, drinking water, food, and, of course, a shower afterward. Take all those amenities away and consider existing alone on the island full-time, even during hurricanes. When Wayne and Martha McAlister moved to Matagorda Island, a wildlife refuge off the central Texas coast, they anticipated staying perhaps five years. But sent to take up duties with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wayne McAlister fell under the island's spell the moment he stepped out of his aging house trailer and met his first Matagorda rattlesnake. Seven years later, the McAlisters were still observing the flora and fauna of Matagorda. Except for the road and some occasional fence posts, the island appears untouched by humans. In Life on Matagorda Island, Wayne McAlister shows what life was like amid such isolation. McAlister revels in the ghostly twinkles of nights on the beach, as luminescent comb jellies, sea walnuts, and glow worms light up every crest of wave. He watches hungry whooping cranes snatch striped mullet trapped in tidal pools; hunts for Hurter's spadefoots, reclusive amphibians that surface during warm deluges; and sinks to his knees in the sand, flashlight in hand, to catch a glimpse of a whip eel's sharp snout. Not all observations are limited to the psammobionts - the creatures of the sand. McAlister recounts petting a fat-bellied coyote pup and handing out kitchen scraps to wild turkeys. Badgers make their home on Matagorda Island, as do alligators, raccoons, and hundreds of varieties of insects, including the aggravating salt marsh mosquito. But McAlister doesn't merely observe: he tells why and how. Why oysters spit, why pistol shrimp snap, or how debris from offshore boats affects the beach environment. He also relates the more sinister aspects of living on a barrier island, such as finding himself ankle-deep in quicksand. But it's all in a day's work - or play - to the McAlisters, as they balance their lifestyle with the will of the island and its nonhuman inhabitants. ""We try to stay in the background, enthralled observers,"" McAlister writes. ""We do not belong, can never truly belong, but we can coexist and commingle. Close enough.Trade ReviewI haven't been so moved by a natural history book since I read Rachel Carson's Under the Sea Wind forty years ago, says Rice University's Paul Harcombe about Life on Matagorda Island.

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Book SynopsisIn the United States, two-thirds of lands are private, and 85 percent of all wildlife is found on these private lands. Who is responsible for wildlife found on private lands - the government, who has the authority to manage wildlife on behalf of all citizens, or the landowners? How can governments carry out their management mission without encroaching on the property rights of landowners? How can landowners be encouraged to manage and preserve wildlife? The authors attempt to answer these questions, examining ways that public and private sectors can work together considering ways governments and landowners can be good stewards of the public's wildlife using recreation, tax advantages, and cost shares as incentives.Trade Review... a thought-provoking book about a topic that is increasingly important. It will be very useful for conservationists, landowners, hunters, wildlife watchers, biologists, land managers, and policy-makers who must face the thorny issues of individual versus collective rights. - The Quarterly Review of Biology

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Book SynopsisThe San Marcos springs have flowed for around ten million years. In this ode to the river they form, Jim Kimmel brings us a picture of a watercourse brimming with life, past and present. Native, non-native, prehistoric, and modern-day plants, animals, and people have inhabited the river and its banks. Kimmel touches on them all with the affectionate and knowledgeable voice of one whose own life has been closely linked to the San Marcos. As readers journey with Kimmel from the river's headwater springs to its junction with the Guadalupe River, ""The San Marcos: A River's Story"" will capture the imagination and provide valuable information about the river and its crucial role in the ecological health of Texas. Original photographs by Jerry Touchstone Kimmel add a sense of the beauty and complexity of the river.

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Book SynopsisIn ""The Emerald Horizon"", Cornelia Mutel combines lyrical writing with meticulous scientific research to portray the environmental past, present, and future of Iowa. In doing so, she ties all of Iowa's natural features into one comprehensive whole.Since so much of the tallgrass state has been transformed into an agricultural landscape, Mutel focuses on understanding today's natural environment by understanding yesterday's changes. After summarizing the geological, archaeological, and ecological features that shaped Iowa's modern landscape, she recreates the once-wild native communities that existed prior to Euroamerican settlement. Next she examines the dramatic changes that overtook native plant and animal communities as Iowa's prairies, woodlands, and wetlands were transformed. Finally she presents realistic techniques for restoring native species and ecological processes as well as a broad variety of ways in which Iowans can reconnect with the natural world. Throughout, in addition to the many illustrations commissioned for this book, she offers careful scientific exposition, a strong sense of respect for the land, and encouragement to protect the future by learning from the past.The ""emerald prairie"" that ""gleamed and shone to the horizon's edge,"" as botanist Thomas Macbride described it in 1895, has vanished. Cornelia Mutel's passionate dedication to restoring this damaged landscape - and by extension the transformed landscape of the entire Corn Belt - invigorates her blend of natural history and human history. Believing that citizens who are knowledgeable about native species, communities, and ecological processes will better care for them, she gives us hope - and sound suggestions - for the future.

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Book SynopsisLong out of print, ""Out Home"" is the first published collection of naturalist and conservationist John Madson's essays. Written between 1961 and 1977 for such venues as Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, Audubon, and Guns and Ammo, the twenty-one essays and one poem in this classic volume focus on game and nongame animals and the people who love them and their outdoor world. Madson writes of hunting and wildlife management, the tricks of whitetail and cottontail, the bewildering interactions of pheasants with their harsh winter world, the cliff-nesting geese of the Missouri River, biscuits and gravy and stories shared around campfires with friends and family, and the great seasonal migrations of geese and cranes.Writing always with the knowledge that he was witnessing the end of the wilderness, of the outdoor home that nourished him, Madson brings a brilliant energy to these tough, unsentimental tales. 'A strong place puts a mark on all that lives there, and the mark may outlast the place itself. Prairie people are like their western meadowlarks, seeming to be the same as their eastern relatives, but with a different song.' In his song about the 'play of wind on tallgrasses, with the land running beneath a towering sky,' we hear the voice that went on to give us the magic of Where the Sky Began.

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Book SynopsisIn Wild Comfort: The Solace of Nature, Kathleen Dean Moore explores the intricate connections between human emotions and the natural world. Through lyrical prose and vivid imagery, Moore reflects on themes of grief, solace, and the cyclical nature of life, inviting readers to find comfort and healing in the wild. Turning to the comfort of the wild in an effort to make sense of the deaths of several loved ones, her narrative weaves personal reflections with experiences in diverse landscapes—from the Oregon wilderness to the Sea of Cortez—illustrating how nature can be a refuge for the human spirit amid life’s inevitable challenges.Readers will discover the transformative power of mindfulness and presence as Moore delves into the complexities of human emotions. Her insight into the beauty and resilience of the natural world encourages a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of all living things. The book invites readers to embrace both joy and sorrow, recognizing that moments of beauty can emerge from darkness, and that nature offers a path to understanding and acceptance. Wild Comfort is a celebration of life’s fleeting yet beautiful moments, perfect for those seeking solace in nature’s embrace. Moore’s philosophical musings provide a compelling reminder of the enduring strength found in the natural world. This book is an invitation to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the wild, making it an essential read for anyone looking to find peace and meaning amid life’s complexities.

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Book SynopsisLearn to identify all the turtles, snakes, lizards, salamanders, frogs, and toads in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.Get to know the amphibians and reptiles of the Upper Midwest! With Stan Tekiela’s famous field guide, identification is simple and informative. There’s no need to look through dozens of photos of species that don’t live in your area. This book features 68 species—all the turtles, snakes, lizards, salamanders, frogs, and toads in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Do you see a turtle and don’t know what it is? Go to the turtle section to find out.Book Features: 68 species—all the turtles, snakes, lizards, salamanders, frogs, and toads in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan Crisp, professional images that include color variations, bellies, scales, juveniles, and more Detailed Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan range maps Information that’s easily used by beginners and the experienced alike, complete with frog and toad croaking charts and status classifications Stan’s Notes with interesting facts and natural history information not found in other field guides Grab this handy book for your next outdoors adventure to help ensure that you positively identify the amphibians and reptiles you see.

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Book SynopsisA field guide to rocks and minerals of Washington and Oregon, featuring photos and details needed for identifying and collecting.

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Book SynopsisAt the cabin, in the park, or on a hike, keep this tabbed booklet close at hand. Based on the best-selling wildflower field guides and featuring 152 wildflowers of Colorado and southern Wyoming, the booklet is organized by color for quick and easy identification. Narrow your choices by color, and view just a few wildflowers at a time. The pocket-sized format is much easier to use than laminated foldouts, and the tear-resistant pages help to make the book durable in the field.

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Book SynopsisPlay cards and learn about animal tracks!This gorgeous deck of playing cards, put together by author Jonathan Poppele, features detailed animal track illustrations of 54 common mammals—including the River Otter, Moose, Canada Lynx, and more—created to look just as they appear in nature! All featured species are applicable for the Northwestern states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and northern California! Anyone who enjoys the outdoors will love having these cards for playing their favorite games or to use as animal track flash cards.

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Book SynopsisPlay cards and learn about birds!This gorgeous deck, put together by award-winning author Stan Tekiela, features real photos of 52 of the most common and appreciated bird species of the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico, including the Painted Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, Summer Tanager, and more! Anyone who appreciates birds will love having these playing cards for their favorite games and for quick ID.

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Book SynopsisMake bird watching even more enjoyable! With Stan Tekiela’s famous field guide, bird identification is simple and informative. There’s no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don’t live in your area. This book features 134 species of Wyoming birds—including birds in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks—organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don’t know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out. Fact-filled information, a compare feature, range maps, and detailed photographs help to ensure that you positively identify the birds that you see.

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Book SynopsisMarket: from the casual rock-picker to the serious collector Popular, proven, best-selling format: The Adventure Quick Guides series has sold more than 70,000 copies Not intimidating—easy-to-use information geared toward casual observers Covers 72 of the most common and desirable rocks and minerals in California with simple guidelines for identifying them, as well as how to tell similar materials apart from each other Tabs labeled by physical appearance (e.g. glassy or metallic): When you see a rock or mineral, turn to the correct group and view just a few specimens at a time to make a positive ID Includes information about famous California minerals that are too rare to find but are common in rock shops/museums (e.g. gold and mercury ores) Professional photographs that focus on the details needed for easy identification Customers want these attractive Quick Guides—they’re pocket-sized, portable, and durable with an appealing layoutTable of ContentsRocks Granite Diorite Diabase Gabbro Porphyry Conglomerate and Breccia Sandstone Tuff Shale Mudstone Limestone Travertine Rhyolite Basalt Chert Obsidian Schist Gneiss Quartzite Marble Minerals & More Quartz Calcite Dolomite Gypsum Baryte (Barite) Fluorite Olivine Sulfur Feldspar group Pyroxene group Amphibole group Zeolite group Turquoise Chrysocolla Malachite Epidote Jade Serpentine group Talc Chlorite group Opal Jasper Chalcedony Agates Beryl Corundum Tourmaline group Garnet group Howlite Halite Hanksite Ulexite Hematite Goethite Magnetite Galena Sphalerite Pyrite Chalcopyrite Mica group Animal fossils Dendrites Plant fossils/Petrified Wood Tufa Gold Mercury Meteorite Slag Benitoite Neptunite Realgar Cinnabar

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Book SynopsisFirst edition (9781591932925) sold more than 50,000 copies Market: Addresses growing environmental concerns while providing readers with “How You Can Help” details Revised second edition with updated information about how the invasive species impact you, your environment, and the economy Packed with useful facts and statistics in a small, convenient, easy-to-use format Comprehensive: covers 44 aquatic invasive species, including the newest threats, from flying carp and lampreys to spiny water fleas Full-color photographs, need-to-know details, and portions of the guide devoted to AIS spread and impacts Quick Response (QR) code for every species, linking readers to more in-depth information online Great impulse buy—only $6.95!Table of ContentsDedication Acknowledgments About Wildlife Forever About the U.S. Forest Service Become an “Invader Crusader” Clean Drain Dry Initiative Aquatic Invasive Species: Threats to the Great Lakes Hitching a Ride: How They Got Here A Danger to Inland Waters Natural Treasures to Protect Economic Impact Recreational and Commercial Fishing on the Great Lakes Fishing on Inland Lakes, Regional Tourism, and Biodiversity Three Primary Aquatic Threats: Invertebrates, Plants and Fish Aquatic Invertebrates Aquatic and Terrestrial Plants Fish Education Is the Key The Public Needs to Be Aware Keep a Lookout How You Can Help Clean • Drain • Dry Know the Regulations Identifying Invasives Keep up to Date with QR (Quick Response) Codes Reporting … What Should You Do? How to Use This Guide Sample Pages Aquatic Invertebrates Aquatic and Terrestrial Plants Fish State/Federal Offices Template for Noting Sighting Details About the National Professional Anglers Association About the Great Lakes Fishery Commission About Sea Grant About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service About the State-Fish Art Program Clean Drain Dry Glossary Kids Love to Learn About Invasive Species! Nab the Aquatic Invader—Be a Sea Grant Super Sleuth The Great Lakes Invasion Kids, Be Part of the Search for Invasive Species EEK!—Alien Invaders Making Waves & State-Fish Art Contest Attack Packs Traveling Trunks Preschool through 12th Grade Invasive Species Education Aquatic Invasive Species: An Educator’s Information and Materials Guide National Invasive Species Information Center Photo Credits Rulers

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Book SynopsisOn the Edge grew out of a lifetime spent living and traveling across the American Southwest, from San Antonio to Los Angeles. Char Miller examines this borderland region through a native's eyes and contemplates its considerable conflicts. Internal to the various US states and Mexico's northern tier, there are struggles over water, debates over undocumented immigrants, the criminalizing of the border, and the region's evolution into a no-man's land. The book investigates how we live on this contested land --how we make our place in its oft-arid terrain; an ecosystem that burns easily and floods often and defies our efforts to nestle in its foothills, canyons, and washes. Exploring the challenges in the Southwest of learning how to live within this complex natural system while grasping its historical and environmental frameworks. Understanding these framing devices is critical to reaching the political accommodations necessary to build a more generous society, a more habitable landscape, and a more just community, whatever our documented status or species.Trade Review"One of the environmental history profession's most thoughtful and astute observers (not to mention most graceful writers) shares with us his accumulated wisdom about the pasts and presents of places her has come to know deeply...Wise, witty, and intriguing."-Environmental HistoryTable of ContentsIntroduction: Center Points 1. Alamo City White Gold City Brew Organizing for War Political Legend Buyer's Remorse Danger: Work Ahead Holy Moses! Repairing Eden Springtime Central Core Going for Green Ebb and Flow Back to Nature 2. Rough Waters Rough Waters Storm Warning Ike's Wake 3. Borderline Anxieties Fiery Deaths Lockup Highway Robbery Homeland Insecurity Why Friendship Park Mattered Praise Song Political Agency Bulldozing Nature Behind Bars Walled Off Just Litter Wandering in the Wilderness 4. Southland On Fire Up in Smoke Sliding Away Shaken and Stirred On the Wild Side Forget the Garden of Eden Let It Be Damaged Desert Step Back Net Loss Shady Dealings Breathe Deep Pumped Dry Course Correction Mud Fight Afterword: Homeward Bound Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisAt eighteen, Vermont-native Leath Tonino ventured west to attend college in Colorado. Upon hearing his destination, many of Tonino’s friends and family predicted that he’d never come back; he’d make the “land of endless space and sky, its ranges and their storms” his home. “The West will swallow you,” one said, in a tone that felt like part warning and part prophecy.More than a decade later Tonino continues to call Vermont his home. But despite his love of New England and his admiration for writers who sing the praises of their native ground, he concedes that he is, as Gary Snyder once phrased it, “promiscuous with landscapes.” Tonino has spent the intervening years since college traversing “the alphabet of the American West from AZ to CA to UT to WY” and writing about its mysterious and powerful beauty. The resulting musings are collected in The West Will Swallow You, the title of which is a nod to the words that stayed with him and that, in many ways, turned out to be true.Although the adventures gathered here range widely in terrain and tone, the western landscape is always front and center—focusing on Arizona’s remote Kaibab Plateau, where Tonino worked as a biologist studying raptor communities, in San Francisco’s overgrown nooks and crannies and pigeon-flocked park benches, on ranches in Wyoming, at campsites in Nevada, in the mountains of Colorado, and “in libraries and national monuments, in people, in a midnight fox’s eyes, in the rushing wind.”Trade Review“Although the adventures collected here range widely in terrain and tone, the western landscape is always front and center—focusing on Arizona’s remote Kaibab Plateau, where Tonino worked as a biologist studying raptor communities, in San Francisco’s overgrown nooks and crannies and pigeon-flocked park benches, on ranches in Wyoming, at campsites in Nevada, in the mountains of Colorado, and in libraries and national monuments.”— Addison County Independent

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Book SynopsisLooking for adventure and continuing a process of self-discovery, Janisse Ray has repeatedly set out to immerse herself in wildness, to be wild, and to learn what wildness can teach us. From overwintering with monarch butterflies in Mexico to counting birds in Belize, the stories in Wild Spectacle capture her luckiest moments—ones of heart-pounding amazement, discovery of romance, and moving toward living more wisely. In Ray’s worst moments she crosses boundaries to encounter danger and embrace sadness.Anchored firmly in two places Ray has called home—Montana and southern Georgia—the sixteen essays here span a landscape from Alaska to Central America, connecting common elements in the ecosystems of people and place. One of her abiding griefs is that she has missed the sights of explorers like Bartram, Sacagawea, and Carver: flocks of passenger pigeons, routes of wolves, herds of bison. She craves a wilder world and documents encounters that are rare in a time of disappearing habitat, declining biodiversity, and a world too slowly coming to terms with climate change. In an age of increasingly virtual, urban life, Ray embraces the intentionality of trying to be a better person balanced with seeking out natural spectacle, abundance, and less trammeled environments. She questions what it means to travel into the wild as a woman, speculates on the impacts of ecotourism and travel in general, questions assumptions about eating from the land, and appeals to future generations to make substantive change.Wild Spectacle explores our first home, the wild earth, and invites us to question its known and unknown beauties and curiosities.Trade ReviewPraise for Wild SpectacleGeorgia Center for the Book “Books All Georgians Should Read” for 2022Atlanta Journal Constitution Top 10 Southern Books of 2021Gun & Garden’s Favorite Books of 2021 “A lover takes nothing for granted. A lover explores, wanders, takes delight in nuance. Says, viva la difference. A lover listens, savors, is patient. Janisse Ray is a writer in love with place and places.” — Orion “With its combination of lyrical sentences, heartfelt truths, and profound observations, this book is a gem and a worthy sequel to Cracker Childhood.” — Southern Literary Review “Ray is more than a knowledgeable observer. Her relationship with the natural world is passionate and spiritual.” — Alabama Public Radio “The essays in Wild Spectacle span 20 years…they show that no matter where or when we are, there’s wonders to bear witness to.” — Savannah Morning News “Just a small town girl traveling the whole world, Janisse Ray’s new collection Wild Spectacle showcases her choice to take on heart-pounding adventure while discovering herself and nature.” — Connect Savannah“Naturalist Janisse Ray’s clear, nimble, sensitive writing about wildness and self-discovery is so arresting that it has informed my own writing.” — Latria Graham, Garden & Gun “Wild Spectacle is prayer to Mother Earth, and like prayers Ray both exalts and grieves Her. This book will surely mark your soul.” — Dawn Major"An enthralling immersion into the splendor of our natural world told in language that is equal parts rapturous and down to earth." — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution"An enchanting essay collection about the wonders and lessons that nature provides." — Foreword Reviews“Wild Spectacle is prayer to Mother Earth, and like prayers Ray both exalts and grieves Her. This book will surely mark your soul.” — Dawn Major“Think about epiphany. Think about change. Think about the moments that make your face burn, your fingers tingle. Wild Spectacle is about those shocks, encounters that shift the way we see the world and ourselves in it. Ray is the vortex around which everything spins.” — Joni Tevis, author of The World Is on Fire: Scrap, Treasure, and Songs of Apocalypse“Wonderful. Janisse Ray has a heart the size of a manatee and the tenacity (and laugh) of a pileated woodpecker. She is incapable of not loving this world and all that is in it. If you don’t yet know her work, today is your lucky day.” — Rick Bass, author of For a Little While: New and Selected Stories”Curious, humble, bright, and compelling. Whenever I read Janisse Ray, I come away feeling both moved and fortunate. She is one of America’s best chroniclers of spiritual and physical wilderness. Her prose is as gorgeous as her mind is wise, and lands a necessary punch: how should a human enter a wild place?” — Megan Mayhew Bergman, author of Almost Famous Women“These seductive and diverse essays evoke wildness themselves, weaving narratives of community, love, and heroism. Ray writes with the heart of a poet and warrior, casting a spell that leaves us wanting to love and protect all that is wild. She urges us to remember what beauty there is in the world, and how much that world needs us.” — Sheryl St. Germain, author of Fifty Miles“Ray’s richness of observation, clarity of expression, and moral purpose are in such balance that this book hums like a gyroscope in your hands. Read and reread it again to savor the scenes and sentences.” — Melissa Fay Greene, author of No Biking in the House without a Helmet: 9 Kids, 3 Continents, 2 Parents, 1 Family“An urgent love letter to our wild places. Part poet, naturalist, and tour guide, Ray is a gifted observer. We finish this remarkable book brimming with gratitude and alive to the wild spectacles around us.” — Beth Ann Fennelly, author of Heating and Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs“Here is Janisse Ray at her best—fully immersed in wilderness, immersed in friendship, immersed in parenthood. She engages with the world in a way that few can manage in this screened-off age. If there’s a more open, honest, and appealing writer today, I’ve not met her.” — Bill McKibben, author Wandering Home: A Long Walk across America’s Most Hopeful Landscape“Wild Spectacle is a stirring book. To experience the truth of Thoreau’s claim that wildness preserves the world, take these journeys with Janisse Ray. She is an exhilarating observer who explores untamed places where that shaping, animating energy is on vivid display.” — Scott Russell Sanders, author of The Way of Imagination“Janisse Ray’s sense of wonder in the presence of the natural world permeates this collection of essays on how to love the Earth and measure the value of a life surrounded by the mother we all share. These essays help us measure the value of life.” — Pam Houston, author of Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country"Seriously great. In its brilliantly detailed celebrations of geography, Janisse Ray's writing suggests Walt Whitman. Hers is a literary ambition that makes no pretenses to modesty." — Franklin Burroughs, author of Billy Watson’s Croker Sack"Janisse Ray doesn’t explore nature so much as remind us of what we have forgotten... She is our Rachel Carson and our Walt Whitman, both fierce prophet and loving courage teacher." — Mark Powell, author LionessPraise for Ecology of a Cracker Childhood"Painfully and powerfully told.... Ray's passion for preserving and restoring this unsung landscape is heartfelt and refreshing." — Tony Horowitz, New York Times"The forests of the southeast find their Rachel Carson . . . . In Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, part memoir, part clarion call to save the longleaf pine, she casts a loving but unflinching eye on growing up poor and fundamentalist in southeast Georgia.” — Anne Raver, New York Times"A gutsy, wholly original memoir of ragged grace and raw beauty...Ray’s redemptive story of an impoverished childhood brings to mind the novels of Dorothy Allison and the nature writing of Amy Blackmarr, but the stunning voice and vision are hers alone." — Kirkus Reviews (STARRED)"Ray's writing is at its best when she recalls her most harrowing memories, such as when her father gave her and her two brothers a whipping after they stood by and watched a friend kill a turtle. These scenes resonate during the interpolated naturalist chapters, which evoke the calm of the landscape and give readers a respite from the anger and pain that drive much of the family narrative. In a final chapter (in which she includes appendixes on the specific endangered species of the South), Ray laments the 'daily erosion of unique folkways as our native ecosystems and all their inhabitants disappear.' What remains most memorable are the sections where Ray describes, and attempts to prevent, her own disconnection from the Georgia landscape." — Publishers Weekly"Ray’s paean to the filth, rot, shit, and rust of her childhood on a Georgia junkyard. Half memoir, half polemic, Cracker Childhood is both a recollection of how Ray came to understand the natural world’s value and beauty, and an impassioned explanation of why the longleaf pine ecosystems of southeast Georgia, Alabama, and Florida must be defended against any further assault by humanity." — GristPraise for Wild Card Quilt"Ray celebrates the richness of the natural world and the comforts of family. — Publishers WeeklyPraise for Pinhook"Her moving book is a tribute to a small but crucial wild place and a call for readers to help preserve it and others like it." — Publishers WeeklyPraise for The Seed Underground"An enchanting narrative...Even couch potatoes will be enthralled by Ray’s intimate, poetically conversational stories of her encounters with the 'lovely, whimsical, and soulful things [that] happen in a garden, leaving a gardener giddy.'"— Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisLeaving Resurrection is one woman's love poem to the Alaskan places and people that have taken possession of her soul. Eva Saulitis writes with great honesty about her vulnerability and fears, about her excitement and discoveries, and about her passionate love for the wild. She inspires us with her boldness, she invites us to eagerly accept challenges, she opens us to the willing embrace of adventure, and she takes us into the hidden glories of Alaska as few other writers have done. These gentle, richly perceptive, beautifully rendered stories take readers straight to the heart of Alaska. And like all fine writing, it leaves you aching for more. Eva Saulitis writes deeply from the spirit of Margaret Murie, and she shows us that the soul of wildness is still very much alive in the north country. The wild country of Alaska has always attracted women of extraordinary strength and character, women with a keen eye for the land's beauty and a heart strong enough for its challenges, women equal to the measure of the Alaskan land itself. Eva Saulitis and Leaving Resurrection are wonderful reminders that the tradition lives on.

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Book SynopsisIn The Sea Forager's Guide to the Northern California Coast, Kirk Lombard combines a startling depth of knowledge with wry humor and colorful storytelling to guide readers' quests to hook fish, dig clams, and pick seaweed for themselves."Lombard is a divinely inspired whack job—think Frank Zappa meets Aldo Leopold. If you have ever considered the idea of gathering something good to eat from the beach or surf … you need this book."—Bill Heavy, editor-at-large, Field & StreamLombard, a former staff member at the state Department of Fish and Game and founder of the foraging tour company/seafood delivery service Sea Forager Seafood, insists that his readers follow all regulations and encourages sustainable practices above and beyond what the State of California requires. This quirky and useful how-to is sure to inspire an empowering epicurean adventure. Leighton Kelly's stunning, occasionally idiosyncratic illustrations complement practical instructions for gathering a variety of fish and seafood and delicious recipes for what to do with each catch.Trade Review"Lombard is a divinely inspired whack job—think Frank Zappa meets Aldo Leopold. If you have ever considered the idea of gathering something good to eat from the beach or surf … you need this book."—Bill Heavy, editor-at-large, Field & Stream"Lombard is a master of the nearshore environment, knowledgeable (and hilarious). This is, simply put, the best book on the this subject ever written."—Hank Shaw, James Beard Award-winning author, Hunter Angler Gardener Cook"Kirk has created an ecosystem that allows us to be sustainable citizens and, more importantly, sustainable eaters."—Andrew Zimmerman, host of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmerman

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Book SynopsisA special edition of one of the greatest masterpieces of the environmental movement—plus original photographs and other writings on environmental ethicsSince his death in 1948, Aldo Leopold has been increasingly recognized as one of the indispensable figures of American environmentalism. A pioneering forester, sportsman, wildlife manager, and ecologist, he was also a gifted writer whose farsighted land ethic is proving increasingly relevant in our own time. Now, Leopold’s essential contributions to our literature—some hard-to-find or previously unpublished—are gathered in a single volume for the first time. Here is his classic A Sand County Almanac, hailed—along with Thoreau’s Walden and Carson’s Silent Spring—as one of the main literary influences on the modern environmental movement. Published in 1949, it remains a vivid, firsthand, philosophical tour de force. Along with Sand County are more than fifty articles, essays, and lectures exploring the new complexities of ecological science and what we would now call environmental ethics. Leopold’s sharp-eyed, often humorous journals are illustrated here for the first time with his original photographs, drawings, and maps. Also unique to this collection is a selection of over 100 letters, most of them never before published, tracing his personal and professional evolution and his efforts to foster in others the love and sense of responsibility he felt for the land.LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

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Book SynopsisThis third edition of James R. Dixon’s Amphibians and Reptiles of Texas: With Keys, Taxonomic Synopses, Bibliography, and Distribution Maps, completely redesigned throughout with colour photographs, revised taxonomic keys, and updated species descriptions, covers more than two hundred species of amphibians and reptiles. As in the previous editions, the book includes an extensive listing of the literature on Texas amphibians and reptiles that goes back to the historic writings of Berlandier, in the early nineteenth century, and is updated to reflect the most recent research.Comprehensive distribution maps, updated references, and an exhaustive bibliography round out this latest edition of what has come to be widely recognised as the standard scientific guide and reference for professional, academic, and amateur naturalists interested in the herpatofauna of Texas.

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Book Synopsis2017 is the 50th anniversary of The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda. Three astounding women scientists have in recent years penetrated the jungles of Africa and Borneo to observe, nurture, and defend humanity's closest cousins. Jane Goodall has worked with the chimpanzees of Gombe for nearly 50 years; Diane Fossey died in 1985 defending the mountain gorillas of Rwanda; and Biruté Galdikas lives in intimate proximity to the orangutans of Borneo. All three began their work as protégées of the great Anglo-African archeologist Louis Leakey, and each spent years in the field, allowing the apes to become their familiars--and ultimately waging battles to save them from extinction in the wild. Their combined accomplishments have been mind-blowing, as Goodall, Fossey, and Galdikas forever changed how we think of our closest evolutionary relatives, of ourselves, and of how to conduct good science. From the personal to the primate, Sy Montgomery--acclaimed author of The Soul of an Octopus and The Good Good Pig--explores the science, wisdom, and living experience of three of the greatest scientists of the twentieth century. Trade ReviewPublishers Weekly- In this study of three great female primatologists, science journalist Montgomery moves beyond biography into ethology, taking a step that goes well beyond even her subjects' research. Goodall, Fossey and Galdikas each made a similar leap, the author contends, moving from observers and recorders to an almost shamanistic quest to enter the world of the apes they studied. These personal transformations are sketchily supported with anecdotes from the field, personal interviews and even a jarring account of an attempt to contact Fossey, after her death, via channeling. Montgomery adds little to Farley Mowat's 1988 biography of Fossey, Woman in the Mists , but she offers a few fresh angles on Goodall, Galdikas and other characters, human and ape, met before in their books. In an epilogue, Montgomery offers the intriguing view of these scientists as pioneers of a particularly female way of scientific knowing that deserves fuller argument than three portraits allow. Photos. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title."This is a book about how love--the power that moves us beyond us and our own self interest to form relationships with an 'other'--can transform lives and worlds.... Author Montgomery brings an admirable grace and kindness to her treatment of the three women's lives and work, affording them, in many ways, the same dignity and respect they offered to the animals they observed and card for so deeply.... It is worth reading simply as expert storytelling, animated by particular and passionate writing."--Cape Cod TimesTable of ContentsPart 1. Nurturers: 1. Biruté Galdikas and Supinah 2. Jane Goodall and Flo 3. Dian Fossey and Digit Part 2. Scientists: 4. The prodigal faith of Louis Leakey 5. "Science with a capital S" 6. The sacrifice of Nyiramachabelli 7. A study in patience Part 3. Warriors: 8. Crusader: The moral dilemma of Jane Goodall 9. Sorceress: The madness of Dian Fossey 10. Diplomat: The politics of Birute Galdikas Epilogue: Shamans

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Book Synopsis*2011 Winner, International Association of Culinary Professionals Jane Grigson Award *2011 Finalist, International Association of Culinary Professionals in the Culinary History category Throughout history, people have had a complex and confusing relationship with mushrooms. Are fungi food or medicine, beneficial decomposers or deadly "toadstools" ready to kill anyone foolhardy enough to eat them? In fact, there is truth in all these statements. In Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares, author Greg Marley reveals some of the wonders and mysteries of mushrooms, and our conflicting human reactions to them. With tales from around the world, Marley, a seasoned mushroom expert, explains that some cultures are mycophilic (mushroom-loving), like those of Russia and Eastern Europe, while others are intensely mycophobic (mushroom-fearing), including, the US. He shares stories from China, Japan, and Korea-where mushrooms are interwoven into the fabric of daily life as food, medicine, fable, and folklore-and from Slavic countries where whole families leave villages and cities during rainy periods of the late summer and fall and traipse into the forests for mushroom-collecting excursions. From the famous Amanita phalloides (aka "the Death Cap"), reputed killer of Emperor Claudius in the first century AD, to the beloved chanterelle (cantharellus cibarius) known by at least eighty-nine different common names in almost twenty-five languages, Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares explores the ways that mushrooms have shaped societies all over the globe. This fascinating and fresh look at mushrooms-their natural history, their uses and abuses, their pleasures and dangers-is a splendid introduction to both fungi themselves and to our human fascination with them. From useful descriptions of the most foolproof edible species to revealing stories about hallucinogenic or poisonous, yet often beautiful, fungi, Marley's long and passionate experience will inform and inspire readers with the stories of these dark and mysterious denizens of our forest floor.Trade ReviewBooklist- Mushroom lovers who can only get their fix by sampling the often paltry array that appears in their grocer’s produce section may be sorely tempted to indulge their mycophilia when they encounter some choice fungi in the wild. Unlike many Asian and European cultures, however, most Americans are hesitant to just pluck one off the forest floor and eat it on the spot. Perhaps such evocative names as the “Death Cap” mushroom has something to do with this mycophobia. Yet, says Marley, armed with proper background, this culinary caution can turn into complete confidence. From the fabled psychedelic “magic mushrooms” to the duplicitous appearance of “false morels,” Marley examines these fungal fiends and provides thorough descriptions of their habitat, appearance, and toxic properties to ward off potential misadventures. An avowed mycophile, Marley offers an entertaining and inquisitive look at both the heroes and villains of the kingdom Fungi in an enlightened guide that comprehensively examines their nutritional benefits, undesirable properties, and diverse cultural history. -- Carol HaggasPublishers Weekly- By following a few basic guidelines, readers interested in foraging for their food will find themselves with a wealth of culinary opportunities courtesy of longtime amateur mycologist Marley (Mushrooms for Health). An enthusiastic guide, Marley introduces foragers to the most common wild edible shrooms - morels, puffballs, chicken mushrooms, and shaggy mane - as well as their more recognizable cousins in the market, such as chanterelles. Basic recipes for preparation (risottos, simple pastas, and the like) are included, enabling readers to get the most from their bounty. But Marley spends equal time with their more toxic and psychedelic brethren, describing key characteristics, common regions, and potential side effects, ensuring that initiates spend more time in the woods than the ER. While the book does have a set of color slides to aid in identification of edible and poisonous varieties, the sample pales in comparison to the many species Marley mentions.Booklist- “Mushroom lovers who can only get their fix by sampling the often paltry array that appears in their grocers produce section may be sorely tempted to indulge their mycophilia when they encounter some choice fungi in the wild. Unlike many Asian and European cultures, however, most Americans are hesitant to just pluck one off the forest floor and eat it on the spot. Perhaps such evocative names as the Death Cap mushroom has something to do with this mycophobia. Yet, says Marley, armed with proper background, this culinary caution can turn into complete confidence. From the fabled psychedelic magic mushrooms to the duplicitous appearance of false morels, Marley examines these fungal fiends and provides thorough descriptions of their habitat, appearance, and toxic properties to ward off potential misadventures. An avowed mycophile, Marley offers an entertaining and inquisitive look at both the heroes and villains of the kingdom Fungi in an enlightened guide that comprehensively examines their nutritional benefits, undesirable properties, and diverse cultural history.”This book is an enticing invitation into the fungal realm, accessible and a pleasure to read. Author Greg Marley's enthusiasm is infectious, as he encourages an appreciation of fungi as essential ecological partners, and empowers readers with practical tools. These pages are filled with foraging and cultivation tips, scientific explanations, ancient lore, literary references, and entertaining stories, with the mission of transforming mycophobia into mycophilia.--Sandor Ellix Katz, author of Wild Fermentation and The Revolution Will Not Be MicrowavedTable of ContentsTales from the forest floor Part 1. Mushrooms and culture Passionate about mushrooms : the Russian and Slavic experience Overcoming distrust : mushrooming in America Part 2. Mushrooms as food Leading with our stomachs The Foolproof Four : updated for a new millennium Chanterelles Boletus edulis The Agaricus brothers Part 3. Dangerously toxic, deadly interesting poisonous mushrooms : not as bad as you fear Mushroom poisoning : not as bad as you fear ; Mushroom poisoning : the potential risks and ways to avoid them Amanita nightmares : the Death Cap and Destroying Angel False morels : the Finnish Fugu A fallen angel The poison pax : a deadly mystery Part 4. Mushrooms and the mind : the origin of religion and the pathway to enlightenment Entheogens : a new way to view hallucinogenic mushrooms Amanita muscaria : soma, religion, and Santa Psilocybin : gateway to the soul or just a good high? Part 5. Mushrooms within living ecosystems Honey mushrooms : the race for the world's largest fungus Fairy rings and fairy tales Fungal bioluminescence : mushroom nightlights Who's eating the truffles? Woodpeckers, wood decay fungi, and forest health Part 6. Tools for a new world Growing mushrooms in the garden : a how-to story

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Book SynopsisExtraordinary new insights into the minds and lives of our fellow creatures from two of the world’s top animal authors, Elizabeth Marshall Thomas and Sy Montgomery. A Mail on Sunday “Critic's Pick” Best Read of the Year "In their writing and in their lives and in their remarkable friendship, Liz and Sy break down false barriers and carry us closer to our fellow creatures.”—from the foreword by Vicki Constantine Croke, author of Elephant Company Tamed and Untamed―a collection of essays penned by two of the world's most celebrated animal writers, Sy Montgomery and Elizabeth Marshall Thomas―explores the minds, lives, and mysteries of animals as diverse as snails, house cats, hawks, sharks, dogs, lions, and even octopuses. Drawing on stories of animals both wild and domestic, the two authors, also best friends, created this book to put humans back into the animal world. The more we learn about what other animals think and do, they explain, the more we understand ourselves as animals, too. Writes Montgomery, “The list of attributes once thought to be unique to our species―from using tools to waging war―is not only rapidly shrinking, but starting to sound less and less impressive when we compare them with other animals’ powers.” With humor, empathy, and introspection, Montgomery and Thomas look into the lives of all kinds of creatures―from man’s best friend to the great white shark―and examine the ways we connect with our fellow species. Both authors have devoted their lives to sharing the animal kingdom’s magic with others, and their combined wisdom is an indispensable contribution to the field of animal literature. The book contains a foreword by Vicki Constantine Croke, author of the bestseller Elephant Company.Trade ReviewLibrary Journal- "Best-selling authors and best friends, naturalists Montgomery (The Soul of an Octopus) and Thomas (The Hidden Life of Dogs), partner on this engaging collection adapted from their joint columns from The Boston Globe. The essays explore the minds, lives, intelligence, and mysteries of wild and domestic animals. Both have spent most of their lives studying and researching animal behavior and share a worldview that questions a human-centric sense of superiority, as reflected in their insightful essays. Some impressions come from their respective New Hampshire surroundings, which include their own dogs and cats, deer, mice, chickens, slugs, and worms. They also share observations of animals seen on their various international research trips including pink dolphins, lions, hyenas, and hyraxes (a small African mammal). Reflections on love among octopuses, the death of a dog, and a visit from a Christmas ermine are quietly eloquent. VERDICT: Armchair and active naturalists will enjoy and learn from the authors’ enlightened perceptions on the intricate relationship between humans and animals in this thought-provoking collection."“In their writing and in their lives and in their remarkable friendship, Liz and Sy break down false barriers and carry us closer to our fellow creatures.”—from the foreword by Vicki Constantine Croke, author of Elephant Company“Two kindred spirits treat animals as they ought to be treated, with understanding, knowledge, and humor. These well-crafted essays are a pleasure to read and make you marvel at our fellow travelers on this planet.”—Frans de Waal, author of Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? “Are humans the ultimate species? Nope, not according to these authors. Water bears are: They have been around for 500 million years and will survive after we destroy the planet. Will chickens in your backyard sooner or later give you a name? Do eels dream? Can an octopus have a sense of humor? Read and learn. This is an absolutely enchanting book that anybody who loves animals will not only want to own but also to give to good friends. It is full of precious lines and deep wisdom, and there is a delicious sense of humor throughout. The authors constantly bring us back to the recognition that we are just one among millions of remarkable animals, each one worthy of study and deep admiration, the kind these very authors accord them.”—Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, author of Dogs Never Lie About Love; coauthor of When Elephants Weep“Two of the most tuned-in people in the world have now given us these marvelous narratives of nonhuman beings living their lives on our shared planet. This is exactly what we need more of. We need to understand who we are here with. And, more and more urgently, to understand that we are not alone on our planet. As humans become more isolated and alienated, stories of other animals offer us our best chance for succeeding at being human.”—Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel“I cannot recommend highly enough this memorable collection of essays about the secret life of animals from two of the most thought-provoking, animal-savvy writers of this time, Sy Montgomery and Elizabeth Marshall Thomas. A must-read for anyone interested in all creatures great and small.”—Nicholas Dodman, DVM, author of Pets on the Couch; professor emeritus, Tufts University“A beautifully written, fascinating compendium of essays about many species with whom we share our planet. Sy Montgomery and Elizabeth Marshall Thomas impart their insights into the behavior of a variety of nonhumans in this extremely informative and thought-provoking read.”—Irene M. Pepperberg, author of Alex & Me“Tamed and Untamed is a beautiful duet between two of the world’s finest nature writers. These enchanting essays bring to life creatures both novel and familiar, from pink dolphins to domestic dogs, war elephants to garden slugs. Each chapter reveals a new animal mystery and adds to the menagerie of our minds.”—Abigail Tucker, author of The Lion in the Living Room“Tamed and Untamed is a gem of a book. Written by two incredibly gifted writers, it’s a multicourse buffet of wonderful and thought-provoking stories about the surprising and wide-ranging intelligence, and deep and rich emotional lives of many different nonhuman animals. These eloquent authors weave solid science into their stories so that nonresearchers can well understand what is happening in the heads and hearts of the dogs, cats, rats, hawks, octopuses, and many other animals about whom they write. The bottom line is that we are not all that unique among the fascinating and diverse beings who are called ‘animals’ and with whom we share our magnificent planet. They, like this book, are gifts we must cherish.”—Marc Bekoff, author of Rewilding Our Hearts; coauthor of The Animals’ Agenda“Who but Sy Montgomery could describe a hawk’s eyes as having ‘an intensity stronger than rage and brighter than joy’? Who but Elizabeth Marshall Thomas would take in a wild mouse, ‘sort of like helping a relative’? This is a book to cherish, full of enlightenment, curiosity, and admiration for all things animal. I loved it.”—Patricia McConnell, author of The Education of Will

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