Description
Book SynopsisNature on the Doorstep reveals the simple pleasures of paying attention to the natural world in one''s own backyard over the course of a year. In weekly letters, Angela Douglas shares the joys and curiosities of a decidedly ordinary patch of green in upstate New York cultivated through the art of strategic neglectsometimes taking a hand to manage wildlife, more often letting nature go its own way.
From the first flowers of spring to cardinals singing in the winter, Douglas shows us the magic of welcoming unexpected plant and animal life into one''s backyard. A paean to the richness we find when we stop to look and let be, Nature on the Doorstep celebrates the role humble backyards play both in conservation efforts and in an expanded appreciation of the living world.
Trade ReviewFilled with wide-eyed wonder, these lighthearted letters charm. This book has plenty to offer those looking to discover the magic in one's own backyard.
* Publishers Weekly *
Table of ContentsMarch 22, 2020: On the horns of a dilemma
March 29, 2020: Spring is coming...
April 5, 2020: Wordsworth's flowers
April 12, 2020: Vultures and rabbits
April 19, 2020: Bloom where you are planted
April 26, 2020: Winter's dregs
May 3, 2020: The English daisy
May 10, 2020: Bud burst!
May 17, 2020: And now it's summer
May 24, 2020: Chipmunks and woodchucks
May 31, 2020: Looking up
June 7, 2020: Natives and aliens
June 14, 2002: Save the bees!
June 21, 2020: A terminological jungle
June 28, 2020: Empires under the maple tree
July 5, 2020: Fireflies: a wonder of the Ithaca world
July 12, 2020: The Deptford pink
July 19, 2020: Blue jay birds and blue jay humans
July 26, 2020: Call my bluff
August 2, 2020: Termite mound or Italian villa?
August 9, 2020: Happy families
August 16, 2020: The orthopteran orchestra
August 23, 2020: Backyard munchers
August 30, 2020: Wasps galore
September 6, 2020: The official end of summer
September 13, 2020: Garden silks
September 20, 2020: Late season flowers
September 27, 2020: The War of the Seasons
October 4, 2020: The backyard harvest
October 11, 2020: Making a living in the backyard
October 18, 2020: The winter birdseed feeder is back in business
October 25, 2020: Fall colors
November 1, 2020: The end of the 2020 orthopteran orchestra
November 8, 2020: Fake news!
November 15, 2020: What's on today's menu?
November 22, 2020: It smells to high heaven
November 29, 2020: Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater
December 6, 2020: Hawk, beware!
December 13, 2020: Life in the leafless trees
December 20, 2020: Nearly a foot of snow
December 27, 2020: Mass Sparrow Attack
January 3, 2021: Celebrating the last day of the year
January 10, 2021: Winter sounds
January 17, 2021: Sparrow Wars
January 24, 2021: The daily red squirrel
January 31, 2021: It is nothing but winter—winter, cold and savage
February 7, 2021: A Miller B nor'easter and a Bumpus event
February 14, 2021: Finding their voice
February 21, 2021: The daily crow commute
February 28, 2021: Periwinkle for tea
March 7, 2021: Snow fleas
March 14, 2021: All change
