Margaret McKenny (1885–1969)
Author of A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North-central North America
About the Author
Works by Margaret McKenny
A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North-central North America (1968) 1,383 copies, 5 reviews
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- McKenny, Margaret
- Legal name
- McKenny, Margaret
- Birthdate
- 1885
- Date of death
- 1969
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Providence Academy
University of Washington
Lowthrop School of Landscape Architecture, Massachusetts, USA - Organizations
- National Audubon Society
- Short biography
- She worked for the American Museum of Natural history and co-authored the classic "Field Guide to Wildflowers of North America," with Roger Tory Peterson. Margaret McKenny was an expert on mushrooms, and wrote 15 books on that subject. In 1993, the elementary School located at 3250 Morse-Merryman Rd SE, in Olympia was named the Margaret McKennny Elementary. Also named for her is the State owned Margaret McKenny campground located in Capitol Forest on the banks of Waddell Creek (a 1930's gold panning creek). On January 13, 2009, the City of Olympia created the Margaret McKenny Park.
- Nationality
- USA
- Places of residence
- Olympia, Washington, USA
New York, New York, USA - Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
I read this book because I joined the Puget Sound Mycological Society and a few people there recommended it to me. It was a good introduction to mushroom identification but it left a lot to be desired and is by no means comprehensive. After a little research I found that really there is no singularly definitive mushroom identification volume for the Pacific Northwest and you have to pick up a few different guides and learn from a mentor to really gain practical foraging knowledge. Good thing show more I joined PSMS. I'd advise anyone thinking of picking up this book to be prepared to do the same. show less
This was a Christmas gift to me from an uncle who found it last year, mint-quality, in a remaindered bookstore, whence it had apparently come from sitting in a warehouse somewhere for forty-three years. I understand the newer editions are somewhat different. My edition, however, is organized a lot like the Audubon one, by color and then shape of flower. However, it has the text on the same pages as the pictures, which means less text, and no taxonomic section, (which are bad) but does mean show more you don't have to stand out in the rain trying to cross-reference tissue-thin pages. Rather than photos, it has mostly black-and-white drawings with occasional color plates; this makes it a lot less pretty than the Audubon guides, but I actually find it more useful. The drawings let it emphasize all the important things about the plant, and make it all absolutely clear, in a way that photographs just can't. (I believe the newer Peterson's have switched to photos, which is a shame, but probably sells better.) While I haven't had it long enough to use it in the field much, it does seem to have more different plants in it than the Audubon, too, and more of the less-showy ones. However, the way the drawings are organized, with six to ten B&W line drawings on a page, some ovelapping, makes it difficult to thumb through. I think this will be mostly used at home, as a way of cross-checking with other books. show less
I read this book because I joined the Puget Sound Mycological Society and a few people there recommended it to me. It was a good introduction to mushroom identification but it left a lot to be desired and is by no means comprehensive. After a little research I found that really there is no singularly definitive mushroom identification volume for the Pacific Northwest and you have to pick up a few different guides and learn from a mentor to really gain practical foraging knowledge. Good thing show more I joined PSMS. I'd advise anyone thinking of picking up this book to be prepared to do the same. show less
A Field Guide To Wildflowers: Northeastern and North-central North America (Peterson Field Guides) by Roger Tory Peterson
A good guide, but if you are serious and only need one field guide, own Newcomb's.
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 12
- Also by
- 1
- Members
- 1,667
- Popularity
- #15,402
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 9
- ISBNs
- 18