Find Joy in the Beauty and Wonder of Birds Birding is among the most popular outdoor activities-especially in the Northeast, where hundreds of different bird species can be seen and observed. Now is the perfect time to join the fun and let our feathered friends astonish and inspire you. Award-winning author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer Stan Tekiela has written best-selling bird identification guides for almost every Northeastern state. In Stan Tekiela's Birding for Beginners: Northeast, he provides the information you need to become a skilled birder in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The first section of the book presents "how to" information. Learn the basics of bird feeders. Get to know your birdseed. Create a bird-friendly yard-and even make your own bird food with do-it-yourself recipes. The book's second section is an identification guide, featuring 54 Northeastern birds that are most likely to be seen at your backyard feeder or near your home. The species are organized by color, making it simple to identify what you see. If you spot a yellow bird, go to the yellow section to discover what it is. Each bird gets a full-page photograph with notations about key field marks, or identification characteristics. The full-color photos are paired with information ranging from the bird's nest and eggs to favorite foods, as well as Stan's fascinating naturalist notes. Give birding a try, and get started with the guidance of an expert. You'll be amazed by how much joy birds can bring, and you'll have a lifetime to enjoy them.

HOW TO STAY ALIVE IN THE WOODS is a practical, readable-and potentially indispensable-manual for anyone venturing into the great outdoors.

Broken down into four essential sections, Sustenance, Warmth, Orientation and Safety, this enlightening guide reveals how to catch game without a gun, what plants to eat (full-color illustrations of these make identification simple), how to build a warm shelter, make clothing, protect yourself and signal for help. Detailed illustrations and expanded instructions, newly commissioned for this deluxe edition, offer crucial information at a glance, making How to Stay Alive in the Woods truly a lifesaver.

Education is a critical part of safety - and not getting lost, or knowing how to get found if you do, is one of the most important lessons. Simple techniques to navigate out of dangerous situations are the focus of this handy waterproof reference guide, along with basic compass use and travelling by simple bearings. Contents also cover navigation skills around obstacles, pacing beads, aiming off, and dead reckoning. Developed by noted survival expert and woodsman Dave Canterbury, this is one of a 10-part series on survival skills. Made in the USA.

Smith Rock State Park. It was on the impressive crags of this Oregon hideaway that American sport climbing came into its own, and to this day, some of the hardest climbs in the United States are found on these walls. Alan Watts, who has played a leading role in the development of this popular rock-climbing destination, details more than 2,200 routes at Smith Rock and the surrounding area. This new edition updates hundreds of routes and has new photos of the many crags, walls, and routes. No other guide is as comprehensive or thorough, and no author more respected for his intimate knowledge of one of the world’s most popular climbing destinations.

Seven common bear encounters and how to survive them Best ways to identify grizzlies and black bears Learn essential info on bear behavior at different times of year and in different habitats

Traveling in bear country comes with responsibilities to camp and hike in ways that respect the natural activities of bears. To give you the information you need to coexist with bears, " NOLS Bear Essentials" draws on NOLS' expertise and their 40 years of experience leading trips in bear country, as well as the input of noted scientists who have studied bears and their relationships with people. Learn ways to set up camp so as to not attract bears, the safest options for storing food when car camping and backpacking, and how to protect yourself while fishing and hunting.

With text by wilderness survivalist, Bradford Angier, the information in How to Eat in the Woods is tried, trusted, and true. One of the most complete books written on the subject, this portable guide includes essential information on how to track, trap, kill, and prepare various types of animals; select bait, land fish, and clean and cook the catch; recognize edible plants, fruits, berries, and nuts; locate bird eggs; catch edible insects; and find potable water. Also included is information on building a fire and preparing food without utensils.

Skills to Save A Life

Whether you are miles from help or immersed in an urban disaster situation, every second counts during a medical emergency. This book will help you take quick, effective action to stabilize the situation.

The easy-to-follow, step-by-step instruction in this book will help you prevent or respond to:

• Dehydration
• Hypothermia, frostbite and heatstroke
• Skin wounds including burns, cuts, bites and gunshots
• Anaphylaxis, allergic reactions and rashes
• Broken bones and injured joints

Step-by-step projects utilizing this ideal material for tons of crafts due to its durability and flexibility! Parachute cord, which is now universally known as paracord, is a lightweight nylon rope originally used by paratroopers during World War II. It is now employed as a general purpose utility cord by military personnel and civilians alike. Hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts have made "survival bracelets" from paracord, which are meant to be unraveled when needed to secure cargo, lash together poles, and fix broken straps and laces. As more colors become available, crafters are discovering that paracord makes an excellent material for fun and stylish friendship bracelets, lanyards, belts, dog leashes, key chains, and more. Originating from Instructables, a popular project-based community made up of all sorts of people with a desire to pass on their wisdom to others, Practical Paracord Projects contains ideas from a number of authors who show just how easy it is to make virtually anything from paracord. Practical Paracord Projects provides step-by-step instructions on a variety of useful and fun objects involving paracord. Guided by detailed photographs, the reader will create such practical and unusual projects as: A laptop harness A can koozie An eyeglass lanyard A hanging chair Sandals A leatherman pouch And much more!

"There's no getting away from it; I've eaten some pretty extreme things in my time - live tarantulas, raw goat testicles, elephant dung, you name it. In a situation when your life depends on it, you need to put your prejudices aside to keep your stomach filled and your strength up. Whether it's mastering the art of foraging and cooking up a tasty feast around the campfire or learning about the more extreme end of wild food (ever tried a scorpion kebab?), there's a lot to learn when it comes to dinner time in the wild. This book will teach you all the necessary skills and techniques to get your teeth into meals you might never have thought of as food in the first place - and, crucially, how to recognise plants and animals that might end up doing you more harm than good. In today's world, we rarely need to venture beyond the local supermarket and we turn our noses up at the thought of snacking on bugs and grubs. But out in the wild, Mother Nature has provided us with a plentiful supply of nutritious - if not always delicious - food for the taking. And when needs must, we just have to know where to look. Some of it might take you out of your comfort zone. Some of it might turn your stomach. But it's saved my life more than once. And one day, it might save yours . . ." What readers are saying about Extreme Food: 'Enjoyable and informative . . . bon appetit!' 'Great gift for outdoor adventurers' 'This book could save your life'

A beautifully presented, practical gift guide to the age-old art of whittling. There are 50 projects featured in the book, ranging from quick makes to more elaborate projects, and even a chapter on creating things from cork. The 8 main themes are: Quick Things - including a doorstop, a bookmark and a gift-box book; Into The Woods - including a willow whistle, walking stick, fish hook and slingshot; Around The House - including chopsticks, coat and crochet hooks; Cork Creations - including a succulent pot, stamp, and earphones spool; Ornamental Carving - including a boat, a deer and a spinning top; Kitchen Carving - including a carrot flute, apple candle and onion flower; The Natural World - including a bird feeder and instructions to prepare a fish for cooking, a graft an apple tree. The projects cater for a range of skill levels and the instructions are complemented by smart step-by-step illustrations, which highlight the tactile quality of the material in hand. The book also includes an introduction with advice on selecting a penknife, maintaining your blade, choosing your caving material, and carving techniques. Featuring the ultimate crossover of cool craftsmanship and savvy survival-skill projects, this book is the perfect gift for creative adventurers.

Find Joy in the Beauty and Wonder of Birds Birding is among the most popular outdoor activities-especially in California, where hundreds of different bird species can be seen and observed. Now is the perfect time to join the fun and let our feathered friends astonish and inspire you. Award-winning author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer Stan Tekiela has written the best-selling bird identification guides for almost every state. In Stan Tekiela's Birding for Beginners: California, he provides the information you need to become a skilled birder in the Golden State. The first section of the book presents "how to" information. Learn the basics of bird feeders. Get to know your birdseed. Create a bird-friendly yard-and even make your own bird food with do-it-yourself recipes. The book's second section is an identification guide, featuring 63 California birds that are most likely to be seen at your backyard feeder or near your home. The species are organized by color, making it simple to identify what you see. If you spot a yellow bird, go to the yellow section to discover what it is. Each bird gets a full-page photograph with notations about key field marks, or identification characteristics. The full-color photos are paired with information ranging from the bird's nest and eggs to favorite foods, as well as Stan's fascinating naturalist notes. Give birding a try, and get started with the guidance of an expert. You'll be amazed by how much joy birds can bring, and you'll have a lifetime to enjoy them.

From hand-forged axes of the Viking conquests to the American homesteader's felling axe, this is a tool that has shaped human history like few others. American Axe pays tribute to this iconic instrument of settlement and industry, with rich history, stunning photography, and profiles of the most collectible vintage axes such as The Woodslasher, Keen Cutter, and True Temper Perfect. Combining his experiences as a forester, axe collector, and former competitive lumberjack, author Brett McLeod conveys the allure of this deceptively simple woodcutting implement and celebrates the resurging interest in its story and use.

Manage hiking, camping, backpacking, and outdoor emergencies There’s never a good place for a medical emergency, but some locations are much worse than others. If you are out in nature, far from help, when the unthinkable happens, you must be prepared. Outdoor Medicine is your handy, portable, easy-to-understand guide that helps you to follow the correct course of action. Whether it’s illness, injury, or life-or-death conditions, author Patrick Brighton, M.D., FACS, is there to lend his experience in assessing and managing backcountry emergencies. The author’s expertise—as a board-certified trauma surgeon and a mountaineer, climber, kayaker, and member of a mountain rescue team—has allowed him to develop concise descriptions of the diagnosis, treatment options, and evacuation strategies for several common medical emergencies. This tabbed booklet is organized by type of injury, so you can quickly reference the information you need to evaluate and treat the condition. There’s no need to wade through time-consuming data that you won’t use. The easily digestible instructions help you to assess the situation and decide how to proceed, with tips on what to do and what not to do. The guide also takes into consideration the variable challenges you might face: limited resources, weather, victim/rescuer capabilities, and evacuation options. With strategies based on the latest research from the American College of Surgeons, the American Heart Association, and Dr. Brighton’s decades of experience, you can be certain that you’re getting the best advice available. So get this pocket-sized guide to outdoor medicine, and hope that you never have to use it—but take comfort in knowing that it’s there if you do.

Tackling the unclimbed west face of the remote Siula Grande in the Andes, Joe Simpson and his partner Simon Yates achieved the summit before disaster struck. A few days later, an exhausted Simon staggered into base camp to tell their non-climbing companion that Joe was dead. For three days he wrestled with guilt as they prepared to return home. Then a cry in the night took them out, where they found Joe, badly injured, crawling through the snowstorm. Far from causing Joe's death, Simon had saved his friend's life when he was forced into the appalling decision to cut the rope.

In response to the ever-present threats facing our school systems, Public School Emergency Preparedness helps schools and institutions develop a comprehensive emergency response plan. This book outlines programs and procedures that can be applied to any school system which addresses hazard mitigation and prevention, emergency preparedness and response, and recovery and restoration to an effective learning environment. It describes specific actions and assigns responsibilities and response roles to district and individual school staff emergency teams, cooperating agencies, and community response partners as described in this plan. In the event of an emergency involving response by fire and/or law enforcement, this book also outlines the district/school site personnel who should establish an Incident Command System-based response organization in accordance with procedures outlined in the National Incident Management System. In addition, the author predetermines, to the extent possible, operational procedures across any U.S. school system and cooperating governmental, private, and volunteer agencies for responding to and recovering from any and all types of natural, human, or technology-based emergencies that may occur within school system operations or outside the jurisdiction of the school system but nonetheless cause/could cause collateral impact to school system operations.

The men and women of Yosemite Search and Rescue work around the clock, ready to respond at any hour in any weather. It’s not all helicopter heroics and plucking unlucky rock jocks off The Nose of El Capitan. It also means helping the teen with the busted ankle on the Mist Trail, finding the missing child in Tuolumne Meadows, and rescuing the newlywed clinging to a slick rock after her raft implodes. Most of Yosemite’s nearly 4 million annual visitors leave the park without a scratch. For a few, however, a vacation in this world-famous land of cliffs and waterfalls takes a turn for the terrifying. That’s where the YOSAR team comes in. Author and legendary YOSAR team member Butch Farabee relates epic tales of endurance and survival, misadventure and fatal consequences. Also included are: the origins of Search and Rescue in the national parks, including the U.S. Army’s key role; advice for staying safe in the park; profiles of SAR pros who do this dangerous work every day; stories about YODOGS and animal rescues; innovative techniques developed in Yosemite and now used around the world; photos and descriptions of top-tier gear used by this world-class team of medics, climbers, and swift-water experts; stats that any adventure geek will love; and, of course, plenty of helicopters! A must-read for thrill-seekers, armchair travelers, national park novices, and expert explorers alike. Get the inside story on the elite YOSAR team, and get inspired (and informed) for adventure anywhere!

Best Easy Day Hikes Moab includes concise descriptions and detailed maps for twenty easy-to-follow hikes in the desert parks as well as in the canyons near town. From renowned Arches National Park to secluded Dead Horse Canyon, these hikes, most less than 5 miles long, will fuel your desert hiking fever.

Concealed Carry Class: The ABCs of Self-Defense Tools & Tactics is a comprehensive guide to recognizing, avoiding and surviving violent confrontations. It covers everything from situational-awareness skills that can be honed to help keep you and your loved ones out of potentially dangerous scenarios; to the mental discipline it takes to carry a concealed weapon every day; to evaluating and selecting concealed-carry hardware, including handguns and calibers, holsters and clothing; to training drills you can use to become proficient with a handgun, and remain proficient through regular practice. Tom Givens calls on decades of firearms and law-enforcement experience to put together this practical collection of tips and tactics anyone can use for the safe, responsible and legal carrying of a concealed weapon.He has been involved in armed confrontations both as a police officer and as a private citizen, and has seen firsthand how decent people, with proper training, can fight back and overcome criminal attacks. -- Tom Givens

" A beautifully written account of a great American tragedy--the unsolved murders of an undetermined number of young women, all by the same serial killer, who got away. The truth is still buried. I couldn't put it down." --John Grisham, #1 New York Times bestselling author A riveting deep dive into the unsolved murder of two free-spirited young women in the wilderness, a journalist's obsession--and a new theory of who might have done it. They must have been followed. That's the thought I return to after all these years . . . In May 1996, two skilled backcountry leaders, Lollie Winans and Julie Williams, entered Virginia's Shenandoah National Park for a week-long backcountry camping trip. The free-spirited and remarkable young couple had met and fallen in love the previous summer while working at a world-renowned outdoor program for women. During their final days in the park, they descended the narrow remnants of a trail and pitched their tent in a hidden spot. After the pair didn't return home as planned, park rangers found a scene of horror at their campsite, their tent slashed open, their beloved dog missing, and both women dead in their sleeping bags. The unsolved murders of Winans and Williams continue to haunt all who had encountered them or knew their story. When award-winning journalist and outdoors expert Kathryn Miles begins looking into the case, she discovers conflicting evidence, mismatched timelines, and details that just don't add up. With unprecedented access to crucial crime-scene forensics and key witnesses--and with a growing sense of both mission and obsession--she begins to uncover the truth. An innocent man, Miles is convinced, has been under suspicion for decades, while the true culprit is a known serial killer, if only authorities would take a closer look. Intimate, page-turning, and brilliantly reported, Trailed is a love story and a call to justice--and a searching and urgent plea to make wilderness a safe space for women--destined to become a true crime classic.

For a generation, the Basic Illustrated series has been as much a part of the outdoors experience as backpacks and hiking boots. Information-packed tools for the novice or handy references for the veteran, these volumes distill years of knowledge into affordable and portable books. Whether you're planning a trip or thumbing for facts in the field, Basic Illustrated books tell you what you need to know. Use Basic Illustrated Animal Tracks to discover how to identify animal tracks, read other animal signs, make plaster casts and tracings, practice observation techniques, participate in conservation projects and more.

Step out of your car and into adventure! Minnesota's North Shore is a paradise of trails, waterways, and scenic beauty. It's meant to be explored. No one knows this better than local author and outdoors enthusiast Katie Berg. She has hiked, biked, and paddled her way through the entire region. Now, she's sharing the best trips with you. If your idea of fun involves hiking boots, bicycles, or kayaks, grab this guidebook and gear up! You'll be introduced to more than 40 options for outdoor adventure. From pedaling one of the Midwest's top-rated bike parks at Spirit Mountain to paddling along the shoreline of the Lake Superior Water Trail, experience the adventures that this unparalleled region has to offer. Each featured outing includes maps, full-color photographs, driving directions, and a detailed description, so you know what to expect on every trip. Plus, if you seek extreme adventure, this guidebook includes bonus destinations for climbing and scuba diving. With North Shore Adventures at your fingertips, you'll always know what to do and where to do it!

In this innovative book which combines real-life stories and practical advice, Peter Benchley draws on more than 30 years of experience on and under the water, to help the reader approach the ocean and its inhabitants with the understanding and respect they deserve.

He describes the many types of sharks, and the few that pose a genuine threat to man, what is and what is not known about shark behaviour, the odds against an attack, and how to reduce these odds even further, all reinforced by personal experience: the mistakes he has made and the personal perils he has encountered while producing countless articles and television documentaries as well as his novels.

Benchley tells us how to swim safely, how to read tides and currents, and how to survive when danger suddenly strikes. He discusses what to tell children about sharks and the sea and how to develop a healthy respect for the sea.

With its mix of adventure narrative, survival science and practical advice, Deep Survival inspires readers on how to take control of stress, learn to assess risk and make better decisions under pressure.