In this lavishly illustrated book for ages 7 to 10, marine ecologist and underwater explorer Erin Spencer provides fascinating, scientific information in a highly accessible format, including details about the types of coral, their anatomy and life cycle, where they live, how reefs develop, and the incredible diversity of marine animals that live among them, including aquarium favorites like clownfish, royal blue tangs, and sea turtles. Kids learn about the interdependent relationships of people and reefs and how human behavior puts reefs in danger, promising conservation work that scientists are undertaking, and solution-oriented ways kids and families can help in the effort.

    A beautifully illustrated guide to nature through the seasons by much-loved printmaker Angela Harding.The cover of this stunning book has an exclusive triptych printed on the reverse - a perfect collector's itemThis stunning work, the first book that is solely dedicated to Angela's art, is a celebration of her beautiful prints, and a glimpse into her detailed and meticulous process.A Year Unfolding is a journey through Angela's year in nature watching the seasons unfold in front of her from her studio in Rutland, and giving the reader detail into how nature transforms and evolves over the course of the year.A Year Unfolding also tells the stories behind some of Angela's most popular images, giving context to Angela's celebrated work, as well as new art created specifically for the book.The beautiful illustrations and evocative imagery of the prose make this the perfect book for Angela's fans and readers and art lovers everywhere.

    Author Seth Kantner vividly illuminates this critical story about the interconnectedness of the I�upiat of Northwest Alaska, the Western Arctic Caribou Herd, and the larger Arctic region. This story has global relevance as it takes place in one of the largest remaining intact wilderness ecosystems on the planet, ground zero for climate change in the US. This compelling and complex tale revolves around the politics of caribou, race relations, urban vs. rural demands, subsistence vs. sport hunting, and cultural priorities vs. resource extraction--a story that requires a fearless writer with an honest voice and an open heart.

    These so-called “trash animals” and “pointy kitties” are not only relatable avatars for anxious but resilient people everywhere, but nature’s secret clean-up crew. Organized around common myths that have given possums a bad reputation, this fun and offbeat book reveals the truth about possums through dozens of adorable photos, informative illustrations, and fascinating facts. Did you know that… • Possums protect people and pets from disease! A single possum can eat up to 4,000 ticks per week. • Possums excel at interspecies friendships, often sleeping in other animals’ dens. • Because of their low body temperature, possums are practically immune to rabies. • Possums are shy creatures: when they “play dead,” they are actually fainting from anxiety! Written by wildlife rehabber and possum advocate Ally Burguieres, known for her popular Instagram account @ItsMeSesame, this accessible and giftable guide explains why possums deserve our admiration and offers tips on how we can protect and advocate for these magical marsupials.

    This volume marries the very latest in paleontology with an easily accessible atlas format to illuminate the mysteries of dinosaur origins, clues to what they looked like and where they lived, and, most intriguingly, what happened to them. In vivid recreations of the prehistoric world and fascinating see-through overlays featuring 3-D computer graphics of skeletal structures, DK's Dinosaur Atlas brings dinosaurs to life! AUTHOR BIO: Dougal Dixon has written many children's books and encyclopedias. He has participated in a number of worldwide dinosaur excavations, and in 1993 was awarded the Distinguished Achievement Award for Excellence in Educational Journalism by the Educational Press Association of America.

    

    

    From the tasty practicality of sweet basil to the ornamental splendour of roses, THE HARROWSMITH ILLUSTRATED BOOK OF HERBS is the first definitive guide to growing a herb garden in Canada or the northern United States.

    This invaluable compendium provides detailed information on identifying, ageing, and sexing waterbirds, diurnal raptors, and gallinaceous birds in the hand. While of primary utility to banders, the wealth of information is of interest to both birdwatchers and ornithologists, whether engaged in bird banding or not. Based heavily on field work and specimen examination, much new information is presented for the first time. Front material describes and illustrates techniques for identifying, ageing, and sexing birds and 45 pages of Literature Cited round out this robust paperbound volume of 835 pp.

    This is a book to be devoured.' Damian le Bas, author of The Stopping PlacesFrom the lagoons of Mexico to Arctic glaciers, grey whale mothers are swimming with their calves, past predatory orcas, through a warming sea. For ten thousand miles, they endure one of the longest mammalian migrations on the planet. Following them, by bus, train and ferry, are Doreen Cunningham and her young son Max, in pursuit of a wild hope: that their family of two can make it by themselves.Doreen first visited Utqiagvik, the northernmost town in Alaska, as a young journalist reporting on climate change among indigenous whaling communities. There, she joined the spring whale hunt under the neverending Arctic light, watching for bowhead whales and polar bears, drawn deeply into an Inupiaq family, their culture and the disappearing ice.Years later, plunged into sudden poverty and isolation, living in a Women's Refuge with her baby son, Doreen recalls the wilderness that once helped shape her own. She embarks on an extraordinary adventure: taking Max to follow the grey whale migration all the way north to the Inupiaq family that took her in, where grey and bowhead whales meet at the melting apex of our planet.Soundings is the story of a woman reclaiming her life, mile by mile; a child growing to love an ocean that is profoundly endangered; and a mother learning from another species how to parent in a time of unprecedented change. Intrepid, brave and breathtaking, her journey will take you to the ends of the earth, alongside the whales that call it home.

    During a remarkable 50-year career he has led extraordinary efforts to bring endangered birds back from the brink of extinction, both in New Zealand and overseas.In New Zealand, Don developed techniques that were pivotal in securing the future of both North and South Island saddlebacks, and he was prime architect and leader in the rescue of the Chatham Island black robin, when just a single breeding pair remained. For more than 30 years he was at the forefront of the Kakapo recovery programme, co-ordinating and leading last ditch conservation efforts in Fiordland, the discovery of a previously unknown population of kakapo on Stewart Island, and the successful translocation of all known birds to offshore islands where their future has been secured. Don is also world-renowned for island restoration efforts on the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and the Seychelles, and for his involvement in the conservation of rare Australian birds.

    "Thirty years ago it felt like being knighted for M.F.K. Fisher to praise my writing in her introduction to The Tea Lover's Treasury. This book is a descendant of that distant ancestor. Because I am a better writer than before, it is better organized, better written, and shorter. Because I know vastly more than before about a vastly greater array of teas, it is more useful and interesting. I return to the subject like a simple, healthful habit I enjoy and enjoy sharing the language and lore of an age-old global trade that links tea producers, dealers and consumers in a single world-wide community. And because I do not hope to return again to this subject, my hope is you will make The Ultimate Tea Lover's Treasury your starting point and carry on."

    Its fertile floodplain allowed for rise to the great civilization of ancient Egypt, but for millennia the location of its headwaters was shrouded in mystery. Pharaonic and Roman attempts to find it were stymied by a giant labyrinthine swamp, and subsequent expeditions got no further. In the 19th century, the discovery and translation of the Rosetta Stone set off a frenzy of interest in ancient Egypt. At the same time, European powers sent off waves of explorations intended to map the unknown corners of the globe - and extend their colonial empires.Two British men - Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke - were sent by the Royal Geographical Society to claim the prize for England. Burton was already famous for being the first non-Muslim to travel to Mecca, disguised as an Arab chieftain. He spoke twenty-nine languages, was a decorated soldier, and literally wrote the book on sword-fighting techniques for the British Army. He was also mercurial, subtle, and an iconoclastic atheist. Speke was a young aristocrat and Army officer determined to make his mark, passionate about hunting, Burton's opposite in temperament and beliefs.From the start the two men clashed, Speke chafing under Burton's command and Burton disapproving of Speke's ignorance of the people whose lands through which they traveled. They would endure tremendous hardships, illness, and constant setbacks. Two years in, deep in the African interior, Burton became too sick to press on, but Speke did, and claimed he found the source in a great lake that he christened Lake Victoria. When they returned to England, Speke rushed to take credit, disparaging Burton. Burton disputed his claim, and Speke launched another expedition to Africa to prove it. The two became venomous enemies, with the public siding with the more charismatic Burton, to Speke's great envy. The day before they were to publicly debate, Speke shot himself.Yet there was a third man on both expeditions, his name obscured by imperial annals, whose exploits were even more extraordinary. This was Sidi Mubarak Bombay, who was enslaved and shipped from his home village in East Africa to India. When the man who purchased him died, he made his way into the local Sultan's army, and eventually traveled back to Africa, where he used his resourcefulness, linguistic prowess and raw courage to forge a living as a guide. Without his talents, it is likely that neither Englishman would have come close to the headwaters of the Nile, or perhaps even survived.In RIVER OF THE GODS Candice Millard has written another peerless story of courage and adventure, set against the backdrop of the race to exploit Africa by the colonial powers.

    

    Description and scientific reference information for grade school and up.

    

    It covers everything from the depths of space to the very centre of the earth - there are poems about the solar system, planet earth, oceans and rivers, birds, dinosaurs, fossils, wildlife, flowers, fungi, insects, explorers and palaeontologists. Each section includes an introduction and some footnotes about particularly interesting species. The museum has a collection of over eighty million objects and behind the scenes of its twenty-eight galleries crowd kilometres of preserved specimens, libraries of rare books and artworks, wonders gathered on some of the most famous voyages in history, rooms packed with pressed plants, warehouses teeming with stuffed animals and freezers full of DNA. As well as a museum, it is a state-of-the-art centre for discovery with over three hundred resident scientists and over ten thousand visiting researchers each year, investigating everything from dinosaurs to life on other planets.The collection is made up of brand new and classic poems and is illustrated with botanical drawings and engravings from the museum’s collections.This fantastic collection speaks of the wonder of nature and shows us why we need to look after our incredible planet.