Great Outdoors Month Books
Explore inspiring stories and vivid guides celebrating the Great American Outdoors—full of adventure, nature, and breathtaking landscapes..
The Wildlife Year
The Wildlife Year will help you reconnect with nature and take a walk on the wild side, wherever you live. Nature is right on your doorstep. Whether you're in the countryside, city or somewhere in between, there is wildlife everywhere if you know where to look. And while it's trickier to find in some places than others, nature can thrive in the most surprising spaces. The Wildlife Year is a gentle introduction to the events that mark the natural cycle of the year. Best-selling author, Sally Coulthard, will inspire you to discover nature in all its glory and to seek out, observe and enjoy the wildlife around you. Explore the unique properties of the seasons. Discover more about meteorological phenomena like weather events and cloud formations. And even learn how the moon and its cycle affects the natural world. This fascinating introduction will help you identify both our best-loved, and most misunderstood, plants, birds, mammals, amphibians, and insects, with helpful information on where and when to look for them.
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Digital Book Number: DB122481
A Look at Life from a Deer Stand: Devotional
Steve Chapman, avid hunter and bestselling author of A Look at Life from a Deer Stand (more than 300,000 copies sold), has a gift for gleaning faith lessons from the glories of creation. This pocket-sized gathering of devotions, handsomely bound in a soft, suede-like cover, invites readers to join in the thrill of the pursuit, the celebration of nature, and the enjoyment of God's presence. Each devotion begins with the inspiration of a Scripture verse and closes with the stillness of a prayer. Readers will be excited by the application of biblical wisdom, delighted by the humor, caught up in the adventure of hunting, and intrigued by the exploration of God's character. An ideal gift for Steve Chapman fans, hunters, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to take aim at spiritual growth.
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Digital Book Number: DB122639
The Color of Everything
Cory Richards has done it all: he's stood at the top of the world, climbed imposing mountain faces alone in the dark, kayaked 1,000 miles of the Australian coast, and become the only American to summit an 8,000 meter peak in winter. Through the course of a tumultuous life, Richards has learned to expose himself to the most extreme situations in order to quiet the chaos within--to risk his life in order to save it. Growing up in the small ski town of Alta, Utah, Cory was constantly surrounded by the outdoors. His father, a high school teacher and ski patroller, spent years teaching Cory and his brother how to ski, climb, mountaineer, and survive in the wild. However, despite a seemingly idyllic childhood spent in the mountains, the Richards home was fraught with violence, grief, and mental illness. After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and dropping out of high school, Cory subsumed himself in the worlds of photography and climbing, seeking out the farthest reaches of the world in order to escape the darkness within himself. Suddenly though, in the midst of a wildly successful career in adventure photography, a catastrophic avalanche changed everything, forcing Cory to confront the trauma of his past and learn to rewrite his own story.
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Digital Book Number: DB124060
Junglekeeper
Junglekeeper is for any reader yearning to be led on an expedition into the wild of life in that strange world on which all life on Earth depends -- and in that wild, into discovering the deepest truths of human existence, calling, purpose, connectedness, and hope. When we're tucked away in the safety and comfort of modern living, is there still an adventure available to us? The answer, Paul Rosolie shows, is a resounding "yes." A kid from Brooklyn who obeyed an undeniable sense of calling to the outdoors, Rosolie found himself immersed in the drama of an entirely different world, the Amazon -- and joining with indigenous people and organizations across the globe in an existential struggle to protect it from the encroaching threat of industrial society. Readers will meet unimaginably large snakes that Rosolie must wrangle, jaguars pushed out of their territory by deforestation, monkeys whose home is a canopy humans have yet to understand, a near-miraculous Amazonian water system, and previously uncontacted indigenous people struggling to protect their homes from industrialism. While taking readers on this adventure of how he and some of the unlikeliest people on Earth have successfully protected over 80,000 acres of Amazon forest, Rosolie invites readers to reflect on the profound power of saying "yes": yes to one's calling, yes to the sacrifices and dangers and love we can encounter if we just step outside. Rosolie shows that the vitality we long for is found when we discover who we are between dirt and sky, among the creatures out there who are far more mysterious and alive than we can imagine.
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Digital Book Number: DB134862
Grizzly Confidential
In Grizzly Confidential, author Kevin Grange--former paramedic and park ranger at Yellowstone and Grand Teton--comes face-to-face with North America's most fearsome predator, Ursus Arctos. His quest takes him from his home in the Tetons to an eerie, mist-shrouded island of gigantic bruins; from the Bear Center at Washington State University--where scientists believe the secrets of hibernation might help treat diabetes, heart disease, and obesity in humans--to the dark underbelly of for-profit wildlife parks, illegal animal trade and black markets hawking bear bile.Along the way, he meets fascinating biologists and activists and discovers that everything he knew about grizzlies was wrong. Ultimately, his odyssey leads him to find answers on a remote corner of the Alaskan Peninsula where, for the last fifty years, humans have coexisted peacefully alongside the largest gathering of brown bears on the planet. Grizzly Confidential is about bears but also the inspiring people who look after them. This is a fast-paced, gripping story that educates, entertains, and gives a sneak peek into the secret life of a well-known species. Part science, part travelogue, and a passionate plea for bear conservation, Grizzly Confidential is a lively account for anyone who loves the outdoors and learning about the natural world.
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Digital Book Number: DB124962
Cowasee Basin: The Green Heart of South Carolina
Preface by Bill Cate and Foreword by Walter Edgar. Located in central South Carolina along the Congaree, Wateree, and Upper Santee Rivers, the 215,000 acre Cowasee Basin, an acronym for the three rivers that hold it together, features some of the most significant biological, historical, and cultural resources in North America. The heart of the COWASEE Basin is Congaree National Park, the state's only national park.
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Digital Book Number: DBC00079
Wonderlandscape: Yellowstone National Park and the Evolution of an American Cultural Icon
An evocative blend of history and nature writing that tells the story of Yellowstone's evolving significance in American culture through the stories of ten iconic figures. Yellowstone is America's premier national park. Today Yellowstone is often a byword for conservation, natural beauty, and a way for everyone to enjoy the great outdoors. But it was not always this way. Wonderlandscape presents a new perspective on Yellowstone, the emotions that various natural wonders and attractions evoke, and how this explains the park's relationship to America as a whole. Whether it is artists or naturalists, entrepreneurs or pop-culture icons, each character in the story of Yellowstone ends up reflecting and redefining the park for the values of its era. For example, when Ernest Thompson Seton wanted to observe bears in 1897, his adventures highlighted the way the park transformed from a set of geological oddities to a wildlife sanctuary, reflecting a nation that was concerned about disappearing populations of bison and other species. Subsequent eras added Rooseveltian masculinity, democratic patriotism, ecosystem science, and artistic inspiration as core Yellowstone hallmarks. As the National Park system enters its second century, Wonderlandscape allows us to reflect on the values and heritage that Yellowstone alone has come to represent?how it will shape America's relationship with her land for generations to come.
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Digital Book Number: DB113684
Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women
Annabel Abbs's Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women is a beautifully written meditation on connecting with the outdoors through the simple act of walking. In captivating and elegant prose, Abbs follows in the footsteps of women who boldly reclaimed wild landscapes for themselves, including Georgia O'Keeffe in the empty plains of Texas and New Mexico, Nan Shepherd in the mountains of Scotland, Gwen John following the French River Garonne, Daphne du Maurier along the River Rhône, and Simone de Beauvoir--who walked as much as twenty-five miles a day in a dress and espadrilles--through the mountains and forests of France. Part historical inquiry and part memoir, the stories of these writers and artists are laced together by moments in Abbs's own life, beginning with her poet father who raised her in the Welsh countryside as an "experiment," according to the principles of Rousseau. Abbs explores a forgotten legacy of moving on foot and discovers how it has helped women throughout history to find their voices, to reimagine their lives, and to break free from convention. As Abbs traces the paths of exceptional women, she realizes that she, too, is walking away from her past and into a radically different future. Windswept crosses continents and centuries in a provocative and poignant account of the power of walking in nature.
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Digital Book Number: DB112042
Outdoor Kids in an Inside World: Getting Your Family Out of the House and Radically Engaged with Nature
In the era of screens and devices, the average American spends 90 percent of their time indoors, and children are no exception. Not only does this phenomenon have consequences for kids' physical and mental health, it jeopardizes their ability to understand and engage with anything beyond the built environment. Thankfully, with the right mind-set, families can find beauty, meaning, and connection in a life lived outdoors. Here, outdoors expert Steven Rinella shares the parenting wisdom he has garnered as a father whose family has lived amid the biggest cities and wildest corners of America. Throughout, he offers practical advice for getting kids radically engaged with nature in a muddy, thrilling, hands-on way, with the ultimate goal of helping them see their own place within the natural ecosystem. No matter their location--rural, suburban, or urban--caregivers and kids will bond over activities such as: Camping to conquer fears, build tolerance for dirt and discomfort, and savor the timeless pleasure of swapping stories around a campfire. Growing a vegetable garden to develop a capacity to nurture and an appreciation for hard work. Fishing local lakes and rivers to learn the value of patience while grappling with the possibility of failure. Hunting for sustainably managed wild game to face the realities of life, death, and what it really takes to obtain our food. Living an outdoor lifestyle fosters in kids an insatiable curiosity about the world around them, confidence and self-sufficiency, and, most important, a lifelong sense of stewardship of the natural world. This book helps families connect with nature--and one another--as a joyful part of everyday life.
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Digital Book Number: DB108513
Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside
The actor and author of Paddle Your Own Canoe (DB 78148) shares observations from three journeys he took across America, including a hiking trip in Glacier National Park. The experiences inspired his mission statement about comprehending, protecting, and truly experiencing the outdoors. Contains some violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2021.
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Digital Book Number: DB105515
Wild Nights Out: The Magic of Exploring the Outdoors After Dark
Environmental educator and founder of WildWise provides a hands-on guide for those who wish to take kids (of all ages) outdoors for an adventurous, even slightly scary nighttime nature experience. Includes a collection of unique activities to explore the natural world from dusk till dawn. 2021.
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Digital Book Number: DB104538