Short days and cold temperatures often limit our outdoor explorations so it is a good time to hit the books. Below is a list of books I recommend for this winter.
First off, if you haven’t read Doug Tallamy’s Bringing Nature Home, then stop reading this blog and go read it now. This book does a great job explaining the importance of native plants and their role in our native food webs. Okay, if you’ve finished reading it, here are a few others:
If you want to learn about wild seed propagation, our friends at The Wild Seed Project have a great list of resources here. I’d recommend Attracting Native Pollinators as a personal favorite from that list.
And since you should study your field guides before going out exploring, Butterflies of the East Coast by Rich Cech and Guy Tudor will give you warm feelings during cold nights. Their photos (dorsal and ventral for each species) and descriptions are well presented and the large format makes for a better read inside than companion in the field.
The only thing more important than educating yourself is to teach a youngster. If you have a child in your household go read them Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax. Read it again yourself if it has been awhile. Another personal favorite is The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. It’s a great lesson with captivating artwork and makes for a child friendly read-a-long.
Additional recommendations:
Field guides:
Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide – Lawrence Newcomb
Caterpillars of Eastern North America (Princeton Field Guides) – David Wagner
The Sibley Guide to Trees – David Allen Sibley
Tree Finder – May Theilgaard Watts
More for kids:
Trees, Leaves and Bark – Diane Burns
How a Seed Grows – Helene Jordan
-Doug
Meet Doug Hitchcox, Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist
A Maine native, Doug grew up in Hollis and graduated from the University of Maine in 2011. Throughout college Doug worked at Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center and was hired as Maine Audubon’s staff naturalist in the summer of 2013, a long time “dream job.” In his free time, Doug volunteers as one of Maine’s eBird reviewers, is the owner and moderator of the ‘Maine-birds’ listserv and serves as York County Audubon board member and Secretary of the Maine Bird Records Committee.
