He climbs, walks, and swims by day and spends his nights sleeping on cliff-tops and in ancient meadows and wildwoods. With elegance and passion he entwines history, memory, and landscape in a bewitching evocation of wildness and its vital importance. A unique travelogue that will intrigue readers of natural history and adventure, The Wild Places solidifies Macfarlane's reputation as a young writer to watch.

    In 1741, hungry explorers discovered herds of Steller’s sea cow in the Bering Strait, and in less than thirty years, the amiable beast had been harpooned into extinction. It’s a classic story, but a key fact is often omitted. Bering Island was the last redoubt of a species that had been decimated by hunting and habitat loss years before the explorers set sail. As Callum M. Roberts reveals in The Unnatural History of the Sea, the oceans’ bounty didn’t disappear overnight. While today’s fishing industry is ruthlessly efficient, intense exploitation began not in the modern era, or even with the dawn of industrialization, but in the eleventh century in medieval Europe. Roberts explores this long and colorful history of commercial fishing, taking readers around the world and through the centuries to witness the transformation of the seas. Drawing on firsthand accounts of early explorers, pirates, merchants, fishers, and travelers, the book recreates the oceans of the past: waters teeming with whales, sea lions, sea otters, turtles, and giant fish. The abundance of marine life described by fifteenth century seafarers is almost unimaginable today, but Roberts both brings it alive and artfully traces its depletion. Collapsing fisheries, he shows, are simply the latest chapter in a long history of unfettered commercialization of the seas. The story does not end with an empty ocean. Instead, Roberts describes how we might restore the splendor and prosperity of the seas through smarter management of our resources and some simple restraint. From the coasts of Florida to New Zealand, marine reserves have fostered spectacular recovery of plants and animals to levels not seen in a century. They prove that history need not repeat itself: we can leave the oceans richer than we found them.

    But the glory of each essay lies in Childs's ability to portray the sometimes brutal beauty of the wilderness, to capture the individual essence of wild creatures, to transport the reader beyond the human realm and deep inside the animal kingdom.

    Award-winning writer and wildlife photographer Ian McAllister draws from his intimate observations of more than forty wolf packs along this rugged coastline over a seventeen-year period in this first-ever documentation of their fascinating, complex way of life. In a compelling narrative and more than 100 stunning photographs, McAllister captures these majestic animals fishing for salmon, stalking seals hauled out on rocks, playing on the beach, and raising their families. The Last Wild Wolves also describes the work of scientists whose recent findings have corroborated McAllister's own observations and the traditional knowledge gleaned by First Nations people over centuries—that these wolves are genetically distinct; unlike other wolves, they subsist on coastal prey and swim from island to island in their archipelago home. The Last Wild Wolves is a remarkable portrait of the unique lives of island wolves and an eloquent expression of just how much is at stake in their preservation. Copub: Greystone Books

    As miraculous a feat of nature as the snowflakes has been, have we ever been truly able to appreciate this infinitesimal wonder in all its crystalline glory? Art of the Snowflake, as much a work of art as a testament to science, reveals how one of the snowflake's most inspired photographers came to such intimate knowledge of his craft and its fleeting focus. Beautiful pictures illustrate Kenneth Libbrecht's story of the microphotography of snow crystals, from the pioneering work of Wilson Bentley in the 1890s right up to Ken's own innovations in our age of digital images. A breathtaking look at the works of art that melt in an instant, this is a book to flip through and savor, season after season.

    Birds of Peru is the most complete and well-researched field guide to this rich and fascinating diversity. It illustrates every one of the 1,792 species and shows the distinct plumages of each. It includes 304 superb, high-quality color plates directly opposite concise descriptions and color distribution maps, making it much easier to use in the field than standard neotropical field guides. The detailed text discusses key identification features, status, distribution, and vocalizations for all species, and many subspecies.This field guide enables users to identify all species found in Peru, and is also useful throughout much of western South America, particularly southeastern Colombia, southern Ecuador, western Brazil, Bolivia, and northern Chile.Birds of Peru is an indispensable resource for birdwatchers, biologists, naturalists, and conservationists working or traveling in Peru and South America.The most complete and well-researched field guide to the 1,792 species of birds found in Peru304 superb, high-quality color plates directly opposite concise descriptions and full-color distribution maps for quick reference and easy identificationDistinct plumages, subspecies, sexes, age classes, and morphs fully illustratedDetailed text discusses key identification features, status, distribution, and vocalizationsDesigned especially for field use-compact, portable, and user-friendly

    In this beautiful new one-volume edition, modern readers are introduced to one of the best nature writers of the last century. More than one hundred of the original illustrations by Paul Landacre highlight the eloquent and entertaining accounts of American trees. As we read Peattie's descriptions, we catch glimpses of our country's history and past daily life that no textbook could ever illuminate so vividly.Here you'll learn about everything from how a species was discovered to the part it played in our country’s history. Pioneers often stabled an animal in the hollow heart of an old sycamore, and the whole family might live there until they could build a log cabin. The tuliptree, the tallest native hardwood, is easier to work than most softwood trees; Daniel Boone carved a sixty-foot canoe from one tree to carry his family from Kentucky into Spanish territory. In the days before the Revolution, the British and the colonists waged an undeclared war over New England's white pines, which made the best tall masts for fighting ships. It's fascinating to learn about the commercial uses of various woods -- for paper, fine furniture, fence posts, matchsticks, house framing, airplane wings, and dozens of other preplastic uses. But we cannot read this book without the occasional lump in our throats. The American elm was still alive when Peattie wrote, but as we read his account today we can see what caused its demise. Audubon's portrait of a pair of loving passenger pigeons in an American beech is considered by many to be his greatest painting. It certainly touched the poet in Donald Culross Peattie as he depicted the extinction of the passenger pigeon when the beech forest was destroyed. A Natural History of North American Trees gives us a picture of life in America from its earliest days to the middle of the last century. The information is always interesting, though often heartbreaking. While Peattie looks for the better side of man's nature, he reports sorrowfully on the greed and waste that have doomed so much of America's virgin forest.

    In Deakin's glorious meditation on wood, the "fifth element"as it exists in nature, in our culture, and in our souls the reader accompanies Deakin through the woods of Britain, Europe, Kazakhstan, and Australia in search of what lies behind man's profound and enduring connection with trees.Deakin lives in forest shacks, goes "coppicing" in Suffolk, swims beneath the walnut trees of the Haut-Languedoc, and hunts bushplums with Aboriginal women in the outback. Along the way, he ferrets out the mysteries of woods, detailing the life stories of the timber beams composing his Elizabethan house and searching for the origin of the apple.As the world's forests are whittled away, Deakin's sparkling prose evokes woodlands anarchic with life, rendering each tree as an individual, living being. At once a traveler's tale and a splendid work of natural history, Wildwood reveals, amid the world's marvelous diversity, that which is universal in human experience.

    Spectacular, mysterious, elegant, or grotesque, the skeletons of the vertebrates that inhabit the earth today carry within them the imprint of an evolutionary process that has lasted several billion years. This book is the result of a dual approach, scientific as well as aesthetic, rigorous yet accessible. Each chapter is made up of a short text that illuminates one theme of the evolutionary process—repetition, adaptation, polymorphism, sexual selection, and more—and a series of exquisitely composed photographs of skeletons against a black background. Approximately three hundred photographs of whole skeletons or their details have been made possible by the French National Museum of Natural History. The reader learns, by experiencing each text and photograph together, how the structure of every creature has been shaped by its environmental and genetic inheritance.

    Although Bernd Heinrich's father, Gerd, a devoted naturalist, specialized in wasps, Bernd tried to distance himself from his “old-fashioned” father, becoming a hybrid: a modern, experimental biologist with a naturalist's sensibilities.In this remarkable memoir, the award-winning author shares the ways in which his relationship with his father, combined with his unique childhood, molded him into the scientist, and man, he is today. From Gerd's days as a soldier in Europe to the family's daring escape from the Red Army in 1945 to the rustic Maine farm they came to call home, Heinrich relates it all in his trademark style, making science accessible and awe-inspiring.

    From the #1 bestselling author of The Hot Zone comes an amazing account of scientific and spiritual passion for the tallest trees in the world, the startling biosystem of Rthe canopy, S and those who are committed to the preservation of this astonishing and largely unknown world.

    "Native Trees of the Southeast" is a practical, compact field guide for the identification of the more than 225 trees native to the region, from the Carolinas and eastern Tennessee south through Georgia into northern Florida and west through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas into eastern Texas. For confident identification, nearly 600 photographs, close to 500 of them in color, illustrate leaves, flowers and fruits or cones, bark, and twigs with buds. Full descriptions are accompanied by keys for plants in both summer and winter condition, as well as over 200 range maps. Crucial differences between plants that may be mistaken for each other are discussed and notes on the uses of the trees in horticulture, forestry, and for wildlife are included.

     Marie Mead has authored twenty uplifting stories based on actual events. Many of the stories are about rabbits originally rescued by the House Rabbit Society, Best Friends Animal Society, Brambley Hedge Rabbit Rescue, or the Rabbit Sanctuary. Despite the fact that most of the stories begin with rescues from traumatic situations, the happy endings of these true accounts will leave readers inspired. The pieces emphasize rabbits resilient nature and how their personalities flourish when coupled with compassionate human care. The book also includes personal contributions by best-selling authors Susan Chernak McElroy and Dr. Bernie Siegel, two accounts by collaborator Nancy LaRoche, a foreword by Dr. Michael W. Fox, and color photos and artist illustrations. Those who already know and appreciate rabbits will enjoy the stories about individual bunnies. Readers less familiar with rabbits will be amazed by the complexity of their nature: the curiosity, intelligence, sociability, and courage. In addition to their presentation in the stories, these often-misunderstood creatures are further explained through short About Rabbits addendums to each chapter, containing tidbits of wisdom about the prey animals psyche, instincts, and physical attributes. Although this is not a how-to rabbit care book, it includes a few select articles written expressly for the resource section.

    They are very colorful; oranges, yellows, greens, blacks and whites adorn trees, bedrock and even gravestones. This field guide spotlights 120 species, shown in color photos with natural history text.

    Spectacular, mysterious, elegant and disturbing - the compelling beauty of vertebrate skeletons is revealed as never before in this collection of photographs, which offers an original explanation of the mechanics of evolution.

    Most of Earth’s oxygen is produced by phytoplankton in the sea. These humble, one-celled organisms, rather than the spectacular rain forests, are the true lungs of the planet.• Climate control. Our climate is regulated by the ocean’s currents, winds, and water-cycle activity.Sea Sick is the first book to examine the current state of the world’s oceans — the great unexamined ecological crisis of the planet — and the fact that we are altering everything about them; temperature, salinity, acidity, ice cover, volume, circulation, and, of course, the life within them.Alanna Mitchell joins the crews of leading scientists in nine of the global ocean’s hotspots to see firsthand what is really happening around the world. Whether it’s the impact of coral reef bleaching, the puzzle of the oxygen-less dead zones such as the one in the Gulf of Mexico, or the shocking implications of the changing Ph balance of the sea, Mitchell explains the science behind the story to create an engaging, accessible yet authoritative account.From the Hardcover edition.

    Thomas Bewick's History of British Birds marked the moment, the first "field guide" for ordinary people, illustrated with woodcuts of astonishing accuracy and beauty. But his work was far more than a mere guide, for in the vivid vignettes scattered through the book, Bewick captured the vanishing world of rural English life.In this superb biography, Jenny Uglow tells the story of the farmer's son from Tyneside who influenced book illustration for a century to come. It is a story of violent change, radical politics, lost ways of life, and the beauty of the wild -- a journey to the beginning of our lasting obsession with the natural world.

    This vivid collection of photographs with accompanying DVD from underwater photography collective Scubazoo, reveals reefs and the thousands of unique and valuable plants that inhabit them as they ve never been seen before!

    The biological world under our toes is often unexplored and unappreciated, yet it teems with life. In one square meter of earth, there lives trillions of bacteria, millions of nematodes, hundreds of thousands of mites, thousands of insects and worms, and hundreds of snails and slugs. But because of their location and size, many of these creatures are as unfamiliar and bizarre to us as anything found at the bottom of the ocean.Lavishly illustrated with nearly three hundred color illustrations and masterfully-rendered black and white drawings throughout, Life in the Soil invites naturalists and gardeners alike to dig in and discover the diverse community of creatures living in the dirt below us.  Biologist and acclaimed natural history artist James B. Nardi begins with an introduction to soil ecosystems, revealing the unseen labors of underground organisms maintaining the rich fertility of the earth as they recycle nutrients between the living and mineral worlds. He then introduces readers to a dazzling array of creatures: wolf spiders with glowing red eyes, snails with 120 rows of teeth, and 10,000-year-old fungi, among others. Organized by taxon, Life in the Soil covers everything from slime molds and roundworms to woodlice and dung beetles, as well as vertebrates from salamanders to shrews. The book ultimately explores the crucial role of soil ecosystems in conserving the worlds above and below ground.A unique and illustrative introduction to the many unheralded creatures that inhabit our soils and shape our environment aboveground, Life in the Soil will inform and enrich the naturalist in all of us.

    The loudmouths of the raptor world, they peep, trill, toot, bark, growl, shriek, whistle, chittle, whoop, chuckle, boom, and buzz. Indeed, very few actually "hoot." They have become the stuff of lore and legend—from the Roman myth that an owl foot could reveal secrets to the First Nations belief that an owl feather could give a newborn better night vision. But the truth about owls is much more exciting.In this gorgeous book, celebrated natural history writer and wildlife photographer Wayne Lynch reveals the secrets of these elusive species with stunning photographs, personal anecdotes, and accessible science. The photos alone are masterpieces. Unlike most published owl photos, which are portraits of birds in captivity, the vast majority of these were taken in the wild—a product of the author-photographer's incredible knowledge and patience.Lynch complements the photos with a wealth of facts about anatomy, habitat, diet, and family life. For each of the nineteen species that inhabit Canada and the United States, he provides a range map and a brief discussion of its distribution, population size, and status. Lynch debunks myths about owls' "supernatural" powers of sight and hearing, discusses courtship rituals, and offers personal tips for finding owls in the wild.From the great horned to the tiny elf owl, this amazing volume captures the beauty and mystery of these charismatic birds of prey.

    Earth has survived four and a half billion years of being 'stirred from below and bombarded from above' but at the start of the twenty-first century our planet faces new threats, brought about by human actions. It is the perfect time to look back on an extraordinary life and give Earth a thorough health-check. Each chapter focuses on one of Earth's most powerful forces - meteor impacts, plate tectonics, the ocean, atmosphere and ice - and explores their central role in keeping Earth alive.These are the forces that drive our planet and shape its destiny. We discover how a devastating cosmic impact blasted a huge chunk of Earth into space to form the Moon, how Earth nearly froze to death when it was completely encased in ice for millions of years, and how Earth's remarkable heat engine, its molten core, saved the day. Earth has been able to sustain complex life thanks to an extraordinary number of lucky breaks and coincidences. Scientists predict that one day it will die as the Sun heats up and expands. But are we hastening its end through our actions? This lavishly illustrated book will tell the epic story of the birth, life and future of our amazing planet.

    Planet Earth is now regarded as the ultimate wildlife TV series, and its magic lies in its photography. Featuring the very best of Planet Earth images - from breathtaking aerials to unique, intimate portraits - Planet Earth, The Photographs is full of surprises, spectacle and a sense of awe. It is also, to quote David Attenborough, "an eloquent rallying call to all of us who care for the Earth's welfare to redouble our efforts to protect those wonders that still survive." Accompanying the images are thought-provoking captions by Planet Earth series producer Alastair Fothergill, along with quotes from the good and great of the wildlife and conservation world. Together they reveal the wonders of life on earth today and remind us that, without action, "within the next few years, the world itself may never look the same again.""There is something about the wonder of nature, nature in its infinite variety and mystery, that touches people in their very souls." Planet Earth - The Future

    Describes nearly the resident and migrant British and Irish species of macro-moth and illustrates with colour artworks by Richard Lewington, showing the moths in their natural resting postures.

    Many of the insects' colors are brilliant and jewellike, and they are displayed beautifully here. This book and accompanying CD provide a unique doorway to enjoyment of the insect concerts and solos that dominate our natural soundscape during the summer and autumn. The text includes information on the natural history of insects, identification tips, and an appreciation of insect song. A seventy-minute audio CD features high-quality recordings of the songs of all species, track-keyed to the information presented in the text.

    This fantastic book sets a new benchmark for the identification of Nudibranchs.It presents Nudibranchs that have been photographed by the authors over a period of more than 30 years, along with numerous pictures by contributing diving friends and scientists from around the world.With over 2500 color photos of Nudibranchs in their natural environment, over 1180 species of Nudibranchs illustrated, in large letter format, 360 pages, hardcover bound, it is a comprehensive photo identification guide to Nudibranchs of the world seas.A real achievement!It gives the identification of most Nudibranchs known to species level, it explains the relationships between species from different oceans, and it gives information on behavior (defense, camouflage, mimicry and more...).This book is the perfect guide for divers, snorkelers, field workers, biologists, naturalists, scientists and photographers.

    Here are the volcanic mountains and mysterious fossils, vanilla-scented ponderosa pines, painted desert colors, wild creatures large and small, rugged wildflowers, remote outposts, and rich history reaching back to prehistoric times. Your expert guide is Alan D. St. John, naturalist, photographer, native Oregonian, and lifetime dry-side explorer who shares it all, including — and this is generous indeed — some of his own little-known favorite places. Also a broad field guide to eastern Oregon, this treasure of a book shows the region's flora and fauna and dramatic geology in gorgeous photographs.

    Each species is covered in detail with information on how to identify, whether from a leaf, twig, bark or whole tree, plus extra information on where the tree grows (including a map), how high they grow, what uses the tree is used for and its unique history.Every species is also comprehensively illustrated with photographs of every useful feature – bark, leaf, seed, flower, twig and whole tree.Sample identification section:Silver Birch Betula pendula (Betulaceae) height to 26mA slender, fast-growing deciduous tree with a narrow, tapering crown when young and growing vigorously. Older trees acquire a weeping habit, especially if growing in an open, uncrowded situation.

    Addressing everything from how an elephant's trunk works to why the blue whale is not a fish, this question-and-answer guide includes more than 700 color photographs and a detailed section on tracks and signs, making it a must-have for anyone wanting to know about the mammals of the bush region.

    Each entry has its own full color identification photograph, an artwork reconstruction showing just what the fossilized plant or animal may have looked like and a factfile of essential information.

    It is a fascinating celebration of what used to be called romantic natural history, examining a dazzling diversity of animal anomalies, creatures of cryptozoology, and all manner of other thought-provoking zoological revelations and continuing controversies down through the ages of wildlife discovery. Handsomely supplemented by a vista of enchanting Victorian engravings to evoke the spirit of the period from which the inspiration for this book is drawn, Extraordinary Animals Revisited offers an enthralling introduction to a veritable menagerie of truly astonishing beasts: From singing dogs to serpent kings, pseudo-plesiosaurs to quasi-octopuses, hounds with two noses and birds with four wings, the Sandwell Valleygator and New Mexico's medicine wolf, cobras that crow and snake gods that dance, giant solifugids and rodent colossi, devil-birds and devil-pigs, furry woodpeckers and marsupial hummingbirds, archangel feathers and the scales of the Eden serpent, scorpion-stones and elephant-pearls, tales of the peacock's tail, parachuting palm civets, missing megapodes, blue rhinoceroses, glutinous globsters, anomalous aardvarks, a platypus from Colorado, man-sized spiders from the Congo, de Loys's lost Venezuelan ape, Margate's marine elephant, a flying hedgehog called Tizzie-Wizzie, a mellifluous mollusc called Molly, India's once (and future?) pink-headed duck, the squeaking deathshead, the vanquished bird-god of New Caledonia, and much much more - all waiting to amaze and amuse, a pageant of natural and unnatural history.

    Judith Larner Lowry, winner of the prestigious John Burroughs award, here builds on themes from her best-selling Gardening with a Wild Heart, which introduced restoration gardening as a new way of thinking about land and people. Drawing on her experiences in her own garden, Lowry offers guidance on how to plan a garden with birds, plants, and insects in mind; how to shape it with trees and shrubs, paths and trails, ponds, and other features; and how to cultivate, maintain, and harvest seeds and food from a diverse array of native annuals and perennials. Working in passionate collaboration with the scrub jays, quail, ants, and deer who visit her garden, and inspired by other gardeners, including some of the women pioneers of native plant horticulture, Lowry shares the delights of creating site-specific, ever-changing gardens that can help us better understand our place in the natural world.

    The Collection s exquisite natural history artworks in Amazing Rare Things is supplemented by an introduction and commentary from Sir David Attenborough. This exploration of the natural world from the late fifteenth century to the early eighteenth century represents a period when European knowledge of the world was transformed by voyages of discovery to the farthest reaches of Africa, Asia, America, and beyond. Included are works by Leonardo da Vinci and other foremost artists and collectors of their time who embraced the natural riches of their ever-expanding world and whose legacies help us better understand today our continuing relationship with the natural world.

    Author Luke Hunter looks into the history, evolution, behavior and day-to-day survival of one of the most fascinating of the big cats. He discusses the ancestry of the cheetah, its hunting strategies, reproduction, social behavior and status throughout Africa and Iran - the last remaining pocket of the species in Asia. Hunter also focuses on the tenuous future of the cheetah, its decreasing habitat and declining numbers, and deals with the immediate and long-term conservation issues facing the species. His authoritative text highlights the latest research on cheetahs, dispelling the myths and providing a comprehensive overview of the cheetah in the wild. Throughout the book, his first-hand field observations supplement data on the latest ecological discoveries from cheetah researchers across Africa. Powerful, full-color photographs by Dave Hamman make this book a visual feast and reveal a world that is both intensely private and highly dramatic. Hamman's portrayal of the many modes and activities of this elusive animal presents a sumptuous gallery of photographs, while at the same time serving to broaden our knowledge - and help ensure the survival - of this remarkable and beautiful cat.

    For thirty years he has hauled his large-format camera with him, seeking to capture on film the elusive birds, the wildflowers and grasses, and the unique wild beauty of the marshes. In this breathtakingly lovely book, he selects ninety of his most striking photographs. He also offers his reflections on the marshes he has visited, inviting his readers to come with him and become acquainted with this hidden world, its richness, and its vulnerability. Burt explores marshes near and far, from Connecticut to Manitoba, the Gulf of Mexico, California’s Central Valley, the Northern Plains, and elsewhere. His photographs explore all aspects and seasons of marsh life but focus especially on such shy inhabitants as rails, bitterns, grebes, and gallinules. While the photographs tell stories of their own, Burt’s narrative invokes the marshes of the past and compares them to today’s, with prose as picture-sharp as the photography. No book has ever evoked the mystery and beauty of the marshes so compellingly as this by William Burt. And no reader, having accompanied the author to this secret world, will fail to appreciate the rare privilege of having been there.

    Based on the author's extensive research of live raptors, The Illustrated Birds of Prey features 200 meticulous and anatomically accurate drawings that capture each magnificent bird in multiple poses from every angle and in minute detail - while documenting their natural behavior and fierce predatory nature. Inside The Illustrated Birds of Prey, you'll find: - 47 drawings of the large red-tailed hawk, the most familiar hawk in North America. - 65 drawings of the peregrine falcon, the world's fastest bird with diving speeds of up to 200 mph. - 87 drawings of the American kestrel, considered the most colorful predator bird in the world. - Proportion charts for adapting each drawing to various sizes. You'll also discover comprehensive line drawings of flight and contour feathers, exclusive color charts created by award winning bird carver Lori Corbett, and a gorgeous galleryof artistic interpretations of the raptors by some of the world's finest artists. No wildlife artist, woodcarver, or sculptor, should be without this complete, one-of-a-kind resource!

    In these stories compiled by Harvey Leake, Wolfkiller shares the ancient wisdom of the Navajo elders that was passed to him while a boy growing up near the Utah/Arizona border. Wolfkiller's story was recorded and translated by pioneer trader Louisa Wade Wetherill, an unlikely pairing that came together when she moved to this remote area of southern Utah in 1906. Wetherill recognized that Wolfkiller was a man of exceptional character, with lessons and wisdom of the Navajo that deserved to be recorded and preserved for the benefit of future generations.

    Seeing an opportunity to play upon fears from market demand, chemical companies declared war on the vile, profitsucking, output-wreaking, arch-nemesis of the average American farmer - bugs. With precision, pesticide manufacturers delivered a 'shock and awe' media campaign, that can only be compared to the current blitzkrieg from today's pharmaceutical companies. Bugs were the threat to the American dream - and there was a cure available to every farmer in spray, granule, dust, or systemic form that could be applied to your crops. Will Allen's War on Bugs reveals how advertisers, editors, scientists, large scale farmers, government agencies, and even Dr. Seuss, colluded to convince farmers to use deadly chemicals, hormones, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in an effort to pad their wallets and control the American farm enterprise. Utilizing dozens of original advertisements and promotions to illustrate the story, Allen details how consumers and activists have struggled against toxic food. The War on Bugs shouts that the time to stop poisoning our food, water, air, and ourselves is now!

    In this text, Scott Turner takes up the question of design as a very real problem in biology. His solution poses challenges to all sides in this critical debate.

    When the tide is high, waves can sweep over plants and animals at velocities as high as 60 miles per hour, while at low tide, the same organisms dry up and bake in the sun. Yet despite this seeming inhospitality, tidepools and rocky shores are exceptionally complex and biologically diverse. This comprehensive encyclopedia is an authoritative, one-stop reference for everyone interested in the biology and ecology of this fascinating and uniquely accessible environment. Conveniently arranged alphabetically, nearly 200 wide-ranging entries written in clear language by scientists from around the world provide a state-of-the-art picture of tidepools and rocky shore science. From Abalones, Barnacles, and Climate Change through Seagrasses, Tides, and Wind, the articles discuss the animals and plants that live in tidepools, the physics and chemistry of the rocky shore environment, the ecological principles that govern tidepools, and many other interdisciplinary topics. * Generously illustrated with hundreds of color photographs, drawings, and diagrams * The only comprehensive volume available on tidepools and rocky shores * Articles include in-depth looks at animal and algal diversity and overviews of the history of research, rocky shore management, and conservation * Contributors are experts on physics and physical oceanography, experimental ecology, population genetics, taxonomy, and other disciplines

    This book illustrates how the landscape has evolved over millions of years, showing the reader where they can find evidence of these natural changes.

    Whether describing the nocturnal habits of the elusive whip-poor-will, the pivotal role the hedge plant Osage orange played in a key Civil War battle, or the political firestorm that attended the discovery of a tiny fish dubbed the snail darter, Bales illuminates in surprising ways the complicated and often vexed relationships between humans and their neighbors in the natural world.Accompanied by the author's striking line drawings, each chapter in Natural Histories showcases a particular animal or plant and each narrative begins or ends in, or passes through the Tennessee Valley. Along the way, historical episodes both familiar and obscure-the de Soto explorations, the saga of the Lost State of Franklin, the devastation of the Trail of Tears, and the planting of a “Moon Tree” at Sycamore Shoals in Elizabethton-are brought vividly to life. Bales also highlights the work of present-day environmentalists and scientists such as the dedicated staffers of the Tennessee-based American Eagle Foundation, whose efforts have helped save the endangered raptors and reintroduce them to the wild.Arranged according to the seasonal cycles of the valley, Bales's essays reveal the balance that nature has achieved over millions of years, contrasting it with the messier business of human endeavor, especially the desire to turn nature into a commodity, something to be subdued and harvested. Filled with delightful twists and turns, Natural Histories is also a book brimming with important lessons for us all.

    Stevens. Helen explores a range of beautiful landscape views, from lush, green rolling countryside to far-flung mountains reflected in the shimmering sea, using pure silk embroidery threads to achieve astonishingly realistic effects. Each of the five chapters builds toward an in-depth masterclass project including templates and close-up detailed colour templates of landscape focus points, as well as colour keys and step-by-step stitching instructions. Easy-to-follow colour photographs illustrate the working stages of each masterclass embroidery, ensuring that perfect results can be achieved when recreating the picturesque designs alive with perspective and drama.

    It covers everything from setting up hives and maximising bees in the garden, to optimum honey production and a fascinating troubleshooting section.

    In the Coast Range and Sierra foothills, trails lead to scenic waterfalls, wildflower-studded meadows, and high mountain lakes. Longtime Sacramento resident and intrepid hiker Steve Evans has selected the 43 “must-do” hikes, the majority of which are within two hours of the city. Whether you’re looking for a scenic stroll, a full-day adventure, or even a spectacular alpine peak-bagging trip, you’ll find it here. Trails ranging from 1 to 10 miles and sea level to 9000 feet, and each trip includes Near Sacramento, numerous trails access the Central Valley’s wildlife-filled wetlands and traverse riverside forests and grasslands. In the Coast Range and Sierra foothills, trails lead to scenic waterfalls, wildflower-studded meadows, and high mountain lakes. Longtime Sacramento resident and intrepid hiker Steve Evans has selected the 43 “must-do” hikes, the majority of which are within two hours of the city. Whether you’re looking for a scenic stroll, a full-day adventure, or even a spectacular alpine peak-bagging trip, you’ll find it here. Trails ranging from 1 to 10 miles and sea level to 9000 feet, and each trip includes elevation profiles, detailed maps, driving directions, and “don’t get lost” trail milestones. elevation profiles, detailed maps, driving directions, and “don’t get lost” trail milestones.

    With patience and perseverance, the authors gained acceptance by the herds and took countless photographs that testify to the mustangs' fragile beauty and exceptional way of life.The book begins with a detailed history of the origins and evolution of the mustang. The fascinating saga that follows tells how the mustang came to the plains of the American West and explains the huge impact these horses had on the lives of Native Americans.Amazing photographs record each stage of mustang life, from the rearing of colts to the fascination and beauty of playtimes. An in-depth study reveals the stages of life for mustangs, covering birth, adolescence, mating and death. It conveys the daily hardships and dangers these beautiful creatures face in the wild. A special section is devoted to the ongoing relationship between humans and mustangs, one that is so fraught with peril for the horse.General readers, horse lovers and riders, and devotees of the American West will revel in the intimacy shared with these mustang herds and discover the true nature of this mysterious animal.

    It is an essential book for lovers of photography and lovers of dogs alike.

    It's the Earth in all its splendor. Unfortunately, geology texts rarely communicate that sense of excitement.Enter Michael Collier, geologist, writer and one of America's premier aerial photographers. For over 20 years, he has piloted his Cessna 180 to inaccessible locations and returned with stunning photographs that lay bare the Earth's workings.Over the Mountains, the first book in Michael Collier's new series, focuses on geology's most spectacular subject in a most spectacular way. It includes: Detailed and breathtaking large-format color photographs covering the geology of every major mountain range in the United States Clear, easy-to-understand text, diagrams and captions that explain and illuminate the geologic processes shown in the photographs.After exploring the pages of Over the Mountains, readers will never think of mountains -- or geology -- in the same way again.

    This vast region is a study in contrasts: a hub of industry that's the resting spot for billions of migrating birds. 40 million residents, immense untamed forests. 95 percent of North America's fresh water and a dumping ground for poisonous wastes. The Great Lakes is an authoritative, accessible look at an ecosystem in eternal flux. Written by one of North America's most acclaimed science and nature writers, the book explores the area's geological formation and its role in human history; its diverse plant, bird, and animal species; and its significant physical, climatic, and environmental features. This captivating tribute to the Great Lakes region is also an essential guide to the challenge of preserving the natural world.

    Because many of these birds spend most of their lives far from the coast, traveling from ocean to ocean in a constant search for food, they are poorly known, enigmatic, and often hard to identify in the field. This guide will make field identification much easier. It illustrates every species and shows the distinct plumages of each. It contains 46 high-quality color plates opposite concise descriptions and a color distribution map, with more complete species descriptions following. Species are illustrated on the same page as their confusion species, allowing direct comparisons for more accurate identifications.This field guide includes information on breeding, feeding, distribution, migration, and conservation. And it illustrates for the first time several extremely rare species, such as Beck's and MacGillivray's Petrels, and the New Zealand Storm-Petrel, which was rediscovered only in 2004.Seabird watchers will find this an indispensable field guide for use around the world.A comprehensive guide to all 136 species of open-ocean seabirds, with subspecies and morphs fully illustrated Designed for field use, with concise information opposite plates, and close- and long-range identification tips Confusion species included on plates to aid accurate identification Detailed species accounts, including a color distribution map for each species Full treatment of recently rediscovered and rarely seen species

    The text, written with the help of a reading expert, is perfect for children who are beginning to read on their own.Ages 4+

    These encounters occurred over a period of four years. The book includes pictures of dolphins Muriel has come to know and some thoughts about the human/dolphin connection that is so ancient and so significant. Included are interviews with those who work on the sea with the dolphins as their constant companions.

    Having them approach you within a few yards as you sit on shore and observing them as they travel in their family groups, hunt salmon, and play at the surface is indescribable. This book captures in images what cannot be put into words: intimate face-to-face meetings with one of the most charismatic, mysterious, and intriguing animals in the ocean. The Southern Resident Community of orcas lives in the Salish Sea near the San Juan Islands of Washington and the inland waters of British Columbia. Although they have intensively studied over the last several decades, there is still much about these intelligent, social creatures that remains unknown. Recently listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, this population of whales represents the wild ecosystem of the Pacific Northwest. This collection of photographs gives you a glimpse into the lives of J-, K-, and L-Pods."

    "Brother Nature" is based on thirty years of exploring and thinking about the country on his doorstep. He also applies to that country lessons learned at first hand in other lands, notably on a life-changing trip to Alaska. The book is in two parts. The first, The Brotherhood, is a series of vivid and intensely personal encounters with grizzly bears, badgers, deer, otters, orchids, ospreys, red kites, golden eagles, ravens, and his beloved swans. The second part, The Long Way Back, considers how his native Scotland might achieve a closer, more thoughtful relationship with nature. In a powerful conclusion, Jim Crumley makes the case for the reintroduction of wolves as a catalyst in the process of achieving that relationship. He writes: "Again and again, walking these wolfless mountains, I feel their absence, or rather I feel the distant, elusive nature of their old presence, for no landscape that has sustained wolves ever loses completely the imprint of their reign. When I go alone among wild places, I feel as if I am trying to repair an old and broken connection, a bridge between landscapes. We broke it when we exterminated the wolf. That was the watershed."

    I have seen them nibbling the ends of the Cigale's claws; I have caught them tugging the ends of her wings, climbing on her back, tickling her antenn�. One audacious individual so far forgot himself under my eyes as to seize her proboscis, endeavouring to extract it from the well! We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.

    Sharks so large they could swallow whales whole. Timothy Bradley's vibrant illustrations and razor-sharp prose bring these ferocious fish and their tamer relatives to life with scientific detail. Learn how they survived catastrophic events that completely wiped other creatures out, and see which of their strange adaptations can still be seen in sharks today.

    But forget Jaws and Jurassic Park—nothing can prepare you for Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Creatures of the Deep, an amazing plunge into the Cretaceous oceans of 80 million years ago, a merciless realm ruled by the most ferocious animals ever to stalk the seas of planet Earth. More terrifying than anything known to humankind, it scarcely seems possible that these swift, massive underwater predators actually existed, but they did—and this is their frightening, fascinating, unforgettable story. Featuring incredibly realistic computer-generated images and 3-D film clips—with 3-D glasses—field photography by National Geographic cameramen, and much more, the book interweaves dramatic scenes of the far, far distant past; up-to-the-minute scientific profiles of nearly two dozen sea monsters; and a group portrait of the eccentric Sternberg family, Kansas-bred pioneers of marine paleontology. From giant sharks and fierce reptiles to the fossil-hunters who proved that today's land-locked Great Plains were once submerged, to the cutting-edge Large Format Film technology that made Sea Monsters possible, this book and the movie behind it will forever change how we think about marine predators—and make us look at the oceans of our world with new eyes and a shivery mix of wonderment and ancient, instinctive fear.

    In this richly-illustrated tour of modern tropical gardens, Made Wijaya takes novice gardeners and professionals around the world in search of innovative designs. From South America to the tropical states of the U.S.-including Florida, California and Hawaii-to tropical Asia and tropical Australia, Modern Tropical Garden Design covers a profusion of different environments. The styles of garden design are as various as the terrain covered, and includes gardens by Wijaya and numerous other talented designers. Modern Tropical Garden Design also explores the myriad of different elements that can be found in the modern tropical garden, including courtyards and patios; pavilions, pergolas and verandas; pavings; water features; pools; walls; plants; colors; furniture; lighting; tropical flower arrangements and art. Incorporating a lively discussion of the work of ten exciting garden visionaries, as well as the work of some early modern masters of garden design, Modern Tropical Garden Design will prove an inspiration for gardeners everywhere. Gardening topics include:Tropical AmericasTropical AsiaTropical AustraliaDesigning Modern GardensAvant Gardeners

    Have humans been sharing the planet with other intelligent life for millions of years without realizing it? In Defense of Dolphins combines accessible science and philosophy, surveying the latest research on dolphin intelligence and social behavior, to advocate for their ethical treatment.Encourages a reassessment of the human-dolphin relationship, arguing for an end to the inhuman treatment of dolphins Written by an expert philosopher with almost twenty-years of experience studying dolphins Combines up-to-date research supporting the sophisticated cognitive and emotional capacities of dolphins with entertaining first-hand accounts Looks at the serious questions of intelligent life, ethical treatment, and moral obligation Engaging and thought-provoking

    Written by a recognised authority in the field, Glorified Dinosaurs: The Origin and Early Evolution of Birds provides a comprehensive summary of these discoveries and addresses the fascinating topic of how modern birds evolved from fearsome dinosaurs akin to the celebrated Velociraptor. The book focuses on an evolutionary approach and presents current research and fossil discoveries. The title includes coloured photographs of fossils and fossil localities, many of which have been rarely reproduced elsewhere. Glorified Dinosaurs: The Origin and Early Evolution of Birds is an invaluable resource for every palaeontologist, ornithologist, evolutionary biologist, geology and life sciences student. It is also an exciting reading for people interested in dinosaurs and avian evolution and for all those with a general interests in the topic.

    Each concept is clarified with a concrete, brief business case. Some are successes, some failures. Examples are based on first-hand experiences from 20 different companies, some large multinationals, some small niche players, some venture capital-funded innovation companies operating in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa.Creativity and innovation are not the exclusive domain of the North and the multinational corporation; it also is happening in the Southern Hemisphere. Those executives who embrace these concepts of creativity, innovation and leadership will bring business to the forefront of society, responding to people's requirements in co-evolution with nature, strengthening culture and tradition, as well as creating a wonderful platform upon which entrepreneurs will thrive, wherever they are in the world.

    A definitive field guide to Antarctica, this book caters to South Pole visitors traveling by luxury liner, adventure cruise, or private boat. Written by experienced Antarctic travelers who are recognized experts in the continent's wildlife, conservation, and political history, every page offers gorgeous color photographs of the great white south. Special attention is paid to explaining the threats to Antarctic conservation, including global warming, and there are tips on how visitors can minimize their own impact and help preserve this unique continent.

    Over the years, attitudes have begun to change, and orcas are now revered as loveable, intelligent creatures and iconic symbols of the marine environment.In January 2002, a young killer whale was discovered alone in the waters of Puget Sound near Seattle. Determining that the whale would not survive alone so far from home, a team of scientists captured "Springer" and transported her by boat north to her home range where she rejoined her family.At the same time Springer was making her historic journey, another lone whale turned up in Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The people of Nootka Sound adopted "Luna" as their own, but he was a large, boisterous youngster who liked to cuddle boats and the government feared he would get into trouble. Another rescue was planned to return Luna to his family but this time there was no happy ending.In Operation Orca, winner of the 2008 Foreword Magazine Nature Book of the Year award, author Daniel Francis and long-time Vancouver Aquarium staff member Gil Hewlett give breadth to the complications, contradictions, and political posturing that twice engulfed the debate of whether to interfere or let nature take its course. Through the amazing story of these two "orphan" whales, Operation Orca tells the larger story of orcas in the Pacific Northwest, the people who have studied them and the transformation of the whale's image from killer to icon.

    Yet, these predators are much more than ruthless killers, and are in fact, complex creatures that feel and love within the groups they live. In pitch-perfect prose, orca expert Dr. Astrid M. van Ginneken puts the reader into the orca's mind as she tells the story of the young killer whale Tuschka. Born in the wild, Tuschka learns the ways of her pod of fellow creatures and experiences the never-ending search for food, the joy of play, and the sadness of loss. But then Tuschka is mercilessly taken from her home waters and transferred to a marine park, where her only solace is a trust in her human trainers. Will she ever again join her family in the wild? Fascinating and heartfelt, this is a novel that is an astonishing account of the bonds between whales, and the relationship of man and orca.

    Pleasant, prolific, and decorative, plants like the blackberry are looked upon as sources for harvest, landscape, and visual pleasure. To the medieval and Renaissance artist, however, these botanicals were far more. Part of a richly symbolic visual language culled from the classical era, their exquisite depiction in illuminated manuscripts of the age evoked fertility, conjured bad dreams, and even aligned itself with ancient wisdom. The popular and enduring appeal of flowers in medieval art and literature extended beyond simple botanical illustration; instead, flowers helped to tell countless stories without words through potent symbolic imagery.The Medieval Flower Book artfully presents an alphabetical collection of over one hundred of the major flowers that appear in medieval manuscripts—gathered with fascinating explanatory texts on their history, significance, and usage. The sumptuous reproductions that accompany each entry offer a visual reference to the symbolism of botanicals in medieval manuscripts that’s beyond breathtaking in its appeal. An introductory section explaining the ancient roots of practical horticulture’s expansion into cultural and spiritual realms not only places the volume in the context of gardening history, but gives the general reader insight into our enduring interest in these remarkable herbals.  Widely appealing to all of those interested in flowers and gardening, the horticultural historian, and the student of visual culture and medieval history, The Medieval Flower Book is a fascinating and important primer on the beauty and language of florals. Extensively ranging through the canon of medieval botanicals—from acanthus and anemones to violets and wallflowers—this volume is the perfect gift for anyone interested in blossoms and blooms, and should thrill the everyday gardener and art collector alike.