Best of
Nature

1995

Illumination in the Flatwoods: A Season with the Wild Turkey


Joe Hutto - 1995
    The acclaimed account of an astonishing human-turkey relationship.

Dwellings: A Spiritual History of the Living World


Linda Hogan - 1995
    16 line drawings.

Blue Pastures


Mary Oliver - 1995
    She praises Whitman, denounces cuteness, notes where to find the extraordinary, and extols solitude. Nature speaks to her and she speaks to nature. "This book is biased, opinionated; also it is also joyful, and probably there is despair here too...But the reader will find the pleasures more certain, and more constant, than the rills of despond. Thus it has turned out in my life thus far, influenced by the sustaining passions: love of the wild world, love of literature, love for and from another person."??—??Mary Oliver"This transcendent collection is Oliver's joyful sharing of her love of her craft."??—??*Library Journal

Reflections of Eden: My Years with the Orangutans of Borneo


Biruté M.F. Galdikas - 1995
    In 1971, at age twenty-five, Galdikas left the placid world of American academia for the remote jungles of Indonesian Borneo. Living with her husband in a primitive camp, she became surrogate mother to a "family" of ex-captive orangutans - and gradually adjusted to the blood-sucking leeches, swarms of carnivorous insects, and constant humidity that rotted her belongings in the first year. Her first son spent the early years of his life at Camp Leakey with adopted orangutans as his only playmates. The wild orangutans Galdikas studied and the ex-captives she rehabilitated became an extended family of characters no less vivid than her human companions. Throatpouch, a huge and irritable grouch, fought off rivals for the right to claim adolescent Priscilla as his mate. Handsome Cara at first tried to rid the forest of its human intruder by hurling dead branches at Galdikas from the canopy above. Little Sugito, rescued from a cramped cage and returned to the jungle claimed Galdikas as his mother and clung to her fiercely, night and day, for months. A groundbreaking chronicler of the orangutans' life cycle, Galdikas also describes the threats that increasingly menace them: the battles with poachers and loggers, the illicit trade in infant orangutans, the frustrations of official bureaucracy. Her story is a rare combination of personal epiphany, crucial scientific discovery, and international impact - a life of human and environmental challenge. Reflections of Eden is the third act of a drama that has captivated the world: the story of a pioneering primatologist, a world leader in conservation, and a remarkable woman.

Landscape and Memory


Simon Schama - 1995
    He tells of the Nazi cult of the primeval German forest; the play of Christian and pagan myth in Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers; and the duel between a monumental sculptor and a feminist gadfly on the slopes of Mount Rushmore. The result is a triumphant work of history, naturalism, mythology, and art. "A work of great ambition and enormous intellectual scope...consistently provocative and revealing."--New York Times"Extraordinary...a summary cannot convey the riches of this book. It will absorb, instruct, and fascinate."--New York Review of Books

The Farm


Wendell Berry - 1995
    

Stories from the Old Squire's Farm


C.A. Stephens - 1995
    "Some of the very best stories of New England life and character that have ever been written." -- "Hartford Daily Courant"

Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature


William Cronon - 1995
    Among the ironies and entanglements resulting from this goal are the sale of nature in our malls through the Nature Company, and the disputes between working people and environmentalists over spotted owls and other objects of species preservation.The problem is that we haven't learned to live responsibly in nature. The environmentalist aim of legislating humans out of the wilderness is no solution. People, Cronon argues, are inextricably tied to nature, whether they live in cities or countryside. Rather than attempt to exclude humans, environmental advocates should help us learn to live in some sustainable relationship with nature. It is our home.

Listening to the Land: Conversations about Nature, Culture and Eros


Derrick Jensen - 1995
    Included here is Dave Foreman on biodiversity, Matthew Fox on Christianity and nature, Jerry Mander on technology, and Terry Tempest Williams on an erotic connection to the land. With intelligence and compassion, Listening to the Land moves from a look at the condition of the environment and the health of our spirit to a beautiful evocation of eros and a life based on love.

Yosemite


Ansel Adams - 1995
    "I knew my destiny when I first experienced Yosemite", wrote Adams, who first visited the park at the age of fourteen and returned every year of his life thereafter. This new book presents the essence of Adams' long association with Yosemite: sixty-six memorable photographs of glacial lakes and craggy peaks, cascading waterfalls and granite monoliths, lone trees and sylvan streams. Here are Moon and Half Dome, Clearing Winter Storm, and El Capitan, Winter, Sunrise - images that have become veritable icons of the American wilderness. Selections from Adams' writings about the park and its environment, and an introductory essay that reveals the prescience of Adams' views on park management issues, enhance this majestic photographic portrait of Yosemite National Park by America's foremost landscape photographer.

Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth/Healing the Mind


Theodore Roszak - 1995
    Its writers show how the health of the planet is inextricably linked to the psychological health of humanity, individually and collectively. Contributors to this volume include the premier psychotherapists, thinkers, and eco-activists working in this field. James Hillman, the world-renowned Jungian analyst, identifies as the “one core issue for all psychology” the nature and limits of human identity, and relates this to the condition of the planet. Earth Island Institute head Carl Anthony argues for “a genuinely multicultural self and a global civil society without racism” as fundamental to human and earthly well-being. And Buddhist writer and therapist Joanna Macy speaks of the need to open up our feelings for our threatened planet as an antidote to environmental despair. “Is it possible,” asks co-editor Theodore Roszak, “that the planetary and the personal are pointing the way forward to some new basis for a sustainable economic and emotional life?” Ecopsychology in practice has begun to affirm this, aided by these definitive writings.

Sky Tree: Seeing Science Through Art


Thomas Locker - 1995
    In autumn, leaves fall as squirrels scamper up the trunk carrying nuts. And on a winter night, a backdrop of twinkling stars shines through the branches. Each day, the tree changes with the purple and pink of a sunset or a nip of cold air. But the tree is more than a thing of beauty—its changes represent the passage of time in nature.Sky Tree combines the artistic beauty and the scientific wonder of ever-changing nature into a satisfying experience for the soul and the mind.Each page poses a discussion question, and at the back of the book is an explanation of how Thomas Locker created each beautiful oil painting.

Sea Change: A Message of the Oceans


Sylvia A. Earle - 1995
    Sea Change is at once the gripping adventure story of Earle's three decades of undersea exploration and an urgent plea for the preservation of the world's fragile and rapidly deterioating ocean ecosystems.

Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays


Candace Savage - 1995
    But according to naturalist Candace Savage, “bird brain,” as a pejorative expression, should be rendered obsolete by new research on the family of corvids: crows and their close relations.The ancients who regarded these remarkable birds as oracles, bringers of wisdom, or agents of vengeance were on the right track, for corvids appear to have powers of abstraction, memory, and creativity that put them on a par with many mammals, even higher primates. Bird Brains presents these bright, brassy, and surprisingly colorful birds in a remarkable collection of full-color, close-up photographs by some two dozen of the world’s best wildlife photographers.Savage’s lively, authoritative text describes the life and behavior of sixteen representative corvid species that inhabit North America and Europe. Drawing on recent research, she describes birds that recognize each other as individuals, call one another by “name,” remember and relocate thousands of hidden food caches, engage in true teamwork and purposeful play, and generally exhibit an extraordinary degree of sophistication.

National Audubon Society Field Guide to African Wildlife


Peter Alden - 1995
    This guide is packed with nearly 600 stunning color photographs of African habitats and animals, and provides a wealth of information on more than 850 species compiled by veteran safari leaders and experts in African wildlife. The parks and reserves for which the continent is famous are described in thorough detail, taking the reader on an unforgettable virtual safari.

In the Loyal Mountains


Rick Bass - 1995
    To quote the Los Angeles Times: "Impelled by a profound love of the land, the ten stories in In the Loyal Mountains are a reminder that American literature draws its unique strength from a powerful sense of place." In this luminous collection, Rick Bass firmly establishes himself as a master of the short story, with tales that embrace vibrant images of ordinary human life and exuberant descriptions of the natural world.

The Butterfly Alphabet Book


Brian Cassie - 1995
    Jerry Pallotta and Brian Cassie's fun, informative text, accompanied by Mark Astrella's detailed and breathtaking illustrations, will be a sure favorite with both the young butterfly lover and the experienced lepidopterist!

Trees in Canada


John Laird Farrar - 1995
     A new easy tree-identification method in which trees are organized into 12 groups based on leaf shape and arrangement along the twig. Keys for both summer and winter identification. 580 colour photographs and 1600 drawings of special features useful for identification. Trees In Canada builds on the popular Native Trees of Canada (out of print), which, for 8 editions and over 75 years, guided amateur naturalists and forest science professionals in tree identification.Trees In Canada is an essential tool for the amateur naturalist and forest science professional, landscape architect, student, or teacher, and a collectible for all those fascinated by trees and forests.See what the Tree Canada Foundation has to say about the book at www.treecanada.ca/trees/index.php. The Tree Canada Foundation is a charitable organization which partners with local volunteers to improve our quality of life by planting and caring for trees. In your neighbourhoods, schoolyards, parks and in the countryside, Tree Canada leaves a living, breathing legacy for generations to come.

Trees, Leaves & Bark


Diane L. Burns - 1995
    Safety tips are provided and interesting activities are sugested. Color illustrations enhance the presentation. ---HORN BOOKS (Tracks, Scats and Signs)

Another Turn of the Crank


Wendell Berry - 1995
    Provocative, intimate, and thoughtful, Another Turn of the Crank reaches to the heart of Wendell Berry's concern for our nation, its communities, and their future.

Desert Quartet: An Erotic Landscape


Terry Tempest Williams - 1995
    This is an incandescent meditation--in word and image--on the physical vastness and beauty of the desert and the spiritual place one woman finds for herself there.

Land Mosaics: The Ecology of Landscapes and Regions


Richard T.T. Forman - 1995
    This up-to-date synthesis explores the ecology of heterogeneous land areas, where natural processes and human activities interact to produce an ever changing mosaic. The subject has great relevance to contemporary society and this book reflects the breadth of this importance: there are many ideas and applications for planning, conservation, design, management, sustainability and policy. Spatial solutions are provided for society's land-use objectives. Students and professionals alike will be drawn by the attractive and informative illustrations, the conceptual synthesis, the wide international perspective, and the range of topics and research covered.

Animals as Teachers and Healers: True Stories and Reflections


Susan Chernak McElroy - 1995
    So says Susan Chernak McElroy, who owes her triumph over cancer to the love of her dog, Keesha--and to the courage she found in the act of saving a dying cat. In ANIMALS AS TEACHERS AND HEALERS, McElroy tells her story and gathers real-life stories from others whose souls have been touched by the loving energies of animals. Here are animals as guardians (a German shepherd who cocoons its body around a toddler during a house fire--the baby lives, the dog does not), companions, totems, and soul menders.For anyone who has forgotten how to see angels, ANIMALS AS TEACHERS AND HEALERS is an inspiration and a guide for the journey to reconnect with the animal kingdom, and a reminder of the lessons and healing that can flow from the special relationship between humans and animals.

The New Healing Herbs: The Essential Guide to More Than 130 of Nature's Most Potent Herbal Remedies


Michael Castleman - 1995
    In the fourth edition of The New Healing Herbs, you get access to the latest, most up-to-date information about herbal remedies for cures to nausea, the common cold, diabetes, cancer, allergies, back pain, and more. This new edition includes five new herbs, the result of author Michael Castleman’s endless research and dedication to holistic healing. Taking a folklore-meets-science approach, you’ll also explore the rich history of herbal medicine traditions.Featuring 135 of the most widely used medicinal herbs, including cannabis, The New Healing Herbs shows you which herbal remedy to take for each condition, how it's taken, what interactions to watch for, and where to buy the featured herb. The easy-to-use Cure Finder organizes herbs by health condition, healing actions, and alternative uses, guiding you to the right herbal remedy for your ailment.With The New Healing Herbs, you’ll find nature’s remedy for health, vibrancy, and happiness.

Plants of the Western Boreal Forest & Aspen Parkland


Derek Johnson - 1995
    Over 620 species of trees, shrubs, wildflowers, grasses, ferns, mosses and lichens are illustrated and described, covering the northern forest from Alaska to Minnesota.

A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America


Steve N.G. Howell - 1995
    But he also arrived without an adequate fieldguide. Indeed, to his surprise, he found that relatively little was known (and even less written) about the myriad of bird species that inhabit the region stretching from the U.S.-Mexican border to Nicaragua. And so, after eleven years of research in northern Central America, and with theessential collaboration of Sophie Webb--a biologist and one of the most talented ornithological illustrators working today--we now have the definitive guide to birds of this fascinating region. drop rest as varied as the Laysan Albatross, the Blue-footed Booby, the Collared Trogon, even the rareGuadalupe Storm-Petrel. A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America is astonishingly comprehensive, covering the identification, status, and distribution of all 1,070 birds species known from Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, and western Nicaragua. No other book approaches the thoroughnessof this unique field guide. Beautifully illustrated with seventy-one color plates and thirty-nine black and white drawings, the guide shows 750 species and includes many plumages never before depicted. Of special interest are illustrations of some of the most notoriously difficult groups toportray, such as raptors in flight, owls, and nightjars. In addition, superb, easy-to-read maps help the traveling birder locate particular--even rare--species, and the entries describing individual birds detail their appearance, voice, habitat, behavior (including nesting and eggs), anddistribution. With the U.S. birder in mind, the guide also includes birds that can be seen north of the border, showing these American migrants on plates when they could be confused with similar Mexican species, thus enabling the birder to make quick and ready comparisons in the field. And, withreadable and fascinating presentations of the natural history of Central American birds, this guide will be welcomed not only by seasoned birders, but by any traveler exploring the rain forests, coastlines, and deserts of Mexico and the Central American isthmus. Sponsored by the distinguished Point Reyes Observatory in California, A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America is a wonderful addition to the library of birders, nature enthusiasts, and travelers alike. With its lavish illustrations, clear writing, and unprecedented range, itoffers hours of compelling reading and pleasant browsing for anyone intrigued by the colorful diversity of birds and the wild, largely unspoiled world next door.

The Rarest of the Rare: Vanishing Animals, Timeless Worlds


Diane Ackerman - 1995
    She delivers a rapturous celebration of other species that is also a warning to our own. Traveling from the Amazon rain forest to a forbidding island off the coast of Japan, enduring everything from broken ribs to a beating by an irate seal, Ackerman reveals her subjects in all their splendid particularity. She shows us how they feed, mate, and migrate. She eavesdrops on their class and courtship dances. She pays tribute to the men and women hwo have deoted their lives to saving them.

The Company of Wolves


Peter Steinhart - 1995
    This authoritative and eloquent book coaxes the wolf out from its camouflage of myth and reveals the depth of its kinship with humanity, which shares this animal's complex complex social organization, intense family ties, and predatory streak.

Riverwalking: Reflections on Moving Water


Kathleen Dean Moore - 1995
    “A smart, compassionate, and wise meditation on living in place” (Terry Tempest Williams).

Ghost Grizzles: Does the Great Bear Still Haunt Colorado?


David Petersen - 1995
    That is, until one September evening in 1979 when a hunting outfitter named Ed Wiseman was attacked by a four-hundred-pound golden-haired sow. The mauled but alive man (and the dead bear) confirmed what knowledgeable San Juan residents already knew: the Colorado grizzly was no ghost.What has happened since that encounter almost twenty years ago is the subject of this story about the bear and our own species in the wild -- and what the future may hold for both.

Color and Light in Nature


David K. Lynch - 1995
    But, how many of us really understand how a rainbow is formed, why the setting sun is red and flattened, or even why the sky at night is not absolutely black? Color and Light in Nature provides clear explanations of all naturally occurring optical phenomena seen with the naked eye, including shadows, halos, water optics, mirages, and a host of other spectacles. Separating myth from reality, David Lynch and William Livingston outline the basic principles involved, and support them with many figures and references. Rare and spectacular photographs, many in full color, illustrate the phenomena throughout. In this new edition the authors have added over 50 new color images and provide new material on experiments readers can conduct themselves, such as how to photograph geostationary satellites with your own camera. David K. Lynch is an astronomer and atmospheric physicist specializing in infrared studies of star-formation regions, interstellar matter, comets, novae, and supernovae. He began his career teaching at the California Institute of Technology and at the University of California at Berkeley. Today, he operates Thule Scientific, a private research institute. He is or has been the Principal Investigator on a variety of NASA, NOAA, NSF, and Department of Defense programs. He lives in Topanga, California. William Livingston has been an astronomer at the Kitt Peak Observatory in southern Arizona since 1959. He helped design and build instruments and telescopes before becoming a solar observer. Livingston has participated in many solar eclipse expeditions in Alaska, the South Pacific, Africa, Indonesia, India, and recently Turkey, but believes that his best sightings of atmospheric phenomena have been from his backyard in Tucson.

The Serpents of Paradise: A Reader


Edward Abbey - 1995
    It includes essays, travel pieces and fictions to reveal Ed's life directly, in his own words.The selections gathered here are arranged chronologically by incident, not by date of publication, to offer Edward Abbey's life from the time he was the boy called Ned in Home, Pennsylvania, until his death in Tucson at age 62. A short note introduces each of the four parts of the book and attempts to identify what's happening in the author's life at the time. When relevant, some details of publishing history are provided.

Kevin Vandam's Bass Strategies: A Handbook for All Anglers


Kevin Vandam - 1995
    In addition to dozens of tips for finding and catching bass, VanDam analyzes the dilemmas anglers face and how to overcome them.

Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers Run: A Call to Those Who Would Save the Earth


David Brower - 1995
    Brower's voice is passionate, perfectly cadenced, humorous, and very wise. And original: while most writers point to where we are, this one draws the map.?Edward O. Wilson, author, "The Diversity of Life and Naturalist"Credited with galvanizing an entire generation of environmentalists in the 60's, David Brower, the highly respected "archdruid" of the modern environmental movement, recalls with wit and wisdom his 50 years of controversial activism and offers an inspired strategy for the next generation of "those who would save the Earth."In this intelligent and engaging chronicle of his years as an agitatator for the planet, Brower points out the irony that since the first Earth Day 25 years ago, we've lost one-seventh of the world's productive land to pollution, clearcutting, and pavement-and our population has doubled! From the politics of preserving the environment and how to use New York-style PR to save tigers and dolphins, to reengineering cities, the future of hypercars, and his vision for the Earth Corps, Brower takes us on a sweeping journey of what has been and what could be if we apply CPR (Conservation, Preservation, Restoration) to our wounded world. Printed on entirely tree-free kenaf paper, "Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers Run" follows its own prescription for saving the world's forests.TABLE OF CONTENTSCPR for the Earth: An InvitationPART I: OPPORTUNITIES1. Seeing and Remembering2. Climbing Mountains3. The Bristlecone Pine4. Visions of a Wild CenturyPART II: SOLUTIONS5. Havens6. Cities with Boundaries7. Eco-Preserves8. Forest Revolution9. More Monks10. HypercarsPART III: RESTORATION11. A World Restored12. Making a Difference13. The CPR Service14. What will it Cost?15. The Cure for What Ails UsPART IV: WILDNESS16. Where the Wilderness Is17. Listening to Mountains18. Rachel Carson's Pelicans19. Neat TricksPART V: SAVING THE EARTH20. The Third Planet: Operating Instructions21. Unwise Misuse22. Rule Number 6 Revisited23. Let Heaven and Nature Sing24. For Those Who Would Save the Earth

Way of the Scout


Tom Brown Jr. - 1995
    Presents twelve episodes illustrating the expert skills in tracking that the author learned from an Apache expert, demonstrating how the Native American art of survival can bring the spiritual rewards of higher consciousness and inner peace.

A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors


Brian K. Wheeler - 1995
    Variable plumage, color morphs, and unique individual characteristics are just some of the factors bird watchers must consider when identifying the different species. In this authoritative reference, two of the world's top experts on raptors provide an essential guide to the variations in the species, allowing for easier recognition of key identification points. All the distinguishing marks described have been exhaustively tested in a wide range of field conditions by the authors as well as the colleagues and students who have learned from them. Key Features? The only complete photographic guide to North American diurnal birds of prey Includes all species, common and rare Written by well-known experts Contains 365 photographs, each with an explanatory caption and supporting text describing all 43 species of diurnal raptors found in North America Features 14 discussions of specific problems in practical identification Complete set showing every plumage Raptor I.D. problem section showing similar species side by side Species List: Turkey Vulture. Black Vulture. California Condor. Osprey. Hook-billed Kite. Swallow-tailed Kite. White-tailed Kite. Snail Kite. Mississippi Kite. Bald Eagle. Northern Harrier. Sharp-shinned Hawk. Cooper's Hawk. Northern Goshawk. Common Black Hawk. Harris' Hawk. Gray Hawk. Red-shouldered Hawk. Broad-winged Hawk. Short-tailed Hawk. Swainson's Hawk. White-tailed Hawk. Zone-tailed Hawk. Red-tailed Hawk. Ferruginous Hawk. Rough-legged Hawk. Golden Eagle. Crested Caracara. American Kestrel. Merlin. Aplomado Falcon. Gyrfalcon. Peregrine. Prairie Falcon. Crane Hawk. Roadside Hawk. Hawaiian Hawk. Red-backed Hawk. Steller's Sea Eagle. White-tailed Eagle. Collared Forest Falcon. Northern Hobby. Common Kestrel.

Among Whales


Roger Payne - 1995
    He's swum with them. He's fought for them. He's studied them and become the world's foremost cetacean biologist.Sharing his scientific observations in spellbinding detail, Payne brings vividly to life the awesome presence of these great, noble -- and desperately threatened -- creatures. A work of biology, of philosophy, and most certainly of literature, Among Whales is more than a book about whales. It is also a journey of the heart, a journey of discovery about the larger questions of life on earth.Passionate in his love, Roger Payne is also passionate in his outrage at the whalers who slaughter whales for profit and at the pollutants that are destroying our oceans. His words shimmer with truth; his ideas strike powerfully at our consciences. Destined to become a classic, Among Whales is a book of great beauty -- a cautionary tale every one of us who cares about our planet must read.

Geoff Hamilton's Cottage Gardens


Geoff Hamilton - 1995
    In building three cottage gardens from scratch at his home in Barnsdale, Geoff Hamilton set out to simplify the practical problems of creating a natural rustic look.

Grassland: The History, Biology, Politics and Promise of the American Prairie


Richard Manning - 1995
    Taking a critical look at this little-understood biome, award-winning journalist Richard Manning urges the reclamation of this land, showing how the grass is not only our last connection to the natural world, but also a vital link to our own prehistoric roots, our history, and our culture. Framing his book with the story of the remarkable elk, whose mysterious wanderings seem to reclaim his ancestral plains, Manning traces the expansion of America into what was then viewed as the American desert and considers our attempts over the last two hundred years to control unpredictable land through plowing, grazing, and landscaping. He introduces botanists and biologists who are restoring native grasses, literally follows the first herd of buffalo restored to the wild prairie, and even visits Ted Turner's progressive--and controversial--Montana ranch. In an exploration of the grasslands that is both sweeping and intimate, Manning shows us how we can successfully inhabit this and all landscapes.

Gem Trails of Arizona


James R. Mitchell - 1995
    Maps, detailed text and photos lead the collector to sites as diverse as the rocks and minerals found there. Color photos highlight specimens from azurite to wulfenite. Indexed by location and by mineral. Includes glossary.

The Golden Age is in Us: Journeys and Encounters


Alexander Cockburn - 1995
    His own reflections are interspersed with letters from Graham Greene, personal friends and irate readers. There are discussions with Noam Chomsky, and pieces on criticism, Colette, transvestism, sexual manners and hate mail. Cockburn subverts some left totems along the way—satanic abuse, a JFK conspiracy, a Democratic White House—and demonstrates that there are few uncomplicated victims, the Bad Wolf lurks with Red Riding Hood. In his writing on the environment, the three-hour day and other topics, Cockburn also suggests that an age of uncertainty invites new ideas and new allegiances. The left must be utopian or it is nothing. From the Los Angeles riots to Ireland, from Gorbachev to Clinton—this is a history of an age of uncertainty.

Writing from the Center


Scott Russell Sanders - 1995
    essays of substance and beauty, and they belong beside the work of Annie Dillard, Samuel Pickering, and Wendell Berry." --Library Journal"[Sanders] eloquently expresses his love of the land and the responsibility he feels for preventing further erosion of our natural resources... " --Publishers Weekly"Skillfully written in a clear, unmannered style refreshingly devoid of irony and hollow cleverness, the author starts with everyday experiences and gleans from them larger truths." --The Christian Science Monitor"[These] essays are so good one is tempted to stand up and applaud after reading them.... Sanders is a modern day prospector who finds gems of spiritual meaning in both familiar and unusual places." --Body Mind SpiritWriting from the Center is about one very fine writer's quest for a meaningful and moral life. Lannan Literary Award winner Scott Sanders ( Secrets of the Universe, Staying Put, A Paradise of Bombs) seeks and describes a center that is geographical, emotional, artistic, and spiritual--and is rooted in place. The geography is midwestern, the impulses are universal."The earth needs fewer tourists and more inhabitants, it seems to me--fewer people who float about in bubbles of money and more people committed to knowing and tending their home ground." --Scott Russell Sanders, from the book

A Naturalist's Guide to the Arctic


E.C. Pielou - 1995
    It is packed with answers to naturalists' questions and with questions—some of them answered—that naturalists may not even have thought of.

Native Plant Stories


Joseph Bruchac - 1995
    These mythical stories draw upon legends from eighteen Native American tribes and illustrate the importance of plant life in Native American traditions.

The Dying of the Trees


Charles E. Little - 1995
    Our children, says writer and conservationist Charles E. Little, probably won't. The forests are declining. The trees are dying. Little shows how logging in the Northwest is far from the whole story, how virtually everywhere in this country our trees are mortally afflicted - even before they are cut. From the "sugarbush" of Vermont and the dogwoods of Maryland's Catoctin mountains to the forests of the "hollows" in Applachia, the oaks and aspens of northern Michigan, and the mountainsides and deserts of the West, a whole range of human-caused maladies - from fatal ozone, ultraviolet rays, and acid rain to the disastrous aftermath of clear-cutting - has brought tree death and forest decline in its wake. In his journeys to America's forests and woodlands, Little exhaustively explores this phenomenon with scientists, government officials, and citizen leaders and recounts how they have responded (and in many cases failed to respond) to this threat to global ecological balance.

Birds


Barbara Taylor - 1995
    Fully illustrated with color photos, drawings, and valuable reference sections with charts, graphs or maps.

Grass Roots: The Universe of Home


Paul Gruchow - 1995
    The essays include personal reflections about growing up in rural Minnesota and opinions about the state of neglected rural towns and people. The author grew up during the 1950s on an 80-acre farm that his family rented in Rosewood Township, Minnesota. His father supplied the tools, the labor, and the seeds and kept two-thirds of the crop. His family lived off of the land--every summer his mother canned vegetables, fruits, jams, sauces, and meats for the winter. The book suggests that the industrialization of farming has marginalized rural culture and led to the impoverishment of rural towns and communities. Bread baking provides an example of how industrialization changed everyday life. When store-bought bread replaced home baking, the family abandoned more than a habit of living--they lost a piece of rural culture that influenced various aspects of their quality of life. Since 1910, industrialization has reduced the farm workforce from about 50 percent of the U.S. population to less than 2 percent and led to the development of a handful of huge, agribusiness corporations that dominate the American agricultural economy. The book suggests that individuals should oppose any economy that sees people as an expendable resource, that does not consider the health of communities, and that defines reductions in human labor as efficient regardless of non-pecuniary consequences. It questions what kind of values rural people are teaching their children when they sell themselves, in the name of economic development, as ideally suited to the least attractive kinds of factory work, or when they allow the rest of society to dump its toxic trash on rural land for the sake of a few jobs. Recommendations are offered for education, agriculture, and economic development that will reinvigorate rural communities and a rural way of life.

Raccoon at Clear Creek Road


Carolyn B. Otto - 1995
    Now Raccoon must find her way back to protect her kits.

The Trouble with Wilderness


William Cronon - 1995
    This version comes from the New York Times (1995); another version appears as the introduction to a book Cronon edited, "Uncommon Ground: Toward Reinventing Nature" (1995), a collection of essays on the environment. Cronon, Wiliam. "The Trouble with Wilderness." 1995. The Norton Reader: An Anthology of Nonfiction. Ed. Melissa A. Goldthwaite et al. 14th ed. New York: Norton, 2016. 550-53. Print.

Into the Wilderness: An Artist's Journey


Stephen Lyman - 1995
    Through his beautiful paintings and extraordinary photography he celebrates the importance of the wilderness as a whole.Into the Wilderness is more than a splendid art book. With it, you can journey with Lyman into a wilderness very few have experienced. You can share the sensation of being in the wild--exploring, discovering, studying, and enjoying the all-encompassing beauty of unspoiled nature.Into the Wilderness features Stephen Lyman's favorite paintings, as well as many unpublished paintings and sketches. In addition, the artist includes more than one hundred of his own photographs showing details and overviews of the natural world that inspires his paintings. Through Lyman's paintings and photography, and in the words of writer and former Sierra magazine editor Mark Mardon, each of us can experience the deep quiet of the woods, find serenity at the water's edge, climb mountains, and be completely at home in the world of the wilderness.

The Sacred Tree


Glennie Kindred - 1995
    It encourages our deeper involvement with trees both on the physical level and offers ways we can open our spiritual connection to trees and nature.The book focuses on 13 native trees of the British Isles and their corresponding 13 moons and place on the wheel of the year's cycle. This is based on the authors understanding of their inherent energy and unique healing properties. This creates a tree circle, which can be planted and used as a sacred grove or celebration circle.These are the native trees of the British Isles that our ancestors would have worked with and the book explores some of the myths and folklore surrounding these trees, as well as past and present uses of the wood and the herbal and culinary uses of their leaves, sap, fruit and bark.Also there are suggested ways to communicate with tree spirits and the spiritual and healing qualities that each tree has to teach us.Illustrated with line drawings of the leaves, flowers and fruit of each of the trees and also includes how to grow and plant trees.

A Place in Space: Ethics, Aesthetics, and Watersheds


Gary Snyder - 1995
    Displaying Snyders playful and subtle intellect, these pieces challenge commonly held attitudes toward the environment and local communities, and call for action to give moral standing to all beings.

Toads and Toadstools: The Natural History, Mythology and Cultural Oddities of This Strange Association


Adrian Morgan - 1995
    Artist and scholar Adrian Morgan has spent twelve years collecting, studying, drawing, painting, observing, and eating his subjects. The result is a glorious feast for the eye as well as the intellect. An astonishing compendium of art history, cultural anthropology, pharmacology, herpetology, mycology, and serious conjecture. TOADS & TOADSTOOLS will delight and amaze any armchair biologist. Brimming over with almost 150 illustrations.

Thomas Kinkade: Paintings of Radiant Light


Thomas Kinkade - 1995
    Perhaps no American artist since Norman Rockwell has been so admired and collected for such warm, engaging scenes of American life. This inspired volume features beautiful fold-out color plates and celebrates the radiant works of the foremost contemporary painter of light.This book, which contains Kinkade's newest paintings, recounts the uplifting story of his life and adventures. In his own words, Kinkade recalls the inspiration behind his works and describes the fascinating personal references - to loved ones and to his faith - found in his paintings. The most comprehensive portfolio of Kinkade's art ever printed, this volume includes detailed descriptions of his works and lavish full-color reproductions that illustrate the luminous "Kinkade glow" so collected and treasured today.

Pond Year


Kathryn Lasky - 1995
    Watercolor illustrations.

High Tide in Tucson


Barbara Kingsolver - 1995
    Defiant, funny and courageously honest, High Tide in Tucson is an engaging and immensely readable collection from one of the most original voices in contemporary literature.'Possessed of an extravagantly gifted narrative voice, Kingsolver blends a fierce and abiding moral vision with benevolent and concise humour. Her medicine is meant for the head, the heart, and the soul.' New York Times Book Review

Dinosaurs: a Global View


Sylvia J. - 1995
    Full-color plates illustrate the prehistoric past. 10" x 14".

Water, Ice, And Stone: Science and Memory on the Antarctic Lakes


Bill Green - 1995
    Bill Green goes to the lakes of Antarctica to do scientific field research, but finds in his own memories and in the beauty and brutality of a lonely, dangerous land, something of the awe and wonder that are the inspirations for scientific inquiry.

Medicinal Mushrooms: An Exploration of Tradition, Healing, & Culture


Christopher Hobbs - 1995
    Author Christopher Hobbs thoroughly documents and details the nutritional and health benefits of over 100 species of edible fungi. Here is the most complete work on the cultural, health-promoting, and medicinal uses of mushrooms ever published!

Down among the Donkeys


Elisabeth D. Svendsen - 1995
    

The Wind Masters: The Lives of North American Birds of Prey


Pete Dunne - 1995
    Birds of prey have an aura that few other creatures have. In the acclaimed Hawks in Flight, Pete Dunne showed what birds of prey look like. In The Wind Masters, he shows what it is like to be a bird of prey. He takes us inside the lives and minds of all thirty-four species of diurnal raptors found in North America -- hawks, falcons, eagles, vultures, the osprey, and the harrier -- and shows us how each bird sees the world, hunts its prey, finds and courts its mate, rears its young, grows up, grows old, and dies. Vividly written, and beautifully illustrated by David Sibley, The Wind Masters is a brilliant work of narrative natural history in the tradition of Peter Matthiessen's The Wind Birds and Barry Lopez's Of Wolves and Men.

Light in the sea


David Doubilet - 1995
    Since 1971, Doubilet has explored the oceans for National Geographic, photographing scenes stranger than anything above water: the savage courtship dance of reef sharks, the coral-encrusted wreck of a sunken B-17, the eight-foot claw span of a 50-year-old crab.Light in the Sea, conveys, as few books can, the rewards of a demanding photographic specialty and the excitement of the world beneath the waves.

Gardens Of Revelation: Environments By Visionary Artists


John Beardsley - 1995
    This lively international tour ranges from the soaring spires of Watts Towers in Los Angeles to the spirit-lifting Camel Yard and Owl House in New Bethesda, South Africa, to the junk-and-flower filled labyrinths of Howard Finster's Paradise Garden near Summerville, Georgia. While capturing the spirit of each individual's unique creation, Beardsley also situates the work in the larger contexts of traditional garden design, religious architecture, environmental sculpture, and folk art. He muses about the compulsion to create, the sense of place, and the visionary spirit that has inflamed these artists, quoting at length their own poignant and pungent commentary on what they have created and why.

All the Powerful Invisible Things: A Sportswoman's Notebook


Gretchen Legler - 1995
    With eloquence and honesty, Legler's work documents a fascinating journey of self-discovery, graphically and intimately exploring the themes of hunting, sexuality, and landscape.

The Best Beak in Boonaroo Bay


Narelle Oliver - 1995
    A wise old pelican teaches a valuable lesson about individual differences in this charming Australian tale.

The Complete Woman's Herbal


Anne McIntyre - 1995
    This comprehensive guide recommends safe, simple, and effective herbal remedies utilizing plants from your garden as well as readily available herbs and preparations.

Never Turn Back: The Life of Whitewater Pioneer Walt Blackadar


Ron Watters - 1995
    Walt Blackadar, a physician from a small town in Idaho. At the age of 49, he shocked the outdoor world when he made a solo kayak journey down the treacherous rapids of Turnback Canyon on the remote and wild Alsek River in Canada and Alaska. Blackadar's accomplishment on Turnback Canyon was the river equivalent of the first ascent of Everest, and when excerpts from his Alsek journal were published in Sports Illustrated, he became an instant sensation. He was at the top of his sport at an age when most athletes are long retired. Then suddenly, his spectacular rise veered wildly off course when a young woman tragically died on one of his kayaking expeditions. Heartbroken over her death and plagued with mounting physical problems, his kayaking technique began to deteriorate. Yet he had a spirit that was irrepressible, and pitting himself in a race against his body's clock, he sought out and faced off against the world's most formidable whitewater.

A Little Better Than Plumb: The Biography of a House


Henry E. Giles - 1995
    To longtime Giles fans and new readers alike, these reminiscences of family, friends, a river, and a roof offer a charming visit to rural Kentucky in the late 1950s.

Nomads of the Dawn: The Penan of the Borneo Rain Forest


Wade Davis - 1995
    In their East Malaysian state of Sarawak, the rate of timber cut is among the highest the world has ever known. This timely book addresses in words (both narrative and quotations) and unforgettable pictures the plight of the Penan. The majority of the photographs and quotations were collected during many field trips the authors made into the interior of Sarawak.Dramatic. -- The Los Angeles Times

Clouds and Storms (National Audubon Society Pocket Guides)


David McWilliams Ludlum - 1995
    

Suitable for the Wilds: Letters from Northern Alberta, 1929-1931


Mary Percy Jackson - 1995
    Mary Percy, twenty-five years old and from a comfortable Birmingham family, left home in 1929 to take up a medical posting in the Peace River area of northern Alberta. Her letters home, collected here, vividly describe her adventurous life on one of Canada's last frontiers. Her district covered 900 square kilometres of wooded, boggy land, which she travelled on horseback, by dogsled, and sometimes by automobile. Dr. Percy faced many issues in caring for the Metis and Native people, as well as for increasing numbers of immigrant families. Her greatest medical challenges, though, were the result of poverty and isolation - and she often railed against the government for what she saw as irresponsible settlement policies and lack of attention to her community. Despite the strenuousness of her responsibilities as doctor, dentist, public health officer, and coroner, Dr. Percy enjoyed the personal and professional challenges presented by wilderness life, and her enthusiasm for this great adventure, which permeates her letters, is infectious. Indeed, by the end of 1930 she complained that the area was becoming too civilized! The letters conclude in January 1931, with her marriage to farmer-fur trader Frank Jackson and her subsequent move farther north, to Keg River, where she lives today. Janice Dickin McGinnis's introduction provides a detailed discussion of Mary Percy Jackson's life and an assessment of the value of her letters in terms of the historiography of women, of medicine, and of the North.

The Lost Grizzlies: A Search for Survivors in the Colorado Wilderness


Rick Bass - 1995
    With the exhilarating insight his readers have come to expect, Rick Bass describes the dangers and clues on the trail of the grizzly, the mystery and beauty of the animal, and the courage, hope, and friendships at the heart of the search. The Lost Grizzlies is more than a foray into deep wilderness. It is, ultimately, as much about humans as it is about bears.

Plant Intoxicants: A Classic Text on the Use of Mind-Altering Plants


Ernst von Bibra - 1995
    It presents a fascinating panorama of the world-wide use of psychoactive plants in the nineteenth century.

Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers


Doug Ladd - 1995
    This valuable reference enables all prairie enthusiasts to quickly and accurately identify hundreds of tallgrass prairie plants. More than 320 color photographs Precise descriptions of 295 species Habitat/range information Historical and cultural notes Educational glossary Complete index of scientific and common names Directory of tallgrass prairies in 13 states

Sea Turtle Journey: The Story Of A Loggerhead Turtle


Lorraine A. Jay - 1995
    A tiny loggerhead turtle hatches on the beach, rushes to the water, and makes her journey far out to sea, where she grows bigger and stronger in preparation for returning to the beach to lay her own eggs.

Lemurs of Madagascar


Russell A. Mittermeier - 1995
    This book also discusses the origins, discovery, study and conservation of the lemur population. Includes a pocket identification guide.

The Garden in Autumn


Allen Lacy - 1995
    Full color photographs.

Gardening at Sissinghurst


Tony Lord - 1995
    It is one of the most visited garden in Britain. This book relates the garden's outstanding features to the distinctive styles of Sir Harold and Vita, and examines the design, development, planting and maintenance of each part of the garden throughout the year. There are detailed planting plans of the beds and borders, and an analysis of the precise use of colors that make this garden one of the most copied in the world. A descriptive catalogue lists the plants raised at Sissinghurst and named after the garden or its creators.

Snorkeling Guide to Marine Life Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas


Paul Humann - 1995
    It also features photographs that are suitable for identification purposes.

Breastfeeding: Biocultural Perspectives (Foundations of Human Behavior)


Patricia Stuart-Macadam - 1995
    As such, it has important implications for understanding the past, present, and future condition of our species. In general, scholars have emphasized either the biological or the cultural aspects of breastfeeding, but not both. As biological anthropologists the editors of this volume feel that an evolutionary approach combining both aspects is essential. One of the goals of their book is to incorporate data from diverse fields to present a more holistic view of breastfeeding, through the inclusion of research from a number of different disciplines, including biological and social/cultural anthropology, nutrition, and medicine. The resulting book, presenting the complexity of the issues surrounding very basic decisions about infant nutrition, will fill a void in the existing literature on breastfeeding.

Wildlife Of Greater Brisbane


Queensland Museum - 1995
    From high mountain rainforests to the barest cityscape, the region is home to an astonishing variety of wild creatures, large and small, seen and unseen. Worms, snails, spiders, insects, fish, frogs, lizards, snakes, birds and mammals, many of them rare or endangered, survive alongside the region’s human inhabitants, sharing our homes, backyards, parks and bushlands.Wildlife of Greater Brisbane is one of Australia's most successful wildlife guides. Now in its second edition, the book features 428 pages of easy-to-read information and hundreds of brilliant, full colour photographs.

Wildlife Photographer Of The Year


Helen Gilks - 1995
    This book shows the best wildlife pictures taken by photographers worldwide.

A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona


Anne Orth Epple - 1995
    More than 900 color photographs and descriptive text identify Arizona's unique flora, including wildflowers, cacti, trees, and other plant life.

Tracks, Scats & Signs


Leslie A. Dendy - 1995
    Children learn to identify a variety of different plant, animal and insect species.-- Helps children identify different species.-- Includes scrapbook pages, for notes or drawings.-- Features detailed true-to-life illustrations.

California Fishing: The Complete Guide to Fishing on Lakes, Streams, Rivers, and the Coast (Moon Outdoors)


Tom Stienstra - 1995
    Pack up your rod and reel, stock your tackle box, and discover the best places to cast your line in the Golden State with Moon California Fishing.A Fishing Hole for Everyone: Pick the right spot for you with options ranging from lakes and streams to rivers and reservoirs, rated by number of fish, size of fish, and scenic beautyStrategic Lists: Choose from lists like best freshwater fisheries, best hike-in fisheries, best places to teach kids to fish, and more, including the top places to find California sport fish such as trout, salmon, and steelheadMaps and Directions: Find easy-to-use maps, driving directions, and details on where to parkSkip the Crowds: Have the water to yourself with Moon California Fishing's many off-the-radar spotsExpert Advice: Seasoned angler Tom Stienstra offers his experienced insight and honest opinions on each fisheryTips and Tools: Advice on permits, fees, and lodging, background information on climate and landscape, and detailed instructions for novice anglersWhether you're a veteran or a first-timer, Moon's comprehensive coverage and honest expertise will have you gearing up for your next adventure.Exploring more of the Golden State's great outdoors? Try Moon California Camping or Moon California Hiking.

Flyfishing with MacQuarrie: Fifteen Classic Tales


Gordon MacQuarrie - 1995
    They covered their skin with citronella oil to fend off mosquitoes and black flies. They kept their cat-gut leaders soaked in water to make them pliable. They wrote about fly fishing and they went by names like Haig-Brown, Wulff, Traver, Maclean and MacQuarrie. Of them all, Gordon MacQuarrie may be least known as a fly-fishing author. Like them, however, he was a master story-teller as well as an accomplished fly fishermen.-- MacQuarrie did not scribe "how-to" articles. Instead, he drew the reader into streamside angling ventures, telling an absorbing but instructive story as he did so, always in a light-hearted style.-- Here now, gathered for the first time, are Gordon MacQuarrie's timeless stories of angling for browns, brooks, and rainbows. Sixteen stories that, after you've read them, will make you realize why this mischievous little Irishman -- "The Bard of the Brule" -- is good company to the Haig-Browns, Wullfs, Travers, and Macleans of angling literature."The late Gordon MacQuarrie was one of the best of the old fly fishers and storytellers. This collection includes timeless outdoor tales that are short but sweet". -- Cleveland Plain Dealer

Nature Cross-Sections


Richard Orr - 1995
    Applying meticulously detailed cross-section illustrations to such objects as a bee nest and a tree, an informative exploration of the natural world explains how animals make their homes and why conservation is important.

A Different Angle: Fly Fishing Stories by Women


Holly Morris - 1995
    But once the River speaks, the man becomes a superfluous distraction and a woman finds herself standing alone, in living water, defying and wowing the self. This is the moment the fly fisher is born. This beautiful birth is the heartbeat of these stories." -David James Duncan, author of "The River Why" and "The Brothers K" Includes stories by Pulitzer-Prize-winner E. Anne Proulx, "Cowboys Are My Weakness" author Pam Houston, fly casting champion Joan Slavato Wulff, Lorian Hemingway, LeAnne Schreiber, and more Since the success of "Fly Fishing Through the Midlife Crisis" and "A River Runs Through It," fly fishing has been growing in popularity among both sexes Both men and women will enjoy these sometimes poignant, more often humorous tales of uniformly high literary quality.

Red Clay, Pink Cadillacs and White Gold: The Kaolin Chalk Wars


Charles Seabrook - 1995
    The story of the billion-dollar kaolin industry and the people who live in poverty above the untold wealth beneath them.

The Hunt


Narelle Oliver - 1995
    Hidden in each spread are six or seven small creatures.

The Walker's Companion


Nature Company - 1995
    Clear, accessible format, charts, diagrams, field tips, practical pointers, and historical profiles.

Army Ants: The Biology Of Social Predation


William H. Gotwald - 1995
    Yet from folktales to fieldnotes, the image of army ants has too often magnified their aggression and ignored their magnificent capacity for social cooperation. A veteran of thirty years of research on army ants in Africa, Malaysia, Australia, Mexico, and Trinidad, William H. Gotwald, Jr., offers the first comprehensive account of their behavioral ecology and evolution.

International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds


Bonnie L. Hendricks - 1995
    The nearly four hundred entries, arranged alphabetically, include foundation breeds now extinct as well as extant breeds from across the globe. Each entry details the breed’s origin and background, size, appearance, chief use, and status (rare versus common). A list of breed associations and government departments that supplied data and photographs for the encyclopedia has been fully updated for this edition.With its breadth and depth of coverage, as well as 530 black-and-white and 32 color illustrations, the encyclopedia continues to be a standard international reference.

War Against the Wolf: America's Campaign to Exterminate the Wolf


Rick McIntyre - 1995
    Succeeding generations of Americans followed the Pilgrims' lead, until by the middle of the 20th century the wolf was driven to the verge of extinction nearly everywhere outside Alaska. Rick McIntyre, a seasonal park ranger at Denali, Yellowstone, and other wolf-populated areas, has spent years documenting the behavior of living wolves. Here he turns to the sad task of documenting America's destruction of the wolf, a legacy that we may finally be able to undo with the reintroduction of Canis lupus to the wild.

Forest Ecosystems


David A. Perry - 1995
    Basic ecological concepts are stressed throughout, at scales ranging from the global to the microscopic.The text begins with an introduction to the basic elements of the science of ecology and the role of forests in the global ecosystem. The opening chapters describe how climate influences large-scale distribution of vegetation types, and how global warming might influence that distribution. After a look at factors that influence landscape patterns, the focus shifts to topics that include temporal dynamics, biological diversity, and soils. Subsequent chapters deal with primary productivity, nutrient cycling, herbivory, ecosystem stability, and factors contributing to ecosystem collapse such as acid rain and mismanagement. A concluding chapter discusses principles of sustainable forest management.

The Farallon Islands: Sentinels of the Golden Gate


Peter White - 1995
    

Understanding Cats


Roger Tabor - 1995
    Cat expert Roger Tabor reveals why cats behave as they do, and gives helpful hints on communicating with aloof pets as well as practical advice on curbing their tendencies toward aggressive behavior, their destruction of furniture and other undesirable activities.

Butterflies and Moths: A Photographic Guide to British and European Butterflies and Moths


Paul Sterry - 1995
    In-situ photographs and no nonsense notes covering both anatomy and identifying marks will help you identify them in the field quickly and accurately.Maps show you what butterflies and moths to find where so you can plan your spotting and make the most of your surroundings, whether you are on a holiday browse or serious quest. An ideal guide for all the family.

Sacred World


Jeremy W. Hayward - 1995
    It is the practical companion to Chogyam Trungpa's classic volume Shambhala. Illustrated with line art throughout.

My Little Book Of Wood Ducks


Hope Irvin Marston - 1995
    From mother duck's wait for her eggs to hatch to the fuzzy babies' first adventures tumbling out of the nest and into the pond, this beautifully illustrated book is ideal for introducing young children to the wonders of nature.