Exceptional Coverage. This authoritative volume starts with a clear introduction to the animal world, examining the reasons for the apparently infinite variety of animal forms and major evolutionary developments. Animal anatomy, life cycles and the principles of classification are also explored. This is followed by a superbly illustrated survey of world habitats, showing how they have adapted to each environment, and the threats that face both wildlife and plants today. The main part of the book, an up-to-date and comprehensive animal catalog, looks in detail at each major group and provides fascinating profiles of over 2,000 individual species. Visually Breathtaking. Spectacular photographic portraits bring a vast array of animals vividly to life, with special features on well-known and important animals such as the Galapagos tortoise. Each species profile is supported by maps and symbols showing distribution and habitat, as well as key information on size, population, and conservation status, forming an invaluable reference database. Outstanding Reference. Clear, comprehensive, and thought provoking, the Smithsonian Animal is essential reading for wildlife enthusiasts of all ages and levels of experience.

    Here are his greatest images of more than 40 national parks and monuments. 78 duotones.

    Edward O. Wilson eloquently describes how the species of the world became diverse and why that diversity is threatened today as never before. A great spasm of extinction — the disappearance of whole species — is occurring now, caused this time entirely by humans. Unlike the deterioration of the physical environment, which can be halted, the loss of biodiversity is a far more complex problem — and it is irreversible. Defining a new environmental ethic, Wilson explains why we must rescue whole ecosystems, not only individual species. He calls for an end to conservation versus development arguments, and he outlines the massive shift in priorities needed to address this challenge. No writer, no scientist, is more qualified than Edward O. Wilson to describe, as he does here, the grandeur of evolution and what is at stake. "Engaging and nontechnical prose. . . . Prodigious erudition. . . . Original and fascinating insights." — John Terborgh, New York Review of Books, front page review "Eloquent. . . . A profound and enduring contribution." — Alan Burdick, Audubon

    They found it in Zambia, but elephant poachers soon had them fighting for their lives when they tried to stop the slaughter. 16 pages of photos, half in color.

    Galvin describes the seasons, the weather, the wildlife, and the few people who do not possess but are themselves possessed by this terrain. In so doing he reveals an experience that is part of our heritage and mythology. For Lyle, Ray, Clara, and App, the struggle to survive on an independent family ranch is a series of blameless failures and unacclaimed successes that illuminate the Western character. The Meadow evokes a sense of place that can be achieved only by someone who knows it intimately.

    In My India, the first volume in the set, Corbett recounts his experiences in the Kumaon Hills. He discusses the villages he visited, the people he got acquainted with, and the lifestyles and customs he encountered. The second book, Jungle Lore, presents an autobiographical account of his initial days and experiences in the Himalayan region, and his frank, farsighted views on various aspects of wildlife conservation. In Tree Tops, the final title in the set, Corbett provides rich, fascinating glimpses of the stark, savage beauty of the Kenyan landscape and wildlife. An account of the 1952 royal visit of Princess Elizabeth is also included in this volume. The collection was released in 2001 by Oxford University Press. It received positive reviews for its remarkable presentation of Jim Corbett in a new light.About the AuthorJim Corbett was a British hunter-turned-conservationist, naturalist, author, and photographer, best-known for hunting several man-eaters in India. He has written several books such as The Jim Corbett Omnibus, Not While I Have Ammo, and Man-Eaters Of Kumaon. Corbett was born on July 25, 1875, in Nainital, India. He served as a Colonel in the British Indian Army for several years. Corbett played a vital role in protecting wildlife, particularly the Bengal tiger of India. He passed away on April 19, 1955, in Nyeri, Kenya. His life has been featured in various media, including a Hollywood movie, a TV movie, and a docudrama.topTable of ContentsMy IndiaIntroductionThe Queen of the VillageKunwar SinghMothiPre-Red-Tape DaysThe Law of the JunglesThe BrothersSultana: India's Robin Hood LoyaltyBudhuLalajeeChamariLife at mokameh GhatJungle LoreIntroductionChapter ThreeChapter FourChapter FiveChapter SixChapter SevenChapter EightChapter NineChapter TenChapter ElevenChapter TwelveTree TopsIntroductionTree Tops

    Estes's uncle, a war-ravaged Hungarian peasant farmer and refugee, a faithful gardener, and a storehouse of stories who was one of the "dancing fools, wise old crows, grumpy sages, and 'almost saints' who made up the old people" in Estés's childhood.Told with graceful simplicity, deep feeling, generous humor, and profound optimism, The Faithful Gardener is, at its captivating core, the story of an open-hearted child who listened well to her old-country elders and who grew up to remember, to bear witness, and, as one of the premier storytellers of our times, to remind readers and listeners of all ages of "that magisterial life force within all things that strengthens us in times of turmoil or transition, that faithful force which can never die."

    . . . It helps us to go on, having Gary Snyder in our midst."--Los Angeles Times. Snyder is the author of many volumes of poetry and prose, including The Practice of the Wild and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Turtle Island. Reading tour.

    And his nonangling friends and family may never again entirely recognize him, either.” In other words, he (or she) will have entered Gierach territory. And fishermen who choose to brave the crowds at the big hold, commune with the buddies at the “family pool,” or even wade into questionable waters in the dark of night are sure to recognize themselves in Even Brook Trout Get the Blues.Whether debating bamboo versus graphite rods, describing the pleasure of fishing in pocket waters or during a spring snow in the mountains, or recounting a trip in pursuit of the “fascinatingly ugly” longnose gar, Gierach understands that fly-fishing is more than a sport. It’s a way of life in which patience is (mostly) rewarded, the rhythms of the natural world are appreciated, and the search for the perfect rod or ideal stream is never ending. It is not a life without risks, for as Gierach warns: “This perspective on things can change you irreparably. If it comes to you early enough in life, it can save you from ever becoming what they call ‘normal.’” Even Brook Trout Get the Blues will convince you that “normal” is greatly overrated.

    Throughout her life she has always tended sheep - first as a young girl in The Cheviots, then on an uninhabited island off New Zealand with a bonfire as her only means of communication with the mainland. After a brutal attack she was forced to leave her island and returned to England, where she married, became a smallholder in Sussex and finally bought a hill farm in Somerset. Underpinning this account is the author's attachment to the land and her total commitment to combine the principles of conservation with successful farming.

    An omnibus of eight books of mountaineering and conservation literature: The Story of My Boyhood and Youth, A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf, My First Summer in the Sierra, The Mountains of California, Our National Parks, The Yosemite, Travels in Alaska and Steep Trials.

    Illustrated with hundreds of his original photographs, Tracking & the Art of Seeing provides complete information on the behavior and habitat of over 50 animal species and shows you how to identify animals by their tracks, tail patterns, droppings, dens, scratches and other signs.

    It features over 900 photos, annotations and descriptions highlighting chief characteristics and distinguishing marks which help you to identify different whale, dolphin or porpoise species quickly.

    The author writes of sleeping in haystacks for survival, and other adventures, with equal shares of Booth Tarkington and Jack London. He also brings back Mutt, the famous hero-dog of his classic THE DOG WHO WOULDN'T BE, and his pet owl Wol, hero of OWLS IN THE FAMILY. The tale of an outrageous and clever boy, BORN NAKED takes its place as the foundation of the Farley Mowat canon.

    How do you tell the difference? Crinkleroot knows: it's the light and the air. His charts show the leaves, stems, and seeds that help young readers identify trees.

    Traveling from the mountains of Tibet to the jungles of the Amazon, Davis delves into the mysteries of shamanic healing, experiences first-hand hallucinogenic plants, explores the vanishing Borneo rain forests, and describes the ingenuity of the Inuit as they hunt narwhale on the Arctic ice. A compelling and utterly unique celebration of the beauty and diversity of our planet, Shadows in the Sun is about landscape and character, the wisdom of lives drawn directly from the land, and the hunger of those who seek to rediscover such understanding. Davis shows that preserving the diversity of the world's cultures and spiritual beliefs is as important as preserving endangered plants and animals--and vital to our understanding of who we are.

    With subjects ranging from the writer’s own “migrant childhood” to the need to protect what remains of the great western wilderness (which Stegner dubs “the geography of hope”) to poignant profiles of western writers such as John Steinbeck and Norman Maclean, this collection is a riveting testament to the power of place. At the same time it communicates vividly the sensibility and range of this most gifted of American writers, historians, and environmentalists.

    In a riveting exploration of our connection to all that we cherish and exploit on Earth, a Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent for The Seattle Times examines the human side of the struggle that looms as the fate of our forest s is determined.

    Seasons is a lavish volume that ambles through the year with beauty and simplicity.

    Consistently insightful and beautifully written, this work is especially compelling at a time when the forest, as a source of wonder, respect, and meaning, disappears daily from the earth."Forests is one of the most remarkable essays on the human place in nature I have ever read, and belongs on the small shelf that includes Raymond Williams' masterpiece, The Country and the City. Elegantly conceived, beautifully written, and powerfully argued, [Forests] is a model of scholarship at its passionate best. No one who cares about cultural history, about the human place in nature, or about the future of our earthly home, should miss it.—William Cronon, Yale Review"Forests is, among other things, a work of scholarship, and one of immense value . . . one that we have needed. It can be read and reread, added to and commented on for some time to come."—John Haines, The New York Times Book Review

    A field guide to trees around the world, each depicted by a full-color photograph with a caption that describes key features and points of differentiation

    Up north ath the cabin,I am a great gray dolphin.The lake is my ocean...Up north at the cabin,I am a fearless voyageur,guiding our canoe through the wilderness...Up north at the cabinI am always brave --even in the dark woods,when blood thumps through my headlike old Ojiway drums.The magic of summer, the call of the north woods, and the exuberance of childhood imagination combine here to create a book that will be treasured long after the last autumn leaf has fallen.

    Over 7,000 years ago Native Americans settled on the Nashua River, a beautiful and leafy valley. But the industrialization of nearby areas would lead to the deterioration of natural habitats. Each double spread examines brief periods of time when the river and surrounding areas teemed with wildlife. Lynne Cherry’s contrasting illustrations of the lush valley and the eventual polluted river deliver an astonishing look at our dramatic need for conservation efforts. This pictorial history of the river, edging towards a hopeful scene of modern-day descendants of both Native Americans and European settlers who come together to combat pollution and restore the beauty of the river, is an intelligent tale that shows young readers how they can do their part in taking care of the world around them, one river at a time.

    Her only companion was Charlie, her loyal husky, who was integral to her survival. Polar Dream is the story of their heroic trek and extraordinary relationship as they faced polar bears, unimaginable cold, and a storm that destroyed most of their supplies and food. A new epilogue, maps, and many previously unpublished expedition photographs are new to this second edition. "A page-turner.... Fully captures the drama of what was a remarkable achievement." — The Washington Times

    Can you name the colors inside a seashell? You're an artist!

    He argues that tribal peoples have not tried (& failed) to be like us, but have actually chosen to live differently. By examining the roads they took that we did not, we can get a better insight into the choices we ourselves make, the price we pay for them, & the possibility of modifying them. The book includes full-color photographic essays on the Dogon, Xavante, Aborigines, Makuna, Gabra, Wodaabe, Weyewa, Nyinba, Huichol, & Navajo peoples.

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

    Introduction by Robert Bateman. First in a series of Wyland's hardcover coffee-table books. The Art of Wyland shares the artist's earliest beginnings, where he got his break and a glimpse into the life of this extraordinary man. 180 pages, Hardcover 169 photos.

    A beautifully-written blend of literature and science, it is here brought back into print in a revised and updated edition which includes the acclaimed essay Sea Burial.

    In addition to illustrations of birds to identify, there are charts explaining the parts of a bird, how a bird grows, how to tell males and females, how to find birds, and how to attract them to your neighborhood. Full-color illustrations.

    Ideas for teaching about recycling, composting, and thrift are geared to the learning abilities of young children. Includes a complete teacher unit.

    This book also demonstrates that bats are one of the farmers' best friends. Any creature that will eat 3,000 to 7,000 insects per night, including mosquitos, is a good neighbor.

    The author describes how his spiritual experiences in the wilderness led him to a concern for healing the environment, and recommends developing a sense of oneness with the planet.

    Two hours after their jump, all but three of these men were dead or mortally burned from a "blowup" -- an explosive, 2,000-degree firestorm 300 feet deep and 200 feet tall -- a deadly explosion of flame and wind rarely encountered and little understood at the time.  Only seconds ahead of the approaching firestorm, the foreman, R. Wagner Dodge, throws himself into the ashes of an "escape fire " - and survives as most of his confused men run, their last moments obscured by smoke. The parents of the dead cry murder, charging that the foreman's fire killed their boys.  Exactly what happened in Mann Gulch that day has been obscured by years of grief and controversy. Now a master storyteller finally gives the Mann Gulch fire its due as tragedy.     These first deaths among the Forest Service's elite firefighters prompted widespread examination of federal fire policy, of the field of fire science, and of the frailty of young men. For Maclean, who witnessed the fire from the ground in August of 1949,  and even then he knew he would one day become a part of its story.  It is a story of Montana, of the ways of wildfires, firefighters, and fire scientists, and especially of a crew, young and proud, who "hadn't learned to count the odds and to sense they might owe the universe a tragedy." This tale is also Maclean's own, the story of a writer obsessed by a strange and human horror, unable to let the truth die with these young men, searching for the last - and lasting - word. A canvas on which to tell many stories, including the story of his research into the story itself. And finally Nature's violence colliding with human fallibility.      Haunted by these deaths for forty years, Norman Maclean returned to the scene with two of the survivors and pursues the mysteries that Mann Gulch has kept hidden since 1949.  From the words of witnesses, the evidence of history, and the research of fire scientists, Maclean at last assembles the scattered pieces of the Mann Gulch tragedy; in his last work that consumed 14 years of his life, and earned a 1992 National Book Critics Circle Award.       The excruciating detail of this book makes for a sobering reading experience. Maclean -- a former University of Chicago English professor and avid fisherman -- also wrote A River Runs Through It and Other Stories , which is set along the Missouri River, one gulch downstream from Mann Gulch.       "A magnificent drama of writing, a tragedy that pays tribute to the dead and offers rescue to the living.... Maclean's search for the truth, which becomes an exploration of his own mortality, is more compelling even than his journey into the heart of the fire. His description of the conflagration terrifies, but it is his battle with words, his effort to turn the story of the 13 men into tragedy that makes this book a classic."          —  from New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice, Best Books of 1992 The Men who Perished in the Mann Gulch Fire: Robert J. Bennett
Eldon E. Diettert
James O. Harrison
William J. Heilman
Phillip R. McVey
David R. Navon
Leonard L. Piper
Stanley J. Reba
Marvin L. Sherman
Joseph B. Sylvia
Henry J. Thol, Jr.
Newton R. Thompson
Silas R. Thompson Survivors of the Fire: R. Wagner Dodge, foreman
Walter B. Rumsey
Robert W. Sallee

    Encompassing a wide spectrum of orchid genera, over 1100 species and hybrids commonly in cultivation are detailed. With an authoritative but accessible text written by acknowledged experts of international renown, the book features all the pertinent topics which guide the reader to an understanding of these wonderful flowers: orchid habitats, distribution, classification, hybrids, pollination, cultivation, and conservation. The alphabetical "Orchids A–Z" section includes descriptions, taxonomy, currently accepted names and synonyms, geographic distribution, notes on culture, and hundreds of color photographs of the best-known species in cultivation.

     Beginning with the basics, the text describes what characterizes an insect, including anatomy and the life cycle. It takes an order-by-order look at insects, explaining how each group differs from another and why certain types of insects have been classified together. The book shows you not only what to look for but how and where to look for it -- from capturing and keeping live insects to ways of making a collection and taking photographs. Tips on keeping a field notebook are also included. Packed with more than 200 full-color illustrations, this comprehensive guide is a valuable reference tool for nature enthusiasts.

    If he had two hands, he could tear the sky . . .So unfolds a Yoruba poem celebrating the largest, most powerful, and one of the smartest creatures to walk the planet: the elephant. In this richly detailed exploration of the natural history and troubled fate of both the African and Asian species of elephant, noted wildlife biologist and author Douglas Chadwick travels the world to acquaint us with these awesome giants.Through visits to India, Siberia, Botswana, Thailand, Malaysia, Kenya, and even an American zoo, Chadwick illustrates the pivotal role the elephant plays in shaping and balancing not only the ecosystems it calls home, but also the livelihoods of a wide array of people. We travel to East Africa and join elephant families on the savannas of Amboseli Reserve in the shadow of Kilimanjaro. In the thick jungles of the Congo Basin, Chadwick leads us down pygmy footpaths on the trail of the elusive forest elephant. In Asia we experience a day in the life of a working elephant at an Indian timber camp, and take a raft trip to transplant problem elephants to remote areas of the Malaysian rainforest. At the zoo, we watch a four-ton artist take brush in trunk and paint a canvas with delicate strokes. In each place we visit, Chadwick reveals the elephant as a playful, intelligent being, full of surprises and ready to smash the narrow confines from which we traditionally view animals.As he shows us how similar elephants are to humans - they travel in closely knit families, learn from each other, look after their ill and elderly, mourn their dead, and communicate through a vocabulary of audible and subsonic sounds that addup to a surprisingly nuanced and expressive language - he leads us to rethink our definition of and approach to conservation.Chadwick also introduces us to the people whose lives are intimately connected with the elephant's - mahouts, researchers, loggers, royal white elephant metaphysicians, veterinarians, poachers, and some of the world's most talented ivory carvers. He illustrates how the elephant is integral to the history and mythology of the peoples with whom it has lived, and shows us why, despite that bond, elephants and humans have come into inevitable conflict as they vie for the same crucial tracts of land. Discussing the combination of factors that have pushed the elephant to the brink of extinction - the drastic loss of habitat, the ruthless pursuit of ivory, the unstable societies in crowded nations - Chadwick shows us why the fate of the elephant is a potent metaphor for our own fate, and makes a compelling case for acting immediately to save the elephant from oblivion, lest we destroy a creature we are only beginning to understand.

    Among them were Pete and Linda Dunne, who set off from there on a year-long odyssey. Dunne has poured the most remarkable stories, birds, and characters into this unforgettable book about their once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

    Exploding the tenets of industrial agriculture, Jackson, a respected advocate for sustainable practices and the founder of The Land Institute, seeks to integrate food production with nature in a way that sustains both.Foreword / Richard C. Edwards --1. The problem --2. Visions and assumptions --3. Science and nature --4. Nature as measure --5. Becoming native to our places --6. Developing the courage of our convictions

    The sparrows only habitat lay in the path of the Kennedy Space Center, not far from Disney World. Mark Walters moving narrative describes how the social and political forces of an era forced irrevocable and profound changes in the environment of Brevard County, Florida, and brought about the extinction of a small bird. Walters begins his story in the late 1950s, before Cape Canaveral was renamed the Kennedy Space Center. Against the backdrop of Merritt Island and the marshlands along the Indian, Banana, and St. Johns riversthe only places on the planet where the sparrow thrivedhe chronicles the struggles of many different personalities, strong-minded individuals whose lives and personal fates become inextricably entwined with those of the dusky. The cast of characters includes the head of Brevard County Mosquito Control, bureaucrats and rangers with U.S. Fish & Wildlife, NASA administrators, real estate developers, ranchers, highway engineers, egg collectors, conservationists, and finally, Disney World itself, home of the last duskies and their hybrid offspring. The sparrow, like the spotted owl of the Pacific Northwest, was the victimthe innocent bystanderof an intense human struggle between those who advocate growth and jobs at any cost and those who insist that each life form that is endangered be protected at any cost, and few, if any, winners in the end.

    Drawing on our understanding of the evolutionary, selforganizing universe, Roszak illuminates our rootedness in the greater web of life and explores the relationship between our own sanity and the largerthanhuman world. The Voice of the Earth seeks to bridge the centuriesold split between the psychological and the ecological with a paradigm which sees the needs of the planet and the needs of the person as a continuum. The Earth's cry for rescue from the punishing weight of the industrial system we have created is our own cry for a scale and quality of life that will free us to become whole and healthy. This second edition contains a new afterword by the author.

    One of the best-kept secrets in the Lone Star state is that mushrooms can be found in almost every region. Thousands of species of mushrooms flourish in Texas from the desert and semiarid regions of West Texas to the moist and acid soils of East Texas, where species that can also be found in South America live alongside those that might be spotted in Malaysia and Europe.At last, here is the Texas mushroom book--a colorful, easy-to-follow guide that will surprise and delight uninitiated nature enthusiasts and at the same time provide the experienced mushroom hunter with the first field guide of its kind in Texas.Excellent color photographs and precise descriptions of over 200 species will enable the mushroom hunter--even the amateur--to make quick, careful easy distinctions between the edible varieties and the potentially toxic ones. In addition, kitchen-tested recipes are included along with a microscopic spore chart, glossary, and blbllography.In Texas, mushroom hunting can be a year-round, state-wide activity, and with this enticing introduction, collecting, identifying, and preparing wild mushrooms will become an activity the entire family can enjoy while appreciating the beauty of Texas from a new and fascinating angle.

    Spanda is the vibratory dynamism of the absolute consciousness. In this book the author focuses on the school of Kashmir Shaivism that presents this doctrine as its cardinal principle and whose literature consists essentially of the works translated here.In his Introduction and in his exposition of the four commentaries, the author shows both how the Spanda tradition contributes to the other schools of Kashmir Shaivism and how it is different from them. He presents for the first time a detailed treatment of this tradition and an analysis of its development. The aim is to offer a method that affords access by the general reader to the wonderful world of the Spanda Yogi through which she travels to the liberating realization of her authentic identity vibrant with the vitality of the universal pulse of Shiva.Mark S. G. Dyczkowski took his first degree at Banaras Hindu University and then his doctorate at Oxford. He is presently associated with Sampurnananda Sanskrit University in Varanasi. He is the author of The Doctrine of Vibration: An Analysis of the Doctrine and Practices of Kashmir Shaivism; The Canon of the Saivagama and the Kubjikā Tantras of the Western Kaula Tradition; and Aphorisms of Śiva: The ŚivaSūtra with Bhāskara's Commentary, all published by SUNY Press.

    Fact and folklore that explore the details of common plant and animal communities east of the rockies.

    Generous Carmine the crow shares his wishing stardust with all of the sad creatures in the forest until he is left with only a single grain to help him grant his own wish.

    

    Volume 1 (Ostrich to Ducks)

    He has also written mystery novels, short stories, stage plays -- under several pen names. The Woodlander Series are classic children's stories written in the 1940s and 1950s about the inhabitants of Deep Wood -- Old Stripe the Badger, Potter-the-Otter, Woo Owl and Digger Mole. Meet, for the first time, the inhabitants of DEEP WOOD.

    This revised and enlarged second edition includes much additional information about the major herbs in the Mayan pharmacopoeia. Their work proves that the rainforest has more value to mankind alive than cut down!

    Nature is as much a social entity as a physical one. In addition to the physical resources to be harnessed and transformed, it consists of a domain of norms that may be called upon in defense of certain social ideals. In exploring the consequences of conventional understandings of nature, The Social Creation of Nature also seeks a way around the limitations of a socially created nature in order to defend what is actually imperiled—"wildness," in which, Thoreau wrote, lies hope for "the preservation of the world."

    Uses a gate-fold format to present information about prehistoric life and archaelogical efforts to reveal the past.A simple story, panoramic four-page fold-out and detailed glossary allow readers to explore a dinosaur dig up-close. Fact-filled and fun, this colorful book will delight dinosaur enthusiasts of all ages.

    

    In addition to examining all aspects of bat biology, the volume helps dispel many myths about bats.

    Over the millennia the crater became a national park for wildlife. Herbivores followed vegetation to the Ngorongoro and predators followed herbivores. Men followed, too, hunting for the tusks of rhinos and elephants, and the coats of the zebra. Rangers, photographers, and anthropologists came, too, to the place that many call the Garden of Eden. Reinhard Kunkel's beautiful, often astonishing, sometimes startling images, alongside landscapes of a primeval grandeur, make this book a triumph of wildlife photography. Reinhard Kunkel has been photographing there since 1973. He has lived with and shot the land and the animals - the lions, elephants, eagles, buffalo and hippopotamuses -- for the last thirty years. He has shot them mating, raising their young, killing their prey. He has watched herds of buffalo charge and scatter lions, followed the egrets searching for insects in the steps of the rhinos, stayed up nights waiting for the female rhino to accept the advances of the male, observed jackals and vultures staring each other down in confrontation over a kill, and the flamingoes feasting on the abundant blue-green algae. Unrivalled in the richness and diversity of its animal and plant life, Ngorongoro has been called the eighth wonder of the world.The original edition of this book was published in the United States in 1992. Updated with new photographs and extended by a new 16-page signature on the Maasai, it is an unrivalled work of design and production. Limited to 5,000 copies world wide.

    Calvin Luther Martin's In the Spirit of the Earth is a provocativeaccount of how the hunter-gatherer image of nature was lost—with devastatingconsequences for the environment and the human spirit.According to Martin, our current ideas about nature emerged during neolithictimes, as humans began to domesticate animals and farm the land. In thehunter-gatherer mind, animals and plants were spiritual beings and the earth areliable provider. But in neolithic innovations Martin finds the roots of ourown curiously alienated relationship with other living things and with theearth itself. This alienation is revealed not only in our artifice—thetechnology that moves us further and further away from nature—but even in theway we speak about the world. It is revealed most dramatically, perhaps, inthe horrific destruction we have visited on animals and landscapes. Martin sees the shift to agricultural economies as a change in spiritual imagination. This new approach to food getting meant a new understanding ofourselves and the world—a new, powerful image of the self relative to plantsand animals. It led to food surpluses, a population boom, the appearance ofcities and ceremonial centers, and the emergence of priestly classes and rulingelites—in short, to all the achievements, follies, and horrors of"civilization."Martin argues that history—his own discipline—and human centered historicalconsciousness lie at the heart of this ultimately destructive ideology. Notions of order and progress, of a chosen people and linear time, fuel oursense that the world is ours to improve, exploit, and even destroy. We need torediscover the wisdom and sanity of less presumptuous ideas of nature—aprocess that demands a much larger narrative than historians have been writingand telling. Without calling for a return to hunting and gathering, Martinasks if some of what we lost—or left behind—in the distant past might bereclaimed and used again. To make peace with the earth. To make peace withourselves."Many will respond with that oft heard reply, But we cannot go back! To which I respond, But we never left—never left our true, real context, thatis. Homo is still here on this planet earth, abiding in our most fundamentaland necessary nature by its fundamental and necessary terms. We left all ofthat only, really, in our fevered imagination. It all began as an act ofimagination, an illusory image—most fundamentally, an image of fear—and so thecorrective process must likewise begin with an image. Let us re-learn, as hunter-gatherers knew to the core of their being, that this place and itsprocesses (even in our death) always takes care of us—that Homo's citizenship,and errand, rest not with any creed or state, but with 'that star's substancefrom which he had arisen.'"—from In the Spirit of the Earth

    

    In America as well as abroad, the counterinsurgency campaign against the poachers and smugglers is being waged by U.S. Fish and Wildlife undercover agents. Game Wars offers a stunningly written, firsthand account of how these agents operate.

    Written in a conversational style that will draw in readers of all ages, DK 24 Hours let you get up close and personal with the natural world.

    Children learn about how and why God created the systems of sight, hearing, breathing, touching, and thinking. Each concept is beautifully illustrated and each lesson contains helpful comprehension questions. Grade 5.

    There, he studied and reared wildcats, and this text is the story of his cats Cleo and Patra, and his attempts to return their offspring to the wild.

    Heaney has written a preface to this joint work, and the second half contains the complete revised poem.

    It provides detailed advice on creating a bird-friendly environment with specific plants; providing feeders, birdbaths and nestboxes; and interpreting bird behavior. 500 full-color photographs.

    A rugged country of enchanting beauty, the Eastern Sierra lies at the junction of the Sierra Nevada, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert. The heart of this vast region is the eastern slope of the Sierra, extending from the 14,000-foot ramparts of Mount Whitney to the glacier-scoured peacks west of Mono Basin. No other area of North America encompasses more dramatic mountain and desert scenery, and this guidebook is the ideal companion for discovering its diverse natural history and fascinating human past. California's Eastern Sierra: A Visitor Guide features more than 100 scenic and historic destinations. Some of the renowned landmarks and natural wonders it covers are Mount Whitney, Mammoth Lakes, Devil's Postpile, Mono Lake, Bodie ghost town, and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.

    Drawing on 20 years experience and the successes of his colleagues worldwide, Sam Ham presents an unusually diverse collection of low-cost communication techniques that really work.More than 200 illustrations, photos, and technical insets provide simple instructions for designing and implementing effective education programs in forests, parks, protected areas, zoos, botanical gardens, extension and community programs, and in all kinds of agriculture and natural resource management programs.Aside from its step-by-step, "how-to" approach, what sets this volume apart is its solid theoretical foundation. Readers learn not only how to communicate their ideas more forcefully but why the methods work. Some 20 case studies, carefully selected from throughout the Western Hemisphere, stimulate the imagination and show how others have successfully applied what this book is about.Written for beginners and experts alike, the book represents a valuable resource for anyone faced with the need to communicate about the environment yet constrained by lack of money and experience.

    Now in its second edition, A Complete Guide to the Snakes of Southern Africa has been updated, revised and expanded to include at least 11 newly discovered and 30 re-classified species and sub-species. New information based on international scientific research has been included in the species accounts relating to behavior, identification, reproduction and snake venom. This readable and user-friendly guide will be invaluable to herpetologists, snake collectors, hikers, gardeners, campers and householders, or anyone who may encounter or want to know more about these fascinating and widely misunderstood reptiles.

    In these secret places, children develop and control environments of their own and enjoy freedom from the rules of the adult world. Children's Special Places enters these hidden worlds, reveals their importance to children's development and emotional health, and shows educators, parents, and other adults how they can foster a bond between young people and nature that is important to maturation.

    Coffman has had success with puppies and veterans in every area, from field to breed ring. Contents include selecting and caring for your first puppy, competitions, training, breeding and reproduction, raising a litter, the aging Vizsla, and more. Essential for new owners as well as experienced breeders and exhibitors. The Vizsla - field dog, show dog, obedience dog, companion par excellence, and more. Marion Coffman shares insights gleaned from thirty years of experience. Read the intriguing story of how the breed was rescued from Hungary during the Second World War. Learn how to select a correct Vizsla, train him, and care for him. Most of all, share the author's love and appreciation for this versatile, unique breed.

    Widely held to be one of the classics of angling literature, this book recounts the rediscovery of the Indian mahseer and the goliath tigerfish of the Congo.

    Each book and CD provides an introduction to the sound repertoire of species living in eastern and central North America--a variety of calls from each species are included, along with an in-depth description and explanation of their significance. In addition to color photographs of the most common species, the text offers a fascinating look at the science of avian and amphibian calls, making these guides indispensable aids for the outdoor enthusiast.Species covered in this book: Bullfrog - Pig Frog - Green Frog - Wood Frog - Mink Frog - Carpenter Frog - Florida Bog Frog - Plains Leopard Frog - Southern Leopard Frog - Northern Leopard Frog - Pickerel Frog - Gopher Frog - Crawfish Frog - River Frog - Green Treefrog - Pine Barrens Treefrog - Barking Treefrog - Squirrel Treefrog - Pine Woods Treefrog - Gray Treefrog - Cope's Gray Treefrog - Bird-voiced Treefrog - Spring Peeper - Ornate Chorus Frog - Strecker's Chorus Frog - Little Grass Frog - Western Chorus Frog - Southern Chorus Frog - Brimley's Chorus Frog - Mountain Chorus Frog - Northern Cricket Frog - Southern Cricket Frog - American Toad - Southern Toad - Gulf Coast Toad - Fowler's Toad - Great Plains Toad - Oak Toad - Eastern Spadefoot - Plains Spadefoot - Eastern Narrowmouth Toad - Great Plains Narrowmouth Toad

    The Flora remains unique in many features, including its full coverage of all British wild plants, its user-friendly organisation, and its specially compiled keys and descriptions. This new edition includes the addition of more than 160 species, so that 4,800 taxa are now covered in varying degrees of detail. It also incorporates the new molecular system of classification based on DNA sequences. Furthermore, with 1600 species illustrations, rewritten distributions and an overhaul of the designation of degrees of rarity, with the introduction of a third, less rare, category. These revisions should ensure that this Third Edition remains the essential reference source for all taxonomists, ecologists, conservationists, plant hunters and biogeographers, whether they be researchers, teachers, students or amateurs.

    Interesting illustrations and helpful chapter comprehension questions are included with this reader. Grade 4.

    Drawing on years of experience and an impressive grasp of the literature, Richard Shine covers the day-to-day lives of snakes, discussing their anatomy, evolution, and habitat, and describing their behavior, sex habits, life history, and diet.

    McKibben ( The End of Nature ) explains how Burroughs helps us appreciate the "middle kingdom" that is neither urban nor wild by "figuring out a language for making others treasure the small spectacles of nature." The essays are best read individually, as enthusiastic guides through Burroughs's intimate world. According to him, some scenery may be too grand for daily viewing, and Burroughs suggests that one build a house in "a more humble and secluded nook." An observer of nature, he says, needs more than just the habit of attention: "You must have the bird in your heart before you can find it in the bush." Eagerly offering transliterations of nature's sounds (" Pthrung, pthrung, " croaks a frog), Burroughs takes us on trips through the woods, a search for wild honey and an excursion for trout. His favorite companion is "a dog or a boy, or a person who has the virtues of dogs and boys--transparency, good nature, curiosity, open sense." For the reader, Burroughs is such a companion. First serial to the New York Review of Books. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

    Text and labeled illustrations depict a variety of plants and their parts, including woody, flowering, desert, and tropical plants.Contents:•     Plant varieties•     Fungi and lichens•     Algae and seaweed—Liverworts and mosses•     Horsetails, club mosses, and ferns—Gymnosperms•     Monocotyledons and dicotyledons•     Herbaceous flowering plants•     Woody flowering plants•     Roots•     Stems•     Leaves—Photosynthesis•     Flowers•     Pollination•     Fertilization•     Succulent fruits•     Dry fruits•     Germination•     Vegetative reproduction—Dryland plants•     Wetland plants•     Carnivorous plants•     Epiphytic and parasitic plants•     Plant classification

    40,000 first printing.

    . . is a valuable reference, representing the . . . recent comprehensive account of North America's venomous reptiles. Most herpetologists . . . will want access to a copy {and} amateurs will find the book readable and useful". -"ASB Bulletin" 55 color, 61 b&w photos.

    There are more than 200 species of carnivore in existence which are more diverse than any other living group of vertebrates. The one feature which distinguishes carnivores from all other mammals is the carnassial tooth, designed for shearing meat, although, ironically, their survival has often depended on their ability to survive on diets other than meat. Nearly 40 million years ago the ancestors of two great dynasties of modern predators became divided. In a world dominated by forests the ancestors of the cat remained in the trees, and animals like the sabre-toothed tiger evolved into refined killers. The ancestors of the dog descended to the ground to feed in the clearings and later, with the opening up of the grassy plains and the prey available on these, the dog established its hunting terrain. The book helps to explain the extraordinary myths surrounding the hyena and its peculiar sexuality. It explores how bears, racoons and pandas as a group of carnivores have a truly omnivorous existence, addressing the question - can the vegetarian panda still be classified as a carnivore? The author also looks at the smaller carnivores of the mustella family with their incredible variation in size and lifestyle. They have developed to become both predators and prey and some, such as the skunk, have evolved elaborate defence mechanisms to deter predators. The various species of carnivore depend on each other for their survival, and it is an ironical fact that many skilled and powerful carnivores are more vulnerable than the prey they hunt - resulting in the establishment of intricate carnivore societies, like that of the meerkat.

    63 hikes and side trips into every corner of a million acres of spectacular Colorado Plateau scenery.

    Describes the experiences of five fox pups during the month of June in the farmland of Pennsylvania.

    Describes the activities of a mother red squirrel during the month of April as she nurtures her newborn babies in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana.

    Includes detailed descriptions and full-color photos of more than 500 wildflowers, a glossary of botanical terms, and 25 botanical illustrations.

    Paulsen's prose is realistic and down-to-earth....Ruth Wright Paulsen's paintings are an invitation to pause and imagine...a delight (Christian Science Monitor). Illustrations by Ruth Wright Paulsen."

    25,000 first printing.

    Biological anthropologist Dean Falk now brings the discussion into the 21st century. In this revised edition with a new preface and updated information through 2003, she reexamines her groundbreaking research of how the human brain evolved and reveals how this process continues to impact our species. Around two million years ago, our earliest hominin ancestors experienced an explosive brain expansion, at least one million years after they began to walk upright. Rather than linking bipedalism alone with brain expansion, as previously theorized, Falk’s explanation involves climate. She contends that bipedalism allowed our ancestors to wander farther afield in savannah-like regions, where their brains were subjected to solar heating. Falk and her colleagues discovered that one hominin line developed a complicated brain-cooling system to combat the destructive effects of excessive heat. This ability and expanding brain size evolved together, thus producing hominins with a brain capacity three times greater than their ancestors. Falk further discusses the evolution of visual skills, right-handedness, language ability, right-brain/left-brain and male/female differences—and the uniquely human ability to dance. The specifics of how we tapped, toed, and twisted through the prehistoric "brain dance" form the story line of this book. And what did two million years of bigger brains produce? The last chapter summarizes Falk’s ideas on human cognitive and conscious capacities for the future.

    During a cold spell in December, a song sparrow that has not migrated south must adapt to the changes that winter brings.

    

    The bird is a beacon of survival because, like the Indian tribes of the South American region, the arrival of western habits threatens its existence.

    The soft paintings combine with the simple text to bring a vanishing breed vividly to life. A wonderful book for reading aloud or for sharing, the story subtly parallels the growth of all creatures and underscores the strong bonds that exist between parent and child.

    Jim Schafer and Mike Sajna take us on a trip from its mouth to its headwaters, charting the Allegheny River s history from its creation during the Ice Age to the present. Using historical records and accounts, interviews, personal experiences, and over 150 contemporary and historical photographs, Schafer and Sajna vividly portray the mighty Allegheny.The Allegheny played a key role in the French and Indian War, and after the Revolution it was the main thoroughfare for immigrants heading west to settle America from Ohio to the Northwest Territory, thus earning Pittsburgh the title "Gateway to West." Part of the river's story includes its role in the Industrial Revolution, for it once bore the environmental scars of unrestricted industrialization. Today it has rebounded to become one of the best fisheries in the state and home to a diverse collection of flora and fauna, including several endangered species. It is also now one of the most heavily used rivers for recreation in the country.Throughout the text, Sajna weaves vignettes with the famous figures and interesting character who have encountered the river, from George Washington, John D. Rockefeller, Sr., and Andrew Carnegie, to Seneca Chief Cornplanter, John Wilkes Booth, "Johnny Appleseed," and Rachel Carson. He also interviews contemporary people who live, work, or take inspiration from the river, including a woodcarver, a riverboat captain, and vacationers and naturalists. Through words and photographs, Schafer and Sajna depict the ever-changing face of the river."

    A how-to guide for the weekend naturalist that is a practical owner's manual for your local woods.

    This essential handbook covers where to find butterflies; how to observe and photograph them; their behavior, biology, ecology, and life histories; butterfly gardening; butterfly rearing; identification; and conservation.

    Thoreau, Lewis Hyde gathers thirteen of Thoreau's finest short prose works and, for the first time in 150 years, presents them fully annotated and arranged in the order of their composition. This definitive edition includes Thoreau's most famous essays, "Civil Disobedience" and "Walking," along with lesser-known masterpieces such as "Wild Apples," "The Last Days of John Brown," and an account of his 1846 journey into the Maine wilderness to climb Mount Katahdin, an essay that ends on a unique note of sublimity and terror.Hyde diverges from the long-standing and dubious editorial custom of separating Thoreau's politics from his interest in nature, a division that has always obscured the ways in which the two are constantly entwined. "Natural History of Massachusetts" begins not with fish and birds but with a dismissal of the political world, and "Slavery in Massachusetts" ends with a meditation on the water lilies blooming on the Concord River.Thoreau's ideal reader was expected to be well versed in Greek and Latin, poetry and travel narrative, and politically engaged in current affairs. Hyde's detailed annotations clarify many of Thoreau's references and re-create the contemporary context wherein the nation's westward expansion was bringing to a head the racial tensions that would result in the Civil War.

    Filled with dozens of black and white photos, illustrations, charts and maps covering descriptions of hundreds of varieties of birds to help the birder find the species he is looking for.

    The result is that their inner pictures are devoid of life.To arrive at a truth or to create beauty that reflects the order and harmony of the Creator, we must always begin humbly, in ignorance and ugliness. By striving out of ignorance and ugliness toward the true and beautiful, both scientists and artists can bring new, creative forces into the world. Neither memorizing data nor copying a beautiful drawing engages the true imagination of students as it is by drawing a flower from life. It is precisely this lack of an active, striving inner creativity that can result in the frequently overwhelming feelings of anxiety and alienation experienced by so many people today. As a counterbalance, education must--in all areas of knowledge--increasingly focus on the personal creation of what, through its beauty, speaks truth and through its truth radiates beauty. Drawing from the Book of Nature is about both drawing and the natural world of plants and animals. It is a valuable resource for teachers, students, and anyone who wants to develop a capacity for artistic observation of natural phenomena.Dennis Klocek provides a refreshing combination of depth and clarity, offering a wealth of insight into the lives that constitute living nature. The text is supported by easy-to-follow lessons that help the reader bring the kingdoms of nature to life on paper. This book is a resource through which teachers, students, and others can find their own way toward reuniting with beauty and truth.

    Every painting, 300 in all, from Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds and Field Guide to Western Birds is reproduced at full size in these stunning books. Each book is signed by the author.

    Paul Simons examines the animal-like behaviour of plant movements and shows that movements are not peculiar to a famous few 'weird' species. Many leaves can search for light like miniature satellite dishes tracking the sun, insects can be bludgeoned into cross-pollination, and one fungus seems to have the habits of a triffid by spearing passing creatures with a harpoon. But the book is not simply a catalogue of these extraordinary natural phenomena. Simons reveals that all plants have a 'muscle' and nerve-like system which they and the animal kingdom evolved from ancient one-celled creatures. The revelation that these seemingly simple creatures have sensors, signals and motors all rolled into one cell shows that 'nervousness' is probably universal to almost all living things.

    

    Unfortunately, modern American culture has not paid much attention.White settlers did learn a few plant-based remedies from the Indians, and a few prairie plants were prescribed by frontier doctors. A couple dozen prairie species were listed as drugs in the U.S. Pharmacopeia at one time or another, and one or two, like the Purple Coneflower, found their way into the bottles of patent medicine.But in both the number of species used and the varieties of treatments administered, Indians were far more proficient than white settlers. Their familiarity with the plants of the prairie was comprehensive--there probably were Indian names for all prairie plants, and they recognized more varieties of some species than scientists do today. Their knowledge was refined and exact enough that they could successfully administer medicinal doses of plants that are poisonous. All of the species used by frontier doctors were used first by Indians.In Medicinal Plants of the Prairie, ethnobotanist Kelly Kindscher documents the medicinal use of 203 native prairie plants by the Plains Indians. Using information gleaned from archival materials, interviews, and fieldwork, Kindscher describes plant-based treatments for ailments ranging from hyperactivity to syphilis, from arthritis to worms. He also explains the use of internal and external medications, smoke treatments, moxa (the burning of a medicinal substance on the skin), and the doctrine of signatures (the belief that the form or characteristics of a plant are signatures or signs that reveal its medicinal uses). He adds information on recent pharmacological findings to further illuminate the medicinal nature of these plants.Not since 1919 has the ethnobotany of native Great Plains plants been examined so thoroughly. Kindscher's study is the first to encompass the entire Prairie Bioregion, a one-million-square-mile area bounded by Texas on the south, Canada on the north, the Rocky Mountains on the west, and the deciduous forests of Missouri, Indiana, and Wisconsin in the east. Along with information on the medicinal uses of prairie plants by the Indians, Kindscher also lists Indian, common, and scientific names and describes Anglo folk uses, medical uses, scientific research, and cultivation. Descriptions of the plants are supplemented by 44 exquisite line drawings and over 100 range maps.This book will help increase appreciation for prairie plants at a time when prairies and their biodiversity urgently need protection throughout the region.