A lyrical field guide to the natural world surrounding the eastern U.S.'s residential areas profiles a wide variety of plant, animal, and insect life, in a reference that offers insight into birdfeeder behaviors, woodpile ecology, and more.
Here is a book to enhance our appreciation of the small citizens of the world and to introduce us to the neighbors we never knew we had, from spotted salamanders to meadow voles, from snowy tree crickets to ambrosia beetles, all living within steps of your door. “If there is grass and a few scraggling trees, there will be wildlife,” suggests John Hanson Mitchell, an internationally recognized naturalist and advocate for tuning your senses to the wonders of your environment. Whether your yard consists of a small stretch of grass or a rambling mix of forest and field, Mitchell will introduce you to the wealth of plants, insects, and animals that share your corner of the world. Learn how the behavior at the birdfeeder mirrors that of the wild woods; get an inside view of the rich ecology of the woodpile; learn why you might want to welcome a skunk into your garden. In short, you’ll get to know the neighbors you never knew you had who make their homes all around yours. With wisdom and humor, this book reacquaints you with the denizens of your own local habitat.
You don't have to be an experienced birder to enjoy this guide! With hundreds of illustrations and a user-friendly format, you'll soon be spotting and identifying birds in your locale in no time. The updated text highlights the latest trends in birding and the most up-to-date ornithological information. -- adapted from back cover
An Updated and Expanded New Edition of Backyard Medicine! Modern medicine is truly a blessing. Advances are made with astonishing speed every day, using both science and technology to make our lives longer and healthier. But if the era of modern medicine began less than two hundred years ago, how did people treat sickness and poor health before then? This book holds the answer. Researched and written by a practicing medical herbalist and natural healer, and now with even more herbs and medicinal plants, Backyard Medicine is the basis for a veritable natural pharmacy that anyone can create. Featuring more than 120 easily made herbal home remedies and fully illustrated with nearly three hundred color photographs, this book offers fascinating insights into the literary, historic, and global applications of fifty common wild plants and herbs that can be used in medicines, including: Comfrey Dandelion Honeysuckle Yarrow And so much more! Anyone who wants to improve his or her health in a completely natural way will find this book to be an absolute must-have for his or her home—and garden.
From the expert editors at Cool Springs Press, a series of regional bird books that love the outdoors as much as you do. “Patience is a virtue,” said no backyard bird ever. That’s why, when these busy creatures come flitting into view, you need to have your resources ready at a moment’s notice. Have you spent all this time mistaking Carolina Wrens for House Wrens? A forgivable error, but with the Field Guide to Backyard Birds of the Mid-Atlantic, you’ll be pointing out those distinct upturned tails in no time. Each book in this series has been conveniently packaged in a field-sized 5”x8” format: large enough to showcase the gorgeous close-up photography within, but small enough to keep dependably at the ready. In this edition, each of the Mid-Atlantic region’s 80 most popular bird species gets its own page, complete with a concise description, preferred habitat, feeding and migration habits, and tips for attracting them to your bird feeders. Illustrated with colorful range maps, vibrant images, and a brilliant tabbed layout that helps you quickly search for birds by color, this portable field book will never again let that elusive Ruby-throated Hummingbird buzz stealthily out of range. Mid-Atlantic states include Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Delaware. Look for our other four Field Guide to Backyard Birds titles, covering the Midwest, South, Northeast, and West regions of the United States.
Presents 33 science activities for grades K-8 with suggested grade range, equipment, time needed, skills to be addressed and resource list. The activities only require minimal investments in both time and equipment - all one needs is the outdoors.
Environment, Second Edition gives students the tools they need to chart a future in an environmentally oriented career with up-to-date industry information, job profiles, and tips for career exploration. Job profiles include: Ecologists Environmental engineers Environmental lobbyists Groundwater professionals Land acquisition professionals National Park Service employees Oceanographers Recycling coordinators Renewable energy workers Soil science and conservation workers.
Interest in wine shows no signs of slowing down—wine tours, tastings, and vacations are now common and homeowners often have space dedicated to their collection. The logical next step? Learning to grow and make your own. In The Organic Backyard Vineyard expert Tom Powers walks the small grower through the entire process of growing grapes, with a month-by-month maintenance guide covering all regions of the U.S. and Canada. He explains everything a beginning grape grower needs to know: how to design and build a vineyard, how to select grapes for each region, how to maximize yield using organic maintenance techniques, how to build a trellis, how to harvest at peak flavor, and how to store grapes for winemaking.This edition includes organic growing information and all new photography.
Learn how to: • Attract particular species by choosing the right foods, plants, trees, water sources, and nesting materials • Create a garden, region by region, that will be an oasis for birds and butterflies • Instantly recognize, and attract, those birds you are most likely to see—including the top birds found nationally as well as in Eastern and Western locations • Identify species by field marks, plumage, and more • Make your yard the hummingbird capital of the neighborhood • Fend off predators and other uninvited backyard guests
How to bring birds to your home and keep them there—including 250 full-color photos They’re out there every day, flashing through your yard, perching in a tree, collecting on utility wires, or congregating around puddles. They already share your backyard and neighborhood with you, but you—even if you are already one of America’s more than 68 million birders—haven’t formally invited them over for dinner. This book shows you how. Backyard Birding helps you maximize your home birding experiences and attract a wider variety of birds. With 250 full-color photos and concise, informative text, it provides indispensable details on what foods, plants, trees, water sources, and nesting materials will attract particular species. It helps you make the right choices the first time—and avoid costly mistakes. As an identification guide, it goes further than any previous resource in clarifying such matters as male/female plumage variations and breeding vs. nonbreeding plumage. Randi and Nic Minetor traveled from Florida to Alaska to photograph the hundreds of species in these pages. The result is a compendium from America’s backyards to your fingertips, with information useful in whatever climate or habitat your own backyard may provide. * 250 vibrant full-color photos capturing birds in stunning detail * Focus on top 24 birds found nationally as well as in Eastern and Western locations * Picture index of all the birds found throughout the book for easy reference * Seasonal bird feeding checklists