Nature

Explore the gentle unfurling of spring and reflect on how nature celebrates birth and renewal—in this collection of reflections by our greatest writers.

As winter's austere power begins to fade, we notice the first signs of vigor and life returning to the world: delicate crocuses pushing through the damp earth; frogs croaking in the barely thawed ponds; the year's first warm breeze on our faces.

These first sure signs of spring bolster our spirits and remind us of the eternal cycle of death and rebirth, and also—more poignantly—of the steady march of time and our own advancing years. With each successive spring, it seems, we cherish the promise of renewed life more and more.

These thoughtfully chosen writings, poems and meditations—from Robert Frost, Lisa Couturier, William Blake and Lady Sarashina to the eighth-century Chinese poet Tu Fu and many others—both celebrate spring's re-emergence of life and evoke the season's delicate balance of growth and decay, youth and maturity, innocence and experience.

Updated 6th edition with new sites & museums!
Learn Where & How to Dig, Pan and Mine Your Own Gems & Minerals

NORTHEAST

Connecticut • Delaware • District of Columbia • Indiana • Illinois • Maine
Massachusetts • Maryland • Michigan • New Hampshire • New Jersey
New York • Ohio • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • Vermont • Wisconsin

Whether you're digging for the first time or are an experienced rockhound or "prospector," with a simple rock hammer and a little luck, you too can strike it rich ... or at the very least, have fun trying.

This guide offers you easy-to-use information on the ins and outs of "fee dig" mining, complete with locations, costs, tips on technique, entertaining legends and important information on everything from safety kits to the location of the nearest restrooms.

Included are resources for use in identifying your finds, exploring the lapidary arts, and further pursuing an exciting—and possibly profitable—hobby.

• Equipment and Clothing: What you need and where to find it (or how to make it yourself).
• Mining Techniques: Step-by-step instructions on panning for gold, sluicing for gems and other methods.
• Gem and Mineral Sites: Directions and maps, hours, fees and equipment needed. Also includes info on guide services, local camping facilities and more.
• Museums and Mine Tours: Where to visit commercial and historical mines, as well as museums with exhibits of gems and minerals (for help in learning what to look for).
• Special Events and Tourist Information: Listings of regional events involving gems and minerals, and sources of general travel and tourism information for every state.
• Other Features: Where to find your birthstone, your anniversary stone or your zodiac stone; Index by State; Index by Gem/Mineral; U.S. State Gems & Minerals Chart; and more!

The Treasure Hunter's Gem & Mineral Guides to the U.S.A. in 4 regional volumes:

Northeast ISBN: 978-0-9970145-0-1

Northwest ISBN: 978-0-9904152-8-2

Southeast ISBN: 978-0-9970145-1-8

Southwest ISBN: 978-0-9904152-9-9

Explore the rich vibrancy of summer and reflect on how nature teaches us to value time—in this collection of reflections by our greatest writers.

A season of both growth and of stillness, of hard work in the garden and of relaxing in the cool of the mountains, summer is a celebratory time. Every day matters, says summer. Look around you. Life is starting up again after a long winter and spring, and we find ourselves in a world filled with creatures and plants and shimmers of heat on the subway, with backyard cookouts and ice cream trucks jingling through the neighborhood.

This collection of powerful, stirring pieces from a wealth of sources—ranging from poems composed in eighth-century China to letters from a pioneer woman in the American West, from the Declaration of Independence to Ray Bradbury’s musings on childhood summers—invites us all to fully experience the rich and bountiful spirituality of summer.

Updated 6th edition with new sites & museums!
Learn Where & How to Dig, Pan and Mine Your Own Gems & Minerals

SOUTHWEST

Arizona • California • Colorado • Hawaii • Kansas
Nevada • New Mexico • Oklahoma • Texas • Utah

Whether you're digging for the first time or are an experienced rockhound or "prospector," with a simple rock hammer and a little luck, you too can strike it rich ... or at the very least, have fun trying.

This guide offers you easy-to-use information on the ins and outs of "fee dig" mining, complete with locations, costs, tips on technique, entertaining legends and important information on everything from safety kits to the location of the nearest restrooms.

Included are resources for use in identifying your finds, exploring the lapidary arts, and further pursuing an exciting—and possibly profitable—hobby.

• Equipment and Clothing: What you need and where to find it (or how to make it yourself).
• Mining Techniques: Step-by-step instructions on panning for gold, sluicing for gems and other methods.
• Gem and Mineral Sites: Directions and maps, hours, fees and equipment needed. Also includes info on guide services, local camping facilities and more.
• Museums and Mine Tours: Where to visit commercial and historical mines, as well as museums with exhibits of gems and minerals (for help in learning what to look for).
• Special Events and Tourist Information: Listings of regional events involving gems and minerals, and sources of general travel and tourism information for every state.
• Other Features: Where to find your birthstone, your anniversary stone or your zodiac stone; Index by State; Index by Gem/Mineral; U.S. State Gems & Minerals Chart; and more!

The Treasure Hunter's Gem & Mineral Guides to the U.S.A. in 4 regional volumes:

Northeast ISBN: 978-0-9970145-0-1

Northwest ISBN: 978-0-9904152-8-2

Southeast ISBN: 978-0-9970145-1-8

Southwest ISBN: 978-0-9904152-9-9

Updated 6th edition with new sites & museums!
Learn Where & How to Dig, Pan and Mine Your Own Gems & Minerals 

NORTHWEST 

Alaska • Idaho • Iowa • Minnesota • Montana • Nebraska
North Dakota • Oregon • South Dakota • Washington • Wyoming 

Whether you're digging for the first time or are an experienced rockhound or "prospector," with a simple rock hammer and a little luck, you too can strike it rich ... or at the very least, have fun trying.

This guide offers you easy-to-use information on the ins and outs of “fee dig” mining, complete with locations, costs, tips on technique, entertaining legends and important information on everything from safety kits to the location of the nearest restrooms.

Included are resources for use in identifying your finds, exploring the lapidary arts, and further pursuing an exciting—and possibly profitable—hobby.

• Equipment and Clothing: What you need and where to find it (or how to make it yourself).
• Mining Techniques: Step-by-step instructions on panning for gold, sluicing for gems and other methods.
• Gem and Mineral Sites: Directions and maps, hours, fees and equipment needed. Also includes info on guide services, local camping facilities and more.
• Museums and Mine Tours: Where to visit commercial and historical mines, as well as museums with exhibits of gems and minerals (for help in learning what to look for).
• Special Events and Tourist Information: Listings of regional events involving gems and minerals, and sources of general travel and tourism information for every state.
• Other Features: Where to find your birthstone, your anniversary stone or your zodiac stone; Index by State; Index by Gem/Mineral; U.S. State Gems & Minerals Chart; and more!

The Treasure Hunter’s Gem & Mineral Guides to the U.S.A. in 4 regional volumes:

Northeast ISBN: 978-0-9970145-0-1

Northwest ISBN: 978-0-9904152-8-2

Southeast ISBN: 978-0-9970145-1-8

Southwest ISBN: 978-0-9904152-9-9

• In-depth information about how wildlife coexists with the environment
• Detailed discussions of mammals, birds, fish, invertebrates, fungi, and plants
• Detailed map of wilderness areas in Southeast Alaska
• More than 200 black-and-white illustrations
• A bibliography, list of common and scientific names, and an index

• More than 100 new illustrations, many never before published, as well as new maps and photos
• Major expansion of sections on geology, old-growth forests, marine mammals, and amphibians
• Fifty-two new sidebars—written in the first person to give the text a more personal touch­—that describe recent findings or experiences.
• Sweeping updates and elaborations to chapter narratives—often thanks to technology unknown in 1992.

The Great Alaska Nature Factbook describes the diversity of plants and animals in Alaska. Illustrated with line drawings, the text has entries for the 105 species of mammals, nearly 300 birds, and 1,500 species of plants. The author also provides an overview of the six regions and the natural features such as the Bering Land Bridge, mineral deposits, and hot springs. It is a field guide or "minature encyclopedia" of facts and trivia about Alaska. Index and Further readings are also included.

Enhance and enrich your spiritual journey with the power of herbs.

Herbs have been essential to spiritual beliefs and practices throughout time and history. From Christian Scripture to Hindu observances, Jewish ritual to early Islamic literature, Native American traditions to Buddhist symbolism, plants are seen as a blessing from God and a way to remain in harmony with Spirit.

In this fun, informative and engaging guide, you will be delighted by the history of the religious and spiritual use of herbs in many faith traditions and inspired by creative ideas on how to use herbs for spiritual growth. Unique and soul-strengthening activities can teach you how to:

• Create herbal art inspired by your faith
• Craft herbal wreaths, pillows and soaps from herbs selected for their spiritual qualities
• Prepare herbal teas, infused oils, meals and condiments with herbs chosen for their ability to nurture, strengthen and heal
• Make candles infused with herbs that promote balance and centering
• Nourish the soul with herbal sachets and potpourri
• Use incense and smudge sticks to imbue clarity and purity
• Design a simple herb garden of plants chosen from among different spiritual traditions
• Construct spaces in which to use herbs for reflection and meditation

For the seriously dedicated as well as the merely curious ’shroomer, Alaska’s Mushrooms is a wide-ranging guide to the fungi of the Last Frontier.

The book, featuring detailed descriptions of 114 species, includes: color photographs; family and common names; genus and species; striking field characters; both a macro- & micro-description; habitat and role; edibility, taste, and odor; look-alikes, and comments. This comprehensive collection also provides:

• information on mushroom seasons and habitats
• hints for collecting mushrooms for food and study
• tips on how to tell the real mushrooms from their “imposters”
• directions for making spore prints (an essential test for identifying mushrooms)
• hundreds of black-and-white line drawings
• a section listing all poisonous mushrooms by toxin groups
• a list of frequently asked questions
• a range map of Alaska’s biogeographic zones

Alaska’s Mushrooms provides authoritative natural history, informative color photographs, and black-and-white line drawings for clear identification, and lively notes from the field. It’s a must-have for anyone who has a passion for hunting mushrooms.

The Ultimate Succulents Book for Gardeners and Crafters

#1 New Release in Cacti & Succulents, Ornamental Plants, Gardening, Horticulture, and Landscape

We know—killing your plants succs. A crash course on all things succulents, this engaging and easy-to-use succulents book offers everything you need to know so you can both successfully grow these gorgeous plants and create cool crafts with them, too. You’ll find everything you need to know from cacti plant care to specific projects for decorating with plants.

A go-to reference for anyone trying to grow and maintain succulents. The ultimate guide to propagating, growing, and styling succulents and cacti both indoors and out, Succulent Style is as informative as it is gorgeous. Designed for millennials who want to stop killing their plants and for DIY types who want to learn about designing with succulents, Succulent Style is full of succulent growing techniques for beginners as well as for knowledgeable gardeners looking to expand their gardening skills. This beautifully photographed compendium makes the perfect addition to any coffee table or bookshelf.

Succulent ideas for your home and garden. Whether you want to learn how to care for a cactus indoor or how to style plants, you’ll find tons of tips and tricks inside. Start designing succulents with fun projects like succulent garlands, wall art, wreaths, succulent bouquets, potted arrangements as well as many other cool things.

Inside, you’ll also find:

• A detailed compilation of succulent varieties
• Instructions on how to propagate and plant cacti and succulents
• Tips to integrate succulents into outdoor and indoor design

If you’re looking for a succulents plants book or cactus book—like A Beginner's Guide to Succulent Gardening, Essential Succulents, The Gardener's Guide to Succulents, or Cacti and Succulents Handbook—then you’ll love Succulent Style.

Essays that Remind Us How We are All Connected

This powerful collection of words from award-winning journalist Richard Louv examines the interconnections among people—with each chapter revealing the delicate strands of life that weave us all together.

Touching on the simple truths. It’s often the little things that remind us how connected we all are to one another. Through his insightful reflections, Louv reveals the many places we can find the strands that bind us to one another, and he explores where we can find these strands in our lives—from family and friendship to community and nature. Most importantly, his words remind us of the importance of seeking out these strands in our own lives.

The great web of life. In this collection of inspirational stories, discussion, and quotations, Louv paints a picture for us of the great web of life. With warmth and wisdom, he weaves for us a tale of unity, composed of numerous stories and heartfelt life lessons. As we discover how we are all connected, we also learn how it is our responsibility to care for each other and the world around us. As Louv shares, “In our society, it is easy to lose sight of the web. To mend our hoop, our protective gauze, we must envision the whole ecology and not only the parts.”

Open up this book of inspirational messages and discover:

• Stories that will open your eyes to the web of life
• A joyous celebration of the simple things that unite us
• A philosophy in life that you’ll want to live out!

Readers of books like Braiding Sweetgrass, Wilderness Essays, or The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, will love Web of Life by Richard Louv.

As Steven Meyers writes, an odyssey need not involve a long journey, simply a profound one. First drawn to Lime Creek for its fly fishing, this stream serves as Meyers’s muse in seven transcendent essays that explore journeys in the discovery of self, of home, and what it means to be human. The essays also explore loss and grief, of finding healing in the powerful presence of nature and in the awareness and experience of natural cycles. The tender eloquence of his writing and his compassion for all living things make for a contemplation of place in the tradition of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and Desert Solitaire.

This powerful story of one angler's adventures in the Great Smoky Mountains is a descent into wildness, a meditation on the landscape bathed in greenness and truth, and the discovery of a people living -- on the spine of time.

From the solace of mountain streams to the frenetic bustle of Gatlinburg, one of Tennessee's great tourist towns, this memorable journey summons readers to confront the joys and sorrows of life through a new understanding of our place in nature and its process.

Harry Middleton had to endure hardships to find the queen mother of all trout streams in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. He had to live through treacherous mountain roads, the cloud of airborne industrial toxins that shrouds the range for most of the year, an occasional blast of lightning, and, worst of all, a helping of rancid potato salad at a roadside diner. Like Norman MacLean in "A River Runs Through It," Middleton makes fly-fishing a religion with its own vision of nirvana, and if it takes an occasional descent into the nether regions to attain it, the author isn't afraid to supply the grisly details. This graceful, funny memoir belongs in every angler's library.

A Powerful and Poetic Call to Ecofeminism & Environmental Activism

“In this book Jean Bolen expresses the essence of our deep connection to and inseparability from trees.” —Alice Walker

Winner 2020 Indie Book Award for Nature/Environment
#1 New Release in Forestry, Forests & Rainforests

This masterful work by internationally known author and speaker Jean Shinoda Bolen provides an insightful look into the fusion of ecological issues and global gender politics.

Of trees and women. This book on the importance of trees grew out of Bolen’s experience mourning the loss of a Monterey pine that was cut down in her neighborhood. That, combined with her practice of walking among tall trees, led to her deep connection with trees and an understanding of their many complexities. From their anatomy and physiology, to trees as archetypal and sacred symbols, Bolen expertly explores the dynamics of ecological activism spiritual activism and sacred feminism. And, she invites us to join the movement to save trees.

Stories of those making a difference. While there is still much work to be done to address environmental problems, there are many stories of individuals and organizations rising up to make a change and help save our planet. The words and stories that Bolen weaves throughout this book are both inspirational and down-to-earth, calling us to realize what is happening to not only our trees, but our people. By writing about both the work of organizations like Greenpeace and the UN Commission on the Status of Women, Bolen highlights her passions and shares her unique vision for the world.

In Like a Tree learn more about:

• The dynamic nature of trees―from their anatomy to their role as an archetypal symbol
• Pressing social issues such as deforestation, global warming, and overpopulation
• What it means to be a “tree person”

If you enjoyed books like The Hidden Life of Trees, Wise Trees, Around the World in 80 Trees, or Braiding Sweetgrass, then you’ll love Like a Tree: How Trees, Women, and Tree People Can Save the Planet.

Can religious people save the environment? Can the environmental challenge save religion?

Our planet is in trouble, and it will take an amazingly large and powerful force to shift into a more sustainable way of living. Spiritual leader and environmental activist Andrea Cohen-Kiener tells us that people of faith have the numbers, the passion and the mandate to do it—and that nothing else is strong enough to counterbalance "business as usual."

In this urgent call to action, Cohen-Kiener gathers insights from ecology coalitions, emerging theologies and spiritual and environmental activists to rally and inspire us to work across denominational lines in order to fulfill our sacred imperative to care for God's creation. Cohen-Kiener and contributors clearly outline the shared values of our faith traditions that drive our commitment to care for the earth. Acknowledging the challenges in working together to implement positive change, they present steps—both big and small, for individuals and groups—for reversing our direction from consumption to sustainability.

Contributors include:

• Rev. Woody Bartlett, founder, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light
• Rev. Tom Carr, National Council of Churches Working Group on the Environment
• Rev. Donna Schaper, senior minister, Judson Memorial Church, New York City
• Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Religious Witness for the Earth
• Eboo Patel, executive director, Interfaith Youth Core
• Dr. Lowell “Rusty” Pritchard, national director of outreach, Evangelical Environmental Network

“For those who plan to visit Alaska, this book is an obvious must, but even armchair birders will get satisfaction from reading it. Any birder will get many hours of enjoyment” —The Canadian Field-Naturalist

New in the sixth edition:

• More than 900 full-color photos, including 400 new to this edition
• every bird is now illustrated including the casuals and accidentals
  
• 22 new species of birds 
• All changes in names and systematics made by the American Ornithological Union 
• Updated status and distribution charts showing the seasonal occurrence of each bird in Alaska’s six biogeographic regions 
• Detailed information on field marks, behavior, similar species, voice, and habitat
• Useful map of Alaska’s six biogeographic regions
• Checklist of all species for birder’s use
• Comprehensive reading list and index

This comprehensive guide provides the most current knowledge about the birds in Alaska. “A fun and convenient way to pique or enhance your interest in Alaskan birds.” — Daily Sitka Sentinel 

Explore the Amazing Bond Between Humans and Animals

“Turtles have been a part of earth’s natural balance for hundreds of millions of years…In this passionate, shining work, Yun Rou champions their cause and indicts our self-destructive relationship with Mother Earth." —William Holmstrom, Wildlife Conservation Society

#1 New Release in Biology of Reptiles & Amphibians and Taoism

Turtle lover and Daoist Monk Yun Rou shares a beautiful depiction of the wonders of the world—and a powerful plea for preserving our planet—in this fictional philosophical tale.

Turtle Planet, a unique work of philosophical fact and fiction by ordained Daoist Monk Yun Rou, explores the wonders and suffering of the natural world through the eyes of eighteen exotic turtles. This beautifully written book deeply explores the intimate bond between humans and animals―the wisdom they teach us, the wounds they can heal, and the role we play in their destruction.

A call for environmental conservation and political and social justice. Daoist Monk Yun Rou received his academic education at Yale, Cornell, and the University of California and was ordained a Daoist monk at the Chun Yang (Pure Yang) Taoist Temple in Guangzhou, China. Drawing on fifty years of loving and husbanding turtles, from the car-sized giant Leatherback turtle to the Central Asian tortoise, Monk Yun Rou sounds the alarm of what climate change, global extinction, human intervention, and environmental devastation really mean to their worlds and to ours.

See the world through the eyes of turtles.  An informational glossary and description of each turtle at the end of the book is provided as a bonus gift to readers.

All the Buzz for Beekeeping Beginners

“The book oozes with bee facts and trivia….Bees do make good pets and this book is a gentle introduction to the world of backyard bee keeping.” —Patsy Bell Hobson, writer and master gardener emeritus

#1 New Release in Entomology and Insects & Spiders

What happens when a writer sets up a backyard beehive? You get a beekeeping book full of fun and fascinating facts about honey bees and our other favorite pollinators.

A nature guide book for beekeeping beginners. Full of trivia, tips, legends, and lore—this quirky bee book swarms with interesting information, so you can have fun, learn stuff, grow your farm, or just relax. Writer and beekeeper Jack Mingo lives with half a million bees, and has picked up a thing or two at his bee farm. In this collection of humorous and often unusual observations, Mingo shows us a glimpse of the mystical and matriarchal world of bees.

The save the bees sign you’ve been looking for. How many legs do bees have? Enough not to crowd your bed at night. They don't track mud or bugs into your house, and they won’t bark and whine. They even greet you with raw honey and beeswax. And these are just some of the reasons bees make the best pets of all. Whether you’re a beekeeping beginner, looking to save the bees, or interested in fun nature facts about bugs and insects, there’s something here for every nature lover.

Step into Mingo’s hive for tidbits like:

• Fun and interesting tips and tricks for beekeeping beginners
• Knowledge about the color, quality, and benefits of local honey
• The history and legendary stories of bees, like the role they played in the Civil War and the Legend of the Caroling Bees

If you liked Beekeeping for Dummies, The Beekeeper’s Handbook, or Beekeeping for Beginners, you’ll love Bees Make the Best Pets.

A swashbuckling narrative of treachery and obsession involving pirates, fur seals, competing governments, and near war.

"In Roar of the Sea, [Deb Vanasse] writes with verve and dramatic impact, reconstructing the narrative of Elliott's tenacious crusade in a way that will transport the reader back to the cacophonous seal rookeries, to the bloody, blubber-slicked decks of the sealing ships, and to the elegant meeting rooms of the nation's capital. While bringing deserved attention to Elliott for his wildlife conservation work in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Vanasse ends with a sobering challenge: those seal rookeries on the Pribilof Islands are now facing new human-caused threats—and could use 21st century advocates."
—The Daily Astorian/Coast Weekend

"Now comes a fascinating, full history of the fur seal story, pitting artist and advocate Henry Wood Elliott against the most famous of the seal pirates, a man named Alex MacLean, and a whole host of ill-informed and corrupt business and political titans. Deb Vanasse, a former Alaskan who now lives in Oregon and is the author of many previous books—including Wealth Woman, about the Klondike gold rush—has done extensive research to illuminate the historical characters, the difficulties of reaching an international agreement to protect wildlife, and the significance of that treaty today."
—Anchorage Daily News

Over a century ago, treachery in Alaska's Bering Sea twice brought the world to the brink of war. The US seized Canadian vessels, Great Britain positioned warships to strike the US, and Americans killed Japanese pirates on US soil—all because of the northern fur seals crowded together on the tiny Pribilof Islands.

The herd's population plummeted from 4.7 million to 940,000 in the span of eight years while notorious seafarers like Alex MacLean (who inspired Jack London's The Sea-Wolf) poached indiscriminately. Enter an unlikely crusader to defend the seals: self-taught artist and naturalist Henry Wood Elliott, whose zeal and love for the animals inspired him to go against all odds and take on titans of the sea.

Winning seemed impossible, and yet Elliott managed to expose corruption and set the course for modern wildlife protections that are all the more relevant today as the world grapples with mass extinction.

Carefully written and researched, Roar of the Sea reveals the incredible hidden history of how one lone activist existing in the margins prevailed against national governments and corporate interests in the name of wildlife conservation.