“Equal parts alfresco inspiration, interesting factoids, how-to instructions and self-help advice.”—The Wall Street Journal When most of us go for a walk, a single sense—sight—tends to dominate our experience. But when New York Times–bestselling author and expert navigator Tristan Gooley goes for a walk, he uses all five senses to “read” everything nature has to offer. A single lowly weed can serve as his compass, calendar, clock, and even pharmacist. In How to Read Nature, Gooley introduces readers to his world—where the sky, sea, and land teem with marvels. Plus, he shares 15 exercises to sharpen all of your senses. Soon you’ll be making your own discoveries, every time you step outside!
This is the story of how one child fell in love with nature and your students can, too. Taking what he calls 'a nature-centered worldview', author Robert Stebbins blends activities, examples, and stories with his perspectives on the importance of dealing objectively yet compassionately with social and environmental problems.
Field Notes From a Hidden City is set against the background of the austere, grey and beautiful northeast Scottish city of Aberdeen. In it, Esther Woolfson examines the elements—geographic, atmospheric and environmental—which bring diverse life forms to live in close proximity in cities. Using the circumstances of her own life, house, garden and city, she writes of the animals who live among us: the birds—gulls, starlings, pigeons, sparrows and others—the rats and squirrels, the cetaceans, the spiders and the insects. In beautiful, absorbing prose, Woolfson describes the seasons, the streets and the quiet places of her city over the course of a year, which begins with the exceptional cold and snow of 2010. Influenced by her own long experience of corvids, she considers prevailing attitudes towards the natural world, urban and non–urban wildlife, the values we place on the lives of individual species and the ways in which man and creature live together in cities.
Nature is one of the best medicines for difficult times. An intimate awareness of the natural world, even within the city, can calm anxieties and help create healthy perspectives. This book will inspire and guide you as you deal with the current crisis, or any personal or worldly distress. Melanie Choukas-Bradley is a naturalist and certified forest therapy guide who leads nature and forest bathing walks for many organizations in Washington, D.C. and the American West. Learn from her the Japanese art of "forest bathing": how to tune in to the beauty and wonder around you with all your senses, even if your current sphere is a tree outside the window or a wild backyard. Discover how you can become a backyard naturalist, learning about the trees, wildflowers, birds and animals near your home. Nature immersion during stressful times can bring comfort and joy as well as opportunities for personal growth, expanded vision and transformation. The "Resilience Series" is the result of an intensive, collaborative effort of our authors in response to the 2020 coronavirus epidemic. Each volume offers expert advice for developing the practical, emotional and spiritual skills that you can master to become more resilient in a time of crisis.
In this hectic world of appointments and to-do lists, we need a reminder that peace is all around us-in the sky, in a garden, and in our own backyard. Connecting to the Power of Nature offers a wonderful plan to help you explore and reconnect with nature for a richer, more empowered life. From sifting sand through your fingers to gazing at the stars to meditating with animals, Joe Slate offers many enjoyable and inspiring step-by-step activities and meditations. You'll learn natural and effective ways to cope with grief, reduce stress, get insight into problems, tap into inner strength, and accomplish your highest goals, all through slowing down and mindfully connecting with nature. Create a profound link to nature's amazing power-and discover within yourself a boundless capacity for spiritual growth, better health and rejuvenation, and enlightenment.
"Highly informative and remarkably entertaining." —Elle From forest trails in Korea, to islands in Finland, to eucalyptus groves in California, Florence Williams investigates the science behind nature’s positive effects on the brain. Delving into brand-new research, she uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and strengthen our relationships. As our modern lives shift dramatically indoors, these ideas—and the answers they yield—are more urgent than ever.
The acclaimed science writer “curates a visually striking, riotously colorful photographic display…of physical patterns in the natural world” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Though at first glance the natural world may appear overwhelming in its diversity and complexity, there are regularities running through it, from the hexagons of a honeycomb to the spirals of a seashell and the branching veins of a leaf. Revealing the order at the foundation of the seemingly chaotic natural world, Patterns in Nature explores not only the math and science but also the beauty and artistry behind nature’s awe-inspiring designs. Unlike the patterns we create, natural patterns are formed spontaneously from the forces that act in the physical world. Very often the same types of pattern and form—such as spirals, stripes, branches, and fractals—recur in places that seem to have nothing in common, as when the markings of a zebra mimic the ripples in windblown sand. But many of these patterns can be described using the same mathematical and physical principles, giving a surprising unity to the kaleidoscope of the natural world. Richly illustrated with 250 color photographs and anchored by accessible and insightful chapters by esteemed science writer Philip Ball, Patterns in Nature reveals the organization at work in vast and ancient forests, powerful rivers, massing clouds, and coastlines carved out by the sea. By exploring similarities such as the branches of a tree and those of a river network, this spectacular visual tour conveys the wonder, beauty, and richness of natural pattern formation.
The author travels from his own back garden around the world to explore the beauty, variety and ingenuity of trees everywhere, from how they live so long to how they talk to each other, and why they came to exist in the first place.
Switch off from today's busy digital lifestyle with projects to help you stop and appreciate the world around you Slow down. Simplify. Let go. Connect with Nature does just this. Each turn of the page through spring, summer, fall, and winter will lead to a new discovery and a new project to help you weave nature and creativity – and some wild fun – through your everyday life. Make teas from foraged herbs, go on a picnic, weave a wreath of wildflowers or turn sticks, stones, and feathers into wall hangings, dreamcatchers, and necklaces. Rediscover a childlike joy of nature through more than 75 creating, cooking, making, and doing projects. Connect with Nature is the ideal way to put down your devices and spend time with your friends, your family, and, of course, yourself. It will entice you to step outdoors, breathe the fresh air, and settle into a slower pace of life, a life where the satisfaction of making things by hand means you connect with your natural environment every day.
