The Best Nature Books 2024

1. Song for the Blue Ocean -- Carl Safina

Part odyssey, part pilgrimage, this epic personal narrative follows the author's exploration of coasts, islands, reefs, and the sea's abyssal depths. Scientist and fisherman Carl Safina takes readers on a global journey of discovery, probing for truth about the world's changing seas, deftly weaving adventure, science, and political analysis.

Paperback

2. Bonsai Basics

Bonsai Basics covers everything from pruning and wiring to repotting and winter care. This book is the perfect compliment to any tree.

Bonsai Basics: A step by step guide to growing, training and care supported with many full color photos and illustrations Learn about selecting trees, pruning, wiring, aging, styling and groupings of trees and more By Pessy and Samson

3. Growing Bonsai Indoors

Growing Bonsai Indoors will be a great aid to anyone wanting success with an indoor, tropical tree.

Growing Bonsai Indoors: A step by step guide to growing, training and care supported with many full color photos and illustrations Learn about selecting trees, pruning, wiring, aging, styling and groupings of trees and more By Pat Lucke Morris

4. Out of Eden : An Odyssey of Ecological Invasion (Hardcover) 9780374219734

A stunning work of narrative nonfiction that asks: what is natural? Now as never before, exotic animals and plants are crossing the globe, borne on the swelling tide of human traffic to places where nature never intended them to be.Extra components, such as CDs, DVDs, figurines, or access codes are not included. ISBN: 9780374219734 ISBN10: 0374219737 Contributors: Burdick, Alan,

A stunning work of narrative nonfiction that asks: what is natural? Now as never before, exotic animals and plants are crossing the globe, borne on the swelling tide of human traffic to places where nature never intended them to be. Bird-eating snakes from Australia hitchhike to Hawaii in the landing gear of airliners; disruptive European zebra mussels, riding in ships' ballast water, are infiltrating aquatic ecosystems across the United States; parasitic flies from the U.S. prey on Darwin's finches in the Galapagos. Predatory American jellyfish in Russia; toxic Japanese plankton in Australia; Burmese pythons in the Everglades-biologists refer fearfully to "the homogenization of the world" as alien species jump from place to place and increasingly crowd native and endangered species out of existence. Never mind bulldozers and pesticides: the fastest-growing threat to biological diversity may be nature itself. "Out of Eden" is a journey through this strange and shifting landscape. The author tours the front lines of ecological invasion--in Hawaii, Tasmania, Guam, San Francisco; in lush rainforests, through underground lava tubes, on the deck of an Alaska-bound oil tanker--in the company of world-class scientists. Wry and reflective, animated and richly reported, "Out of Eden" is a search both for scientific answers and for ecological authenticity.

5. Arboretum America : A Philosophy of the Forest (Paperback)

A passionately intelligent, exquisitely illustrated guide to the native trees of the North American continent that offers an informative and entertaining blueprint for rebuilding the biosphere

Combining both hands-on practicality and garden philosophy, Diana Beresford-Kroeger, a self-described "renegade scientist," appeals to the hearts and minds of gardeners everywhere. Arboretum America's goal is both lofty and down to earth: the salvation of the planet---through the planting of trees. There are many books on both of these subjects. Some warn, some inform, while others meditate on the disappearance of the forests or the meaning of trees. Few books, though, touch on so many aspects of trees, including ways to use them in garden design, as Arboretum America does. Beresford-Kroeger's remedy is what she calls the Bioplan. The plan consists of how each of twenty different tree groups relates to its natural environment and how these specific trees can be used to promote health or to counteract the effects of pollution and global warming. The plan also reveals the fascinating history of these trees in Native American culture, including their medicinal uses. Finally, the Bioplan offers practical design ideas and tips---where to plant these trees, what season they look best in, what native plants complement them---as well as organic care and how to grow them. Beresford-Kroeger captures the magic spell that trees cast over us. Yet her holistic approach urges us to think big while acting locally, so that we may someday restore the forest primeval. Diana Beresford-Kroeger is a botanist, medical and agricultural researcher, lecturer, and self-defined "renegade scientist" in the fields of classical botany, medical biochemistry, organic chemistry, and nuclear chemistry. She lives in Ontario, Canada.

6. Fox Chapel-Pyrography Patterns

DESIGN ORIGINALS-Pyrography Patterns. Award-winning pyrography artist Sue Walters offers 30 dynamic North wildlife patterns to use in woodburning projects. These engaging animal subjects (including geese, eagles, bear, deer, wolves, fox, owls, chipmunks, cougars and more) are presented in harmonious natural settings. Author: Sue Walters. Softcover, 79 pages. A.

Brand New 023863080071 Fox Chapel Publishing FOX-23819

7. Coyote: Seeking the Hunter in Our Midst (Paperback)

"Alive with terror, charm, and mystery." -- Madeleine Blais, author of Uphill Walkers When Catherine Reid returned to the Berkshires to live after decades away, she became fascinated by another recent arrival: the eastern coyote. This tenacious species, which shares some lineage with the wolf, exhibits remarkable adaptability and awe-inspiring survival skills. Coyotes have been spotted in nearly every habitable area available, including urban streets, Central Park, and suburban backyards. Settling into an old farmhouse with her partner, Reid felt compelled to learn more about this outlaw animal. Her beautifully grounded memoir interweaves personal and natural history to comment on one of the most dramatic wildlife stories of our time. With great appreciation for this scrappy outsider and the ecological concerns its presence brings to light, Reid suggests that we all need to forge a new relationship with this uncannily intelligent species in our midst. "A captivating read, worthy of joining the pantheon of literary ecological writing." -- Booklist "Enlightening . . . a heartfelt, often poetic case for coexistence between humans and the wild." -- Publishers Weekly "Graceful, intimate, and vibrant prose . . . an important, beautiful book." -- Jane Brox, author of Clearing Land Catherine Reid is a naturalist, teacher, editor, and poet. She lives in an old farmhouse in western Massachusetts.

Coyote: Seeking the Hunter in Our Midst (Paperback)

8. Peterson First Guide to Forests (Paperback) by John C. Kricher

9780395971970. Paperback. Language: English. Pages: 128. 128 p. Contains: Unspecified. Includes unspecified. This guide describes and illustrates the 50 different kinds of forest and related habitats found throughout the United States and Canada, from the boreal forests and tundra of the north to the mangrove swamps, desert scrub, and giant saguaro forests of the south. 55 color plates.

9780395971970. Paperback. Language: English. Pages: 128. 128 p. Contains: Unspecified. Includes unspecified. This guide describes and illustrates the 50 different kinds of forest and related habitats found throughout the United States and Canada, from the boreal forests and tundra of the north to the mangrove swamps, desert scrub, and giant saguaro forests of the south. 55 color plates.

9. Dry River : Stories of Life, Death, and Redemption on the Santa Cruz (Paperback)

Poet and writer Alison Deming once noted, "In the desert, one finds the way by tracing the aftermath of water . . . " Here, Ken Lamberton finds his way through a lifetime of exploring southern Arizona's Santa Cruz River. This river--dry, still, and silent one moment, a thundering torrent of mud the next--serves as a reflection of the desert around it: a hint of water on parched sand, a path to redemption across a thirsty landscape. With his latest book, Lamberton takes us on a trek across the land of three nations--the United States, Mexico, and the Tohono O'odham Nation--as he hikes the river's path from its source and introduces us to people who draw identity from the river--dedicated professionals, hardworking locals, and the author's own family. These people each have their own stories of the river and its effect on their lives, and their narratives add immeasurable richness and depth to Lamberton's own astute observations and picturesque descriptions. Unlike books that detail only the Santa Cruz's decline, Dry River offers a more balanced, at times even optimistic, view of the river that ignites hope for reclamation and offers a call to action rather than indulging in despair and resignation. At once a fascinating cultural history lesson and an important reminder that learning from the past can help us fix what we have damaged, Dry River is both a story about the amazing complexity of this troubled desert waterway and a celebration of one man's lifelong journey with the people and places touched by it.

Poet and writer Alison Deming once noted, “In the desert, one finds the way by tracing the aftermath of water . . . ” Here, Ken Lamberton finds his way through a lifetime of exploring southern Arizona’s Santa Cruz River. This river—dry, still, and silent one moment, a thundering torrent of mud the next—serves as a reflection of the desert around it: a hint of water on parched sand, a path to redemption across a thirsty landscape. With his latest book, Lamberton takes us on a trek across the land of three nations—the United States, Mexico, and the Tohono O’odham Nation—as he hikes the river’s path from its source and introduces us to people who draw identity from the river—dedicated professionals, hardworking locals, and the author’s own family. These people each have their own stories of the river and its effect on their lives, and their narratives add immeasurable richness and depth to Lamberton’s own astute observations and picturesque descriptions. Unlike books that detail only the Santa Cruz’s decline, Dry River offers a more balanced, at times even optimistic, view of the river that ignites hope for reclamation and offers a call to action rather than indulging in despair and resignation. At once a fascinating cultural history lesson and an important reminder that learning from the past can help us fix what we have damaged, Dry River is both a story about the amazing complexity of this troubled desert waterway and a celebration of one man’s lifelong journey with the people and places touched by it.

10. FoldingGuides: Sibley's Common Trees in the Cities & Towns of the Northeast & Upper Midwest (Other)

These laminated, fold-up identification guides-- FoldingGuides-- speak for themselves. Written and illustrated by local experts who know their stuff, waterproof and indestructible, theyre the perfect choice for beginners and intermediates who want to know what theyll encounter in their particular locale. Written and illustrated by David Allen Sibley, America's most widely respected bird and now tree illustrator. Includes 45 of the most common trees found in the cities and towns of the Northeast and Upper Midwest region. Entries include illustrations and abridged text from his bestselling The Sibley Guide to Trees (Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 2009). The range includes the following US states: ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, MI, WI, MN, ND, and SD, as well as the following Canadian provinces: Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba.

FoldingGuides: Sibley's Common Trees in the Cities & Towns of the Northeast & Upper Midwest (Other)