Hölldobler and Wilson review in exhaustive detail virtually all topics in the anatomy, physiology, social organization, ecology, and natural history of the ants. In large format, with almost a thousand line drawings, photographs, and paintings, it is one of the most visually rich and all-encompassing views of any group of organisms on earth. It will be welcomed both as an introduction to the subject and as an encyclopedia reference for researchers in entomology, ecology, and sociobiology.

    Join author Douglas Adams and zoologist Mark Carwardine as they take off around the world in search of exotic, endangered creatures.

    Winship Book AwardThis collection of poems by Mary Oliver once again invites the reader to step across the threshold of ordinary life into a world of natural and spiritual luminosity.

    More than 300 color photos illustrate the plants, their flowers, leaves, and fruits. The descriptive text includes information on where the plants are found as well as their known medicinal uses. An index to medical topics is helpful for quickly locating information on specific ailments from asthma and headaches to colds and stomach aches. Symbols next to plant descriptions provide quick visual caution for plants that are poisonous or cause allergic reactions. Organized by plant color for fast identification, this guide is a tool for understanding the traditional medicinal uses of the plants around us.

    One day, a man exhausts himself trying to chop down a giant kapok tree. While he sleeps, the forest’s residents, including a child from the Yanomamo tribe, whisper in his ear about the importance of trees and how "all living things depend on one another" . . . and it works. Cherry’s lovingly rendered colored pencil and watercolor drawings of all the "wondrous and rare animals" evoke the lush rain forests, as well as stunning world maps bordered by tree porcupines, emerald tree boas, and dozens more fascinating creatures.Awards: IRA Teacher’s Choice (1991), ABA’s Pick of the Lists, Reading Rainbow Review Book, NSTA-CBC Outstanding Trade Book for Children

    It reads like a novel, but it is one of the most important scientific works ever published. The community is Gombe, on the shores of Lake Tangganyika, where the principal residents are chimpanzees and one extraordinary woman who is their student, protector, and historian. In her classic In the Shadow of Man, Jane Goodall wrote of her first ten years at Gombe. In Through a Window she brings the story up to the present, painting a much more complete and vivid portrait of our closest relative. We see the community split in two and a brutal war break out. We watch young Figan's relentless rise to power and old Mike's crushing defeat. We learn how one mother rears her children to succeed and another dooms them to failure. We witness horrifying murders, touching moments of affection, joyous births, and wrenching deaths. In short, we see every emotion known to humans stripped to its essence. In the mirror of chimpanzee life, we see ourselves reflected. Perhaps the best book ever written about animal behavior, Through a Window is also essential reading for anyone seeking a better grasp of human behavior.

    These essays, first published in 1990, stand as the mature centerpiece of Snyder’s work and thought, and this profound collection is widely accepted as one of the central texts on wilderness and the interaction of nature and culture. As the Library Journal affirmed, “This is an important book for anyone interested in the ethical interrelationships of things, places, and people, and it is a book that is not just read but taken in.”

    Here is a blend of history, anthropology and politics.

    The all-new Kaufman Field Guide to Advanced Birding takes a different approach, clarifying the basics and providing a framework for learning about each group. Overall principles of identification are explained in clear language, and ten chapters on specific groups of birds show how these principles can be applied in practice. Anyone with a keen interest in identifying birds will find that this book makes the learning process more effective and enjoyable, and that truly understanding what we see and hear can make birding more fun.

    Two dozen new photos and illustrations make this new edition even richer with information. Its convenient paperback format makes it easy to carry and access, whether you are in or out of the garden. An essential overview of the science behind plants for beginning and advanced gardeners alike.

    His thrilling narrative takes us into the bear's habitat, where we observe directly this majestic animal's behavior, from hunting strategies, mating patterns, and denning habits to social hierarchy and methods of communication. As Peacock tracks the bears, his story turns into a thrilling narrative about the breaking down of suspicion between man and beast in the wild.

    The many-pointed star formed from large icicles balances on a rock in a quiet Dumfriesshire valley, a delicate bamboo screen stands on a Japanese beach, a great serpentine ridge of earth extends along a disused railway cutting on Tyneside, four massive snow rings mark the position of the North Pole.

    Adams's breathtaking images are accompanied by excerpts from the writings of Sierra Club founder John Muir, the renowned conservationist who devoted his life to celebrating and preserving the American wildnerness.

    From the thundering power of the river's swift current, to the stillness of clear freshwater pools; to desert springs, birds and wind, and rattlesnakes . . . and the terrible intrusion of man, Lopez allows us to share moments of intense personal experience as man tries to come to terms with the Earth's landscape, and with his own existence.

    He never left. With an assortment of birds, dogs, snakes, and books, he took up residence in a ramshackle two-story house along US 60 and set out to live in the way of country people. "Querencia"--the Zen-like Spanish term means something like the tiny pocket of one's inner life where one is truly at home--details a decade of life there. Throughout the early pages of his memoir, Stephen finds himself tested by the locals for his knowledge of raptor birds, of snakes, of dogs. When he begins to pass the tests, his transformation is complete, earning him a home, a place in the heart. Querencia offers a fine brief on rural living, alternately reveling in country matters and acknowledging the difficulties involved in such exercises as luring cows home from the mountain wilderness into which they've strayed while steering clear of venomous reptiles and combative bull elk. It's a treasure. --Greg McNamee

    Packed with photographs and details on characteristics, distinguishing features, and more, Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks and Minerals makes identification easy.Designed for beginning and experienced collectors alike, this guide explains what rocks and minerals are, how they are classified, and how to start a collection. Look up different rocks and minerals, and find clear, annotated photography to pick out the key distinguishing features. Learn the differences between igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, and reference the glossary for many more technical and scientific terms.Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks and Minerals is filled with information about characteristics, colors, unique attributes, and more, making it one of the clearest identification guides for rock and mineral enthusiasts.

    Join him on his exciting journey through the woods with his pet snake. He'll lead the way to wonderful sights and guide you around any hazards along the way.

    Some of the 50 flower images in this collection, all in colour, date from the early 1980s, but many of them from the months leading to his death in 1989.

    Each portrait includes full-color original artwork; details on identification, habitat, nesting, and food; and a color-coded range map.

    Explores the nature of energy, the foundations of personal power, and the frontiers of reality, as seen in the author's series of visions.

    In these tender essays, Hall tells of the joys and quiddities of life in the ancestral New Hampshire place formerly worked as a dairy farm by his grandparents; of the comforts and discomforts of a world in which the year has four seasons -- maple sugar, blackfly, Red Sox, and winter. These essays are also Donald Hall's letters to friends, answers to such life-altering questions as: "What would our lives be like, living here at Eagle Pond, in solitude among relics and memories, in a countryside of birches and GMC pickups?" And they are ghost stories as well: vivid descriptions of Hall's intimate connection with the land and with his family past. Most importantly, HERE AT EAGLE POND is Donald Hall's coming home to language.

     Bruce Hoadley, a professor of wood science and technology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, provides:an overview of the wood identification process a look at the basic anatomy of woody plants hundreds of easy-to-use charts and crystal-clear photographs and microphotographs sources of information and materials, and a glossary of all technical terms used in the book

    This completely revised and updated edition offers all new photographs and text, as well as detailed descriptions of new breeds. Scores of beguiling full-color photographs accompany in-depth information on the origin, classification, and temperament (always a surprise) of each of the different breeds. This comprehensive volume chronicles the fascinating evolutionary history of wild and domesticated cats worldwide, including an extensive explanation of feline genetics and the hereditary processes and combinations that determine fur color and patterns in the different breeds. Extensive advice and information on breeding and showing cats, as well as the judging criteria involved in these formal exhibitions, are also offered for interested readers. And for those just recently initiated into the world of cat fancy, the photographs and breed-by-breed descriptions are a thoroughly engaging introduction. This splendid celebration of our bewitching, bewhiskered friends will inform and regale both professionals of the cat world and cat owners alike.

    With a skillful blend of inspiration and instruction, artist and naturalist Cathy Johnson offers personal anecdotes, exercises, and helpful tips to guide even first-time artists in using sketching and painting to deepen their understanding of the natural world.Featuring simple, step-by-step instructions and 280 examples of the author's own work—in color and black-and-white—The Sierra Club Guide to Sketching in Nature covers a broad range of subjects, including tools and equipment; mixing paints and washes; understanding color and using a color wheel; capturing the illusion of light; sketching clouds, flowers, trees, plants, and animals; and using field sketches as studies for future paintings. The book also includes source lists for art supplies (including mail order), lists of national workshops for sketching and painting, and a bibliography.

    And what a next step! The energy processes in Workbook II open a door to a new world in which we begin to discover that the balance and health of a garden and, for that matter, of all natural forms are more involved than just finding out what fertilizer is needed. A balanced garden or farm environment must also include balanced energy and vitality. And Workbook II introduces us to the many elements of a balanced garden or farm that we can't see--the energy elements. For those of you who wish to incorporate a co-creative partnership with nature in a home, apartment or office environment, both Workbook and Workbook II will be of special interest. You do not need to have a garden or farm to establish a partnership with nature and work co-creatively to achieve a balanced environment. The environmental processes introduced in the Workbook and the energy processes in the Workbook and the energy processes in Workbook II may be very different in concept, but they are equal in importance. To work with nature co-creatively through the environmental processes but ignore the energy processes would be to exclude half of the picture. We would, in fact, be tying one of our hands and one of nature's hands behind our respective backs.

    Over 120 paintings in stunning, full-color plates.

    Traveling through landscapes of transcendent desolation, Millman wandered by way of the Shetland Islands, the Faeroes, Iceland, Greenland, and Labrador. His way was marked by surprising human encounters--with a convicted murderer in Reykjavik, an Inuit hermit in Greenland, an Icelandic guide who leads him to a place called Hell, and a Newfoundlander who warns him about the local variant of the Abominable Snowman. By turns earthy and lyrical, LAST PLACES is an ebullient celebration of the exotic North.

    While focusing on agriculture, it also establishes the importance of integration between landscape and people. Permaculture is a step-by-step working manual providing a dozen design methods replete with map overlays, flow diagrams, and component, zone, and sector analyses.

    This small book is an intriguing and valuable addition to our knowledge of a changing landscape. Literary, etymological, historical, and vernacular investigations of such varied terms as guzzle, creek, and chartreuse, Stilgoes definitions are lyric explanations of words whose original meanings have been eroded by time.

    This streamlined volume contains: a simple field guide identifying 80 of the most widespread butterflies in North America and a complete overview of observing butterflies, covering basic identifying field marks and practical tips for observing and distinguishing different butterflies.This pocket guide is packed with information; bright photographs capturing the butterflies perched with their wings spread and closed; specific descriptions of each species' important identifying characteristics, life cycle, habitat and range, line drawings depicting the basic butterfly anatomy, a description of major butterfly groups and a glossary of technical terms.When observing these beautifully fragile creatures, the National Audubon Society Guide to Familiar Butterflies of North America is an excellent and handy reference guide to take along during any nature walk.

    32 full-color illustrations.

    Topics covered include: how glaciers form and how crevasses develop; basic principles of glacier travel; route finding; knots and harnesses; holding a fall; rescue techniques, including self-belay and what a victim should do; and glacier skiing and sled hauling. Sidebars feature descriptions of accidents and near-accidents to emphasize the importance of the techniques presented.

    His research led him to a remote cove in the south-west of Ireland where a hermit dolphin was rumoured to live.

    With simple materials a series of colourful and effective tableaux can be made at home or in school for depicting the seasons and major festivals.

    A delight to read, combining legends and lore with tips on care and planting, this guide is a must for exploring the city's green spaces or your own back yard.

    Do you know how to worm-fiddle?Can you tickle a bullfrog into a trance?How do you measure a tree's height without a tape measure?This fun-filled nature guide tell you this and more, with over 40 easy-to-follow activities that are safe for children and nature alike and require no special equipment or preparation.

    Shortly before her death, Jonnie completed this journal about her later years facing the aggravations of growing old, the challenge of sustaining her spirited commitment to family and friends, and the novelty of embarking on a writing career.

    A delightful guide, field book, cookbook, and botanical essay rolled into one, The Flavors of Home is ideal for both experienced foragers and casual hikers.

    If we are to survive, as the message of this book declares, we must develop a peaceful heart."—Petra Kelly

    (Nancy Pearl)

    

    He describes the thrill of discovering previously unknown species of birds--and the sobering realization that progress is fast destroying both habitat and inhabitants in the rain forest.

    In The Rebirth of Nature, Sheldrake urges us to move beyond the centuries-old mechanistic view of nature, explaining why we can no longer regard the world as inanimate and purposeless. Sheldrake shows how recent developments in science itself have brought us to the threshold of a new synthesis in which traditional wisdom, intuitive experience, and scientific insight can be mutually enriching.

    

    Featuring more than 500 full-color illustrations and photographs, along with detailed annotations, Smithsonian Handbooks make identification easy and accurate.

    

    Photographs of animals in captivity make use of unconventional poses and backgrounds to highlight the plight of endangered species.

    Out of the Earth is the culmination of the author's long career in conservation. This history of man's use and misuse of soil and water combines a description of the complex inner processes that form soil with a lyrical assertion of its powers and significance.

    Perkins’ insider’s view leads him to crisis of conscience--to the realization that he must devote himself to work which will foster a world-wide awareness of the sanctity of indigenous peoples, their cultures, and their environments. Perkins’ books demonstrate how the age-old shamanic techniques of some of the world’s most primitive peoples have sparked a revolution in modern concepts about healing, the subconscious, and the powers each of us has to alter individual and communal reality.This groundbreaking book is John Perkins’s firsthand account of his experiences with the shamanic technique of psychonavigation--a method of traveling outside the body by means of visions and dream wanderings--and his encounters with the Shuar of the Amazon, the Quechua of the Andes, and the Bugis of Indonesia. Shuar shamans psychonavigate for the purposes of hunting and healing, while the Bugis, among the most renowned sailors of the world, use these techniques to navigate without the aid of charts and compasses. Perkins explains how these techniques work and how the people of these indigenous cultures psychonavigate to both distant physical destinations and sources of inner wisdom. Throughout history, psychonavigation has been practiced by highly creative minds such as Beethoven, Jung, and Einstein. Perkins’s riveting narrative takes us on a journey of personal discovery as he learns the great value of these techniques and their relevance not only to individual well-being, but to the health of the environment and of the world at large. He reveals how by attuning to the positive forces in nature and communicating with our inner guides we all can become psychonavigators, finding our way to wise decisions and developing innovative approaches to the challenges we face as individuals and a world community.

    And if an octopus loses an arm, it will eventually grow another one. Amazing! Read and find out about the many other ways an octopus is amazing. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children."[Here is] a charming introduction to the truly amazing octopus [from its intelligence to its ability to change colors to the camouflaging black ink it squirts to escape predators]. Lauber's chatty, fact-filled text makes the book a good read-aloud, and Keller's amusing and colorful drawings enhance it—a perfect match of text and illustration." —SLJ.This is a Level 2 Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science title, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades and supports the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.

    Nature crafts projects are included.

    Based on information channeled from Michael, a non-physical entity who guides Earth-bound students from a higher plane perspective.

    From her home near the shores of Puget Sound, Peterson explores the tidal pull of the mist-shrouded Pacific Northwest.

    C. A. Vogel comes from a Swiss family where the secrets of herbalism were known and practised. From early childhood he was eager to learn about the healing powers of plants and bit by bit he collected and expanded the traditional and empirical knowledge of European folk-medicine. Since 1929 he has reported his experiences and observations as a nature practitioner, nutritionist, researcher of medicinal plants and discoverer of natural healing powers, in his monthly periodical Gesundheitsnachrichten (A. Vogel's Health News). First published in 1952, The Nature Doctor has become a recognised standard publication even among medical doctors and scientists.

    This oversize volume shows these roses to their best effect.

    -- Details all aspects of the whitetails natural history.-- Authoritative text by research biologist John Ozoga.

    This guidebook to the Emigrant Wilderness covers all the area's trails, as well as fishing options, climbing routes, mountain biking, winter recreation, natural history, and horsepacking. Also included is a handy fold-out topographic map.

    It is not true. The environmental movement has been led astray: + trivialized by mainstream education + diluted by those with other agendas + co-opted by the very agencies and industries that have contributed so much to the problems This book proposes another direction--an alternative that many environmental leaders and teachers around the world have already taken. It is called The Earth Education Path, and anyone can follow it in developing a genuine educational program made up of magical learning adventures. Earth education aims to accomplish what environmental education set out to do, but didn't: to help people improve upon their cognitive and affective relationship with the earth's natural communities and life support systems, and begin crafting lifestyles that will lessen their impact upon those places and processes on behalf of all the earth's passengers. If you care about the health of our troubled planet, then you should read what this internationally known educator has to say about how we lost a whole generation of teachers and leaders and what you can do to help them find their way again.

    A fisherman's son on the coast of Japan fears for his father's safety on the water in the face of a storm and finds reassurance in the natural world around him.

    This book is arranged by flower color and has color bars on the edge of pages.

    This is the 17th book in his series about their experiences. It is both a celebration of the beauties of Cornwall and a tribute to his wife, who died in 1986. Since her death, the author has lived at Minack alone, welcoming visitors eager to see for themselves the haven described in The Minack Chronicles. It was Jeannie Tangye's wish to preserve Minack for future generations to enjoy, and in this book her husband describes his efforts to fulfill that wish, while struggling to cope with bereavement and loneliness.

    

    This book groups, pictures, and describes each wildflower according to family. Technical terminology has been kept to a minimum, and line drawings, a picture glossary, and a glossary of botanical terms help identify species quickly and accurately. The first book in the series, Prairie Wildflowers covers open-terrain wildflowers. The second book, Forest Wildflowers concentrates on wildflowers of the forest environment. This book covers high-altitude wildflowers. For any nature-lover who has asked, "What flower is that?" Alpine Wildflowers holds the answer.