An invitation to see the natural world in all its intricacy — and to become a knowledgeable steward of the wild. From mountains to ocean shores, wetlands to deserts, North America holds delicately balanced ecosystems found nowhere else, and this book teaches you to read them: the lobed leaf of an Oracle Oak, the webbed tracks of a River Otter, the fine cream-colored tentacles of a Frilled Anemone. It gathers the best text and iconic illustrations from the Nature Study Guild, whose pocket guides have steered hikers, campers, and foragers through the outdoors for more than sixty years, into one handsome hardcover. A beautiful blend of art and science with a nostalgic, vintage charm — the kind of reference that earns its place on the coffee table as readily as in the backpack.
