Raising children, nursing them when ill, and teaching them to respect nature falls right into a parallel category of nursing injured animals that are brought home for a parent to help them recover. Sewing skills, honesty, and creative problem-solving are also a plus when tackling unchartered waters. It also helps to have a tender heart

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

How do bees communicate? What does a beekeeper do? Did you know that Napoleon loved bees? Who survived being stung by 2,443 bees? This book answers all these questions and many more, tracking the history of bees from the time of the dinosaurs to their current plight.

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.

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.

RSPB Spotlight: Hedgehogs is packed with eye-catching, informative colour photos, and features succinct and detailed text written by a knowledgeable naturalist. Much loved ... but about to be lost? The Hedgehog regularly tops polls of the UK's favourite animal, yet numbers in our countryside have halved this century. Generations of children have been captivated by Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, though our complex and contradictory relationship with the Hedgehog is also characterised by persecution and death. This unmistakable, spiny mammal is a 'gardener's best friend', but one that we rarely see alive and in our midst. In Spotlight: Hedgehogs, James Lowen reveals what a Hedgehog is and how it lives, unveiling the secrets of its lifestyle, such as foraging and hibernating, rolling into a ball and building a nest. He also investigates the relationship between Hedgehogs and people - from film and fun to conservation and crisps - and offers practical advice on how to find, watch and help these charming animals in the wild.

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.

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.

Donald S Murray is widely recognised for his empathy and remarkable ability to convey emotion with restraint and poignancy. In this short collection of poems written during lockdown at his Shetland home, Murray explores the changing geography of the island and how it has, in turn, changed him. On his daily walks through the village, Murray found himself noting shifts in the wind and weather, the imperceptible widening of the sea, and the way time has slowed. Noting the way, too, in which flocks of sheep or birds congregated in a field in anticipation of the arrival of a storm. With beautiful imagery and lyricism, The Man Who Talks to Birds taps into a deep connection with nature, and its ability to ground us, that many of us have rediscovered during 2020.

The Birds of America is one of the best known natural history books ever produced and also the most valuable - a complete set sold at auction in December 2010 for GBP7.3 million, which is a world record for a book. First published in double elephant size (approximately a metre tall) in the first half of the nineteenth century, it is famous for its stunning life-size illustrations of birds set within landscaped backgrounds. The book was issued inparts over 11 years and only around 200 completed sets were ever produced. Less than 120 of these survive today, locked away in museums, galleries and private collections around the world. To create this edition of Audubon's masterpiece, the Natural History Museum's own original edition was disbound and each of the 435 beautiful hand-coloured prints was specially photographed. The artworks are accompanied by the scientific descriptions that were used in the original The Birds of America and there is also a new introduction by David Allen Sibley.

North Carolina has one of the richest arrays of birdlife in North America-460 species, including two of the rarest species in the Southeast: the Red-cockaded Woodpecker and the Wood Stork.
Birding North Carolina guides you to forty-four of the best birding locations across the state. Organized by region, this useful and comprehensive guide includes everything you need for a rewarding bird-watching experience.
Look inside to find:
Accurate bird-finding information for the entire state-from the Mountains to the Piedmont to the Coastal Plain
Where to find migrating raptors, a huge assortment of shorebirds and nesting waterbirds, plus many Southern specialties such as Swainson's Warbler, the
reclusive Black Rail, and the fire-dependent Bachman's Sparrow
Descriptions of each site, with information about key species
Where and when to go, how to get there, and what you'll see
Details on the seasonal distributions of 122 North Carolina bird specialties-
where they occur, their abundances there, and the best times to see them

Elk are the quintessential big game animal in the West, and there is no more exciting sight for a hunter than a heavy-racked bull that seems to materialize out of thin air in the dawning light of a cold fall morning. But it takes more than blind luck to put yourself in this situation year after year. Elk are smart, wary, highly mobile animals that use their surroundings to great advantage to elude hunters. To be successful, you must understand the subtleties of elk habits and habitat.
The Complete Book of Elk Hunting provides detailed information on all aspects of these elements, along with hunting tactics that will help you consistently take trophy elk throughout their range.
Specific features include:
"The behavior and micro-habitats of big bulls
"The top hunting methods for elk, including still-hunting, glassing and stalking, tracking, and stand hunting
"Hunting the rut in early fall and finding elk in any type of weather and terrain throughout the season
"The top states for trophy bulls and overall numbers of elk
"Methods for learning about feeding, bedding, escape, and migration habits
"Searching for and interpreting sign and the secrets of effective scouting
"A chart for forecasting elk whereabouts based on long-term weather conditions
"Trip planning and basic equipment
Whether you are a beginner or a veteran, this ultimate guidebook is filled with expert advice that is sure to make you a better, more efficient hunter. Elk numbers throughout much of the West are higher than they have been in more than a century, so don't wait to acquire the knowledge that could make all the difference on your next hunt.

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."

Do bear attacks touch people in the far-back recesses of their psyches? Reach latent ancestral memories of cave days when humans were potential prey? Indeed, there are those who say their nightmares involved bears before they ever saw one, either in the flesh or in the movies. Unfortunately, these nightmares all too often come true. People perform almost superhuman feats in their fight to survive bear attacks. Jim Marriott, for instance, was attacked and
mauled by a grizzly while carving out a moose head. When playing dead didn't work, he slammed his skinning knife into the attacker's neck. The surprised bear backed off only to charge again, cut his tongue trying to bite at the knife, and got the knife sunk into the
same place. By the third charge, Marriott was on his feet despite chewed buttocks and damaged legs. This time the bear left with the knife still sticking in his neck. "In bear attacks, the human survival instinct is extraordinary," says a doctor who sees the terrible punishment victims of bear attacks live through. "And equally amazing are the heroics and seemingly superhuman efforts of those around the victims."
BEAR ATTACKS OF THE CENTURY gathers together these stories of courage,
chronicling the most horrific encounters between bears and people. With expert advice on avoiding attacks and information that may help both species leave an encounter unscathed, this book is required reading for hikers, hunters, campers, or anyone visiting bear country, and those who want to learn more about these sometimes deadly but always fascinating animals.