Never before have so many exciting, hair-raising tales of bear encounters been collected into one book. Read about a man who swam into a lake to try to escape a furious bear only to find to his horror that bears can swim too! Or of the old gold prospector who got mauled and sewed up his own stomach-and lived to tell about it! When a bear attacks, it does so with devastating ferocity. Although the average attack lasts but thirty seconds, grievous injury can result from powerful paws and jaws. Strangely enough, most attacks are nonfatal. This book is filled with true-life episodes of close-calls, maulings, and deaths by all three North American bears: black, grizzly, and polar. These stories are not fiction. All are, eerily enough, based on complete fact. Even the FOX TV show When Animals Attack uses Kaniut's material for their shows. The author of two previous best-selling books on dangerous bears brings you a cliffhanger-you won't want to miss his latest and best yet!

From the monotonous lark to the rough-faced shag, these poor birds have us all asking: ARE ORNITHOLOGISTS OK? Some people will literally name all the birds instead of going to therapy, and this book exposes all the weird and wonderful monikers these poor feathered creatures have been tarred with. From the go-away-bird and the common loon to the sad flycatcher and the sombre tit, we seriously have to wonder why such disturbed ornithologists even went into this line of work. Tits, Boobies and Loons is for all fans of birds, language and rude words. Or anyone who secretly considers themselves a bit of a red-rumped bush tyrant.

In 2009, a mountain lion visited the St. Croix/Indianhead county of Wisconsin. Although cougars roamed through the area in the early frontier days of the 1800's, overhunting and human population growth drove the cougars out of Wisconsin. This particular, Cougars visits generated a great interest because it was photographed and written about in the local papers. This book is the story of the Cougar of 2009, written as if the Mountain Lion narrated the story himself

DEADLY COUGAR ENCOUNTERS
A mountain lion gives birth under a porch in Boulder, Colorado. Another saunters into the parking garage of a swank hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. In the hills outside Sacramento, the remains of a jogger are found buried in a shallow grave, the story of her violent death told in a confusion of animal tracks and a blood-stained sun visor. A child is snatched on his way to school, his attacker a shadow in the alders, a fixed yellow stare crouching over the boy's torn face.
Where western wilderness unravels into suburbia, at the intersection of a recovering species and a human population hungry for space, the common wisdom that cougars prefer to avoid people has given way to a harsher reality: Mountain lions move in the shadows of our homes, and a few of them hunt there. In this gripping look at the myths and realities of cougar and human interactions, Jo Deurbrouck takes us from the fieldwork of researchers to the near misses of those who faced down these predators and to those rare, horrifying moments when everything went wrong.

There is an essential element of nature which defies reason, logic, or science. An element which emanates from my experiences living in the majestic hills and valleys of Vermont's Green Mountains. A calling, if it were, where the working land speaks, and the wind sings, and the ever changing skies dazzle our sight with amazing color and clarity. Only when one captures the breath, the life, and the feeling of such a place which has inspired many generations by its breathtaking beauty, abundant freshness, and pastoral beckoning can one begin to understand this element. From this element one can achieve valuable insight into more than the heart and mind of a writer, but also partake in a richer part of the fabric of life woven across fields, and lakes, and mountains always changing with the seasons. I simply share with the reader a love for poetry mostly presented in classical English sonnet style. Further inspiration for this work will consider the role that nature plays in creating the essential element to define our life and time. I attempt to move past describing climate that only dampens or brightens daily lives to how it actually defines feelings and moods. Belonging to the Vermont experience means seeking out those treasured hollows, and stepping lightly out atop those hilly ledges, and smiling brightly at the sun and sky and water and grass. We can smile at ourselves too for all our rugged beauty. Thankfully --- partly, it must be said, thanks to the vision and sense of loyalty of generations of those who have come before us, what they have taken, and what they have left behind; this essential element collectively cherishes and preserves this unique heritage. This essential element, I am calling.....Organic Soul.

A pioneering look at how climate change is affecting British wildlife - winners, losers, new arrivals and future prospects. There is no escaping the fact that the British climate is changing, and our wildlife is changing with it. In this remarkable account, Trevor Beebee examines the story so far for our plant, fungi and animal species. Warmer and wetter winters, combined with longer summers, have worked to the advantage of plants such as the rare Lady Orchid, and a whole range of insects. The UK is also hosting new arrivals that come in on the wing. But there is adversity, too. Alpine plants and seabirds - particularly Kittiwakes - are suffering declines as our countryside warms. Given the evidence so far, can we predict what the future holds for our British ecosystems? "Fascinating but frightening, compelling and concerning ... this book brings together all you need to know about how the climate is impacting wildlife." CHRIS PACKHAM Winner of the Marsh Book of the Year Award (2019)

The understanding of nature was Ralph Simpson's consuming passion, which he pursued with unmatched vigor and high spirits. In Grass Flats, 1890--1923, Simpson meticulously documents 218 species accounts of bird life in Warren County, Pennsylvania, including notes on other species observed at Presque Isle on Lake Erie. Simpson speaks of habitat preferences and population shifts, while at the same time offering a view of the natural world with a bit of whimsy, as in the following 1909 observations of the Screech Owl. I knew of an old Flicker's hole nearby, and on going past I saw feathers about the edges, so I investigated and found a Gray Screecher at home. She made no resistance, so I reached in and counted five eggs under her, petted her, and left her. Join this noted naturalist, as he seeks adventure birding in the virgin timber of Wild Cat Run, navigating a steep precipice in the wilds of Goshawk Basin, or climbing 70 feet up a giant Eastern Hemlock to peer into a Sharp-shinned Hawk's nest. From his exploits, Simpson learned early on that, with nature, every moment instructs. Simpson, with feet on terra firma, beckons you to his stomping ground--Grass Flats.

This top-selling series introduces the wild creatures of the world and examines the natural world. Good general introductions for ages 10+, these volumes contain the knowledge, personal experiences, and research of leading naturalists and scientists, accompanied by stunning photography. Unless otherwise noted (*), all volumes are sturdy paperback.

The State of Texas not only boasts the largest snakes in North America, but also the largest number of species 105. This guide describes in detail each and every one of them, from the benign Texas long-nosed snake, to the venomous Western Cottonmouth. Facts on the biology and behavior are given, plus the latest findings on abundance, reproduction, prey, sizes, and habitat. In addition, introductory chapters describe the physiology and diet of snakes, and an all-important section on "Venom and Evenomation" debunks the many myths surrounding what to do when bit by a venomous snake. 128 color plates of species and subspecies aid in identification.

LONGLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2022 'A remarkable and powerful book, the rarest of things ... Nicolson is unique as a writer ... I loved it' EDMUND DE WAAL Few places are as familiar as the shore - and few as full of mystery and surprise. How do sandhoppers inherit an inbuilt compass from their parents? How do crabs understand the tides? How can the death of one winkle guarantee the lives of its companions? What does a prawn know? In Life Between the Tides, Adam Nicolson explores the natural wonders of the shoreline, from the extraordinary biology of its curious animals to the flow of our human history. This is an invitation to the water, where marvellous things wait an inch below the surface. Previously published as The Sea is Not Made of Water

Delphus E. Carpenter (1877-1951) was Colorado's commissioner of interstate streams during a time when water rights were a legal battleground for western states. A complex, unassuming man as rare and cunning in politics and law as the elusive silver fox of the Rocky Mountain West, Carpenter boldly relied on negotiation instead of endless litigation to forge agreements among states first, before federal intervention. In Silver Fox of the Rockies, Daniel Tyler tells Carpenter's story and that of the great interstate water compacts he helped create. Those compacts, produced in the early twentieth century, have guided not only agricultural use but urban growth and development throughout much of the American West to this day. In Carpenter's time, most western states relied on the doctrine of prior appropriation--first in time, first in right--which granted exclusive use of resources to those who claimed them first, regardless of common needs. Carpenter feared that population growth and rapid agricultural development in states sharing the same river basins would rob Colorado of its right to a fair share of water. To avoid that eventuality, Carpenter invoked the compact clause of the U.S. Constitution, a clause previously used to settle boundary disputes, and applied it to interstate water rights. The result was a mechanism by which complex issues involving interstate water rights could be settled through negotiation without litigating them before the U.S. Supreme Court. Carpenter believed in the preservation of states' rights in order to preserve the constitutionally mandated balance between state and federal authority. Today, water remains critically important to the American West, and thegreat interstate water compacts Carpenter helped engineer constitute his most enduring legacy. Of particular significance is the Colorado River Compact of 1922, without which Hoover Dam could never have been built.

Part travelogue, part history, and part environmental treatise, "Mekong - The Occluding River" is above all else an urgent warning that factors such as pollution, ecological devastation, and the depletion of natural resources are threatening the very existence of the Mekong River. Author Ngo The Vinh combines his vivid travel notes and collection of photographs with a meticulously researched history of the environmental degradation of the Mekong River. Translated from Vietnamese, the best-selling treatise outlines the myriad threats facing the river today. From oil shipments feeding the industrial cities of southwestern China to gigantic hydroelectric dams known as the Mekong Cascades in Yunnan province, China is the worst environmental offender, though the other nations along Mekong's banks behave no better. From Thailand to Laos to Vietnam, hydroelectric dams that threaten the Mekong and its inhabitants are being built at an alarming rate. To save the Mekong, Ngo The Vinh calls upon all the nations that benefit from its life-giving water to observe the "Spirit of the Mekong" in the implementation of all future development projects. To achieve this end, there must be a concerted and sustained commitment to cooperation and sustainability. At this critical cross-roads, we should remind ourselves of the mantra from Sea World San Diego: "Extinction is forever. Endangered means we still have time."

Planting for Pollinators is an easy-to-use gardening guide to help you encourage different types of insect pollinators into your garden. Insect pollinators not only bring joy to our gardens, they also provide an essential service for our planet. Without bees, flies, hoverflies, butterflies, moths and beetles, some of our favourite foods, flowers and plants would cease to exist. Whether you have a large garden, an urban balcony or just a window box, planting to encourage pollinators is a fantastic and surprisingly easy first step in creating a wildlife-friendly space. Planting for Pollinators features a wide range of plants, with guidance on the best ways to nurture lawns and verges, pollinator predation and tips on watching and photographing wildlife. Beautifully illustrated throughout with images from award-winning wildlife photographer Heather Angel, this essential guide will show you how plants communicate with insects, and why it's so important to protect our pollinators. Organised by season and featuring more than 100 plant species - including bulbs, annuals, perennials, shrubs and climbers - this practical guide will help you to discover the short- and long-term benefits of having a variety of pollinators visit your garden.