Kurt Rinehart

A quick read, but a very nice guide to what you should be watching for when you actually want to observe nature rather than just walk through it. There are guides for what details are most helpful to identify the animal, flower, tree, bird, etc. that you are looking at. The author shows how these details help you to use field guides effectively and then gives an entire chapter to which field guides are the most helpful with pros and cons of each one.

The focus is learning to place importance show more on the ecology of an entire area where a sighting takes place, rather than just training to pick out, for example, the colors on a bird or the shape of a bloom. This guide wants you to learn not just how to identify animals and plants in nature, but to appreciate where they fit in the overall setting where the sighting takes place.

I appreciated this book because it helps you to enjoy nature through understanding your surroundings and for the long list of helpful guides at the end. show less

Peterson Reference Guide