- Table View
- List View
Moss: From Forest To Garden: A Guide To The Hidden World Of Moss
by Ulrica NordströmDiscover the secrets of moss Unassuming yet beautiful, moss has been used for centuries in gardens, medicine, and handicrafts around the world. It is most often associated with damp, shady spaces, but can be found in the most unexpected and far-flung places in the world, from deserts to Antarctica. Moss is Swedish writer and plant artist Ulrica Nordström’s celebration of this humble plant. Nordström introduces readers to the key varieties of moss and where they can be found, and tours some of the most beautiful moss gardens in Oregon, Sweden, and Japan, where moss-viewing has become a national phenomenon. She also teaches readers how to identify and gather different moss species, cultivate moss, tie Japanese moss balls (kokedama), and plant moss landscapes in pots and terrariums. With stunning photography and botanical illustrations, this unique book will be treasured by plant lovers of all kinds.
Mossy
by Jan BrettWho will help Mossy return home to Lilypad Pond? Mossy, an amazing turtle with a gorgeous garden growing on her shell, loses her freedom when Dr. Carolina, a biologist, takes her to live in her Edwardian museum. Visitors flock to see Mossy, but it is Dr. Carolina's niece, Tory, who notices how sad Mossy is living in a viewing pavilion. She misses the outdoors and her friend, Scoot. Dr. Carolina finds a way to keep the spirit of Mossy alive at the museum. She invites Flora and Fauna to paint Mossy's portrait. Then she and Tory take Mossy home, where Scoot is waiting for her. Jan Brett fans will pore over the colorful paintings of Lilypad Pond and lush borders displaying wildflowers, ferns, butterflies and birds in contrast to elegant spreads of the museum filled with visitors in stylish Edwardian dress and exquisite borders of shells, rocks, crystals and birds' eggs.MOSSY gives readers a fascinating look at nature in the wild and on display in a natural history museum.
Most Delicious Poison: From Spices to Vices – The Story of Nature's Toxins
by Noah WhitemanA deadly secret lurks within our kitchens, medicine cabinets and gardens... Digitalis purpurea. The common foxglove. Vision blurs as blood pressure drops precipitously. The heartbeat slows until, finally, it stops. Atropa belladonna. Deadly nightshade. Eyes darken as strange shapes flutter across your vision. The heart begins to race and soon the entire body is overcome with convulsions. Papaver somniferum. The opium poppy. Pupils constrict to a pinprick as the senses dull. Gradually, breathing shudders to a halt. Scratch the surface of a coffee bean, a chilli flake or an apple seed and find a bevy of strange chemicals – biological weapons in a war raging unseen. Here, beetles, birds, bats and butterflies must navigate a minefield of specialised chemicals and biotoxins, each designed to maim and kill. And yet these chemicals, evolved to repel marauding insects and animals, have now become an integral part of our everyday lives. Some we use to greet our days (caffeine) and titillate our tongues (capsaicin), others to bend our minds (psilocybin) and take away our pains (opioids). Informed by his father&’s love of the natural world and his eventual spiral into the depths of addiction, evolutionary biologist Noah Whiteman explores how we came to use – and abuse – these chemicals. Delving into the mysterious origins of plant and fungal toxins, and their unique human history, Most Delicious Poison provides a kaleidoscopic tour of nature&’s most delectable and dangerous poisons. ***** 'Deeply researched and fascinating.' —JENNIFER DOUDNA, WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY 'Magisterial, fascinating and gripping.' —NEIL SHUBIN, AUTHOR OF YOUR INNER FISH 'Exuberant, poignant and mind-blowing.' —DANIEL E. LIEBERMAN, AUTHOR OF EXERCISED
Most Good, Least Harm
by Zoe WeilWith a world steeped in materialism, environmental destruction, and injustice, what can one individual possibly do to change it? While the present obstacles we face may seem overwhelming, author and humane educator Zoe Weil shows us that change doesn't have to start with an army. It starts with you. Through her straightforward approaches to living a MOGO, or "most good," life, she reveals that the true path to inner peace doesn't require a retreat from the world. Rather, she gives the reader powerful and practicable tools to face these global issues, and improve both our planet and our personal lives. Weil explores direct ways to become involved with the community, make better choices as consumers, and develop positive messages to live by, showing readers that their simple decisions really can change the world. Inspiring and remarkably inclusive of the interconnected challenges we face today, Most Good, Least Harm is the next step beyond "green" -- a radical new way to empower the individual and motivate positive change.
Mostly Water: Reflections Rural and North
by Mary OddenThese linked essays form a memoir exploring the American outback from eastern Oregon horse trails to the arctic and subarctic river towns of Alaska.In Mostly Water, Alaska-based journalist and nature writer Mary Odden shares a series of personal essays celebrating the beauty and independent spirit of America’s remote and rural Northern spaces. In these landscapes, human dwellers are entwined in histories and anecdotes as loopy as northern rivers.Odden invites the reader to a vivid patchwork of characters and seldom-seen places, with a soundtrack from fiddle dances and a menu that is “half potlatch and half potluck.” Each essay features a recipe for a traditional regional dish, such as mincemeat, creamed salmon, and lingonberry sauce. As the stories unfold, events of the churning twenty-first century rise like the sea—as does a love of human togetherness and the precious otherness of nature.
Moth & Butterfly: Ta Da!
by Dev PettyMetamorphosis brings astonishing and exciting changes to a pair of caterpillar friends, who take pride in being the same--and different.Two caterpillar friends love what they have in common--lots of legs and a talent for chewing leaves into funny shapes. And when it's time to build cocoons, they hang theirs side by side. "Happy metamorphosis," says an older, more knowledgeable butterfly. And it is a happy metamorphosis indeed--for when the two emerge from their cocoons, they can fly! But so much else has changed--as one is now a moth, who flies by night, and the other is a butterfly, who flies by day. How will things work now? Fortunately some things never change--like true friends figuring out a way to be together, and happily flying into the sunset and sunrise.
Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean: Remembering Chinese Scientist Pu Zhelong
by Sigrid Schmalzer Melanie Linden ChanMoth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean tells its story through the memories of a farm boy who, inspired by Pu Zhelong, became a scientist himself. The narrator is a composite of people Pu Zhelong influenced in his work. With further context from Melanie Chan’s historically precise watercolors, this story will immerse young readers in Chinese culture, the natural history of insects, and the use of biological controls in farming. Backmatter provides context and background for this lovely, sophisticated picture book about nature, science, and Communist China. “The first time I saw a scientist in my village was also the first time I saw a wasp hatch out of a moth’s egg,” writes the narrator of this picture book about Chinese scientist Pu Zhelong. “In that moment I could not have said which was the more unexpected—or the more miraculous.” In the early 1960s, while Rachel Carson was writing and defending Silent Spring in the U.S., Pu Zhelong was teaching peasants in Mao Zedong’s Communist China how to forgo pesticides and instead use parasitic wasps to control the moths that were decimating crops and contributing to China’s widespread famine. This story told through the memories of a farm boy (a composite of people inspired by Pu Zhelong) will immerse young readers in Chinese culture, the natural history of insects, and sustainable agriculture. Backmatter provides historical context for this lovely, sophisticated picture book. The author, Sigrid Schmalzer, won the Joseph Levenson Post-1900 Book Prize for 2018 for her book Red Revolution, Green Revolution. This is the most prestigious prize for a book about Chinese history, and the book upon which Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean is based. Fountas & Pinnell Level U
Mother Aspen: A Story of How Forests Cooperate and Communicate
by Annette LeBoxA lyrical story of an aspen grove through the seasons, inspired by the ground-breaking work of Dr. Suzanne Simard on how trees and fungi talk to each other. In early spring, the Mother Tree wakens. She is hundreds of years old, and her children are the sprouts that she sends up from her roots. They look like many separate trees, but they are all part of the Mother Tree. Above ground, the aspens use the sun to produce sugar. Below ground, fungi wrap threads around the aspen’s roots, feeding on the sugar that they cannot make themselves. And in exchange, the fungi carry messages from tree to tree — warnings of drought, disease and infestations. Through the seasons and years, the Mother Tree shelters and feeds the other trees, the animals that make their home in the grove and the fungi that make it possible for the trees to talk to each other. But when a violent storm upends the order of things, can the forest survive without its Mother Tree? This story of symbiosis, richly illustrated by Crystal Smith, shows how the forest inhabitants thrive by working together. An author’s note explains the significance of mycorrhizal networks and why it is crucial to protect aspen forests. Key Text Features Illustrations author’s note further information resources Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.4 Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.3 Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.
Mother Earth and Uncle Sam
by Rena I. SteinzorIn this compelling study, Rena Steinzor highlights the ways in which the government, over the past twenty years, has failed to protect children from harm caused by toxic chemicals. She believes these failures--under-funding, excessive and misguided use of cost/benefit analysis, distortion of science, and devolution of regulatory authority--have produced a situation in which harm that could be reduced or eliminated instead persists. Steinzor states that, as a society, we are neglecting our children's health to an extent that we would find unthinkable as individual parents, primarily due to the erosion of the government's role in protecting public health and the environment. At this pace, she asserts, our children will inherit a planet under grave threat. We can arrest these developments if a critical mass of Americans become convinced that these problems are urgent and the solutions are near at hand. By focusing on three specific case studies--mercury contamination through the human food chain, perchlorate (rocket fuel) in drinking water, and the effects of ozone (smog) on children playing outdoors--Steinzor creates an analysis grounded in law, economics, and science to prove her assertions about the existing dysfunctional system. Steinzor then recommends a concise and realistic series of reforms that could reverse these detrimental trends and serve as a blueprint for restoring effective governmental intervention. She argues that these recommendations offer enough material to guide government officials and advocacy groups toward prompt implementation, for the sake of America's--and the world's--future generations.
Mother Nature Is Not Trying to Kill You: A Wildlife & Bushcraft Survival Guide
by Rob Nelson Haley NelsonPrepare for random acts of nature with survival strategies for dangerous wildlife, poisonous plants, natural disasters, and everything else outdoors. Statistically, you&’re more likely to die from a vending machine than a shark. Yet, Rob Nelson knows many shark survivors. His college girlfriend was attacked by a crocodile, and his roommate was attacked by a grizzly bear. His wife was sucked by a wave down a blowhole, he was left stranded at sea after a storm sank his sailboat, and the list goes on and on. But Rob has learned to survive these improbable altercations, and in this guide he shows you how. Featuring fifty-two challenges you can encounter in the wilderness, this is your year-long crash course for ultimate disaster management. Whether you&’re preparing for a moose attack or a nuclear fallout, Mother Nature is Not Trying to Kill You enables you to confront the natural world with skill and confidence. &“Expertly blend[s] fascinating wildlife and nature facts and serious wilderness survival techniques with a healthy dose of fun and humor. Even if you&’ll never face any of these animals or survival situations in real life, you&’ll learn a lot and be entertained.&” ―David Mizejewski, naturalist, National Wildlife Federation &“Having this book in your backpack just may save your life one day.&” —Jesse Weiland, national park ranger
Mother Water Ash: Poems
by Nicole CooleyMother Water Ash, a wrenching new collection of poems by Nicole Cooley, explores the personal grief of a mother’s sudden death alongside the environmental crises of the storms, fires, and floods that now dominate our world. Examining the landscapes of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, these poems ponder what it means to mourn in the face of ecological catastrophe, and traipse the terrains left by loss.
Mother of God
by Paul RosolieIn the Madre de Dios ("Mother of God") region of Peru, where the Amazon River begins, the cloud forests of the Andes converge with the lowland Amazon rainforest to create the most biodiverse place on the planet. In January 2006, Paul Rosolie, a restless eighteen-year-old hungry for adventure, embarked on a journey to the western Amazon that would transform his life.Venturing alone into the most inaccessible reaches of the jungle, he encountered massive snakes, isolated tribes, prowling jaguars, giant anteaters, poachers trafficking in the black market of endangered species, and much more. He even discovered a new kind of ecosystem now known as a "floating forest." Yet today the primordial depths of the Madre de Dios are in grave danger.In Mother of God, this explorer and conservationist relives his amazing odyssey to the heart of the wildest place on earth. As he delved deeper into his search for the secret Eden, spending extended periods in isolation, he found things he never imagined could exist. But as the legendary explorer Percy Fawcett warned, "The few remaining unknown places of the world exact a price for their secrets."
Mothering Earth: The Busy Family's Guide to Saving the Planet
by Julia RockwellThis Earth—and money—saving guide to sustainable living empowers families everywhere to fight climate change by making practical lifestyle changes—at home at their own pace.Expert author Julia Rockwell provides a road map to simplify and streamline our lives in a way that benefits overall well-being and the health of the planet—all without sacrificing comforts or turning our lives upside down. And to do so you...do not need to carve out separate time to focus on sustainability,do not need to spend more money,do not need to partake in DIY projects,do not need to be perfect,do not need to get rid of all the plastic in your home,do not need to turn your family&’s life upside down,do not need to feel guilty (you didn&’t create this mess we are in),do not need to live off the grid.Written and designed to reach all families, this inspiring and useful book highlights &“eco-action&” solutions that support a climate-friendly lifestyle at your own pace. Some of the eco-actions topics covered are:Take a Trash TallyFind Your Free MarketplaceSwitch to ReusablesHelp Kids Eat, Not WasteIt shows us how caring for a healthy planet doesn&’t just boost mental wellness, reduce stress, and heighten sense of community, but also saves time and money, too. Includes a comprehensive list of eco-insider resources, a 31-day Eco-Family Challenge, a guide to creating a personalized roadmap to resources in your area, and the book itself is printed on responsibly forested, FSC certified paper. Realistic yet impactful, Mothering Earth gives readers a feasible guide for simple and meaningful change, while at the same time sparks calmness and connection. With the tools to create an effective and healthy eco-routine, readers take a holistic look at shifting habits and making them stick in this Earth-saving guidebook.&“We know women and girls will be most affected by climate change. Mothering Earth has us all thinking about how to take agency in our own lives while fighting for the systemic changes we need for a thriving planet.&”—Eve Rodsky, author of New York Times bestseller Fair Play and Find Your Unicorn Space"Saving the planet is an all-hands-on-deck effort, and in this book, Julia gives strategies that can get your whole family (or just yourself whilst navigating family) on board with simple shifts that are economical, fun, and best of all, impactful. Every household needs to read this. Better yet, every human needs to read this."—Ashlee Piper, Sustainability Expert and Author of Give A Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet."This book is a powerful and practical guide for how we can individually make small shifts and daily choices to collectively create a more just, equitable world – and a more climate resilient future – for our children and for generations to come."—Melinda Kramer, Co-Founder and Co-Director of Women&’s Earth Alliance"Conscious parenting is not an easy task, but Julia will show you how it&’s not only possible - it's the foundation for a whole new kind of life. And one that you don&’t want to miss out on."—Anne Therese Gennari, author of The Climate Optimist Handbook"Mothering Earth is the approachable, accessible guide I&’ve needed to move from overwhelm to action. Julia skillfully outlines the small, simple changes my family can make to live more sustainably and create a stronger planet."—Jill Koziol, Co-Founder & CEO, Motherly"Julia has done incredibly thorough research coupled with her dedicated experience and testing in order to offer a wide host of solutions for every aspect of domestic life. This book w
Motorized Obsessions: Life, Liberty, and the Small-Bore Engine
by Paul R. Josephson2008 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice MagazineFrom dirt bikes and jet skis to weed wackers and snowblowers, machines powered by small gas engines have become a permanent—and loud—fixture in American culture. But fifty years of high-speed fun and pristine lawns have not come without cost.In the first comprehensive history of the small-bore engine and the technology it powers, Paul R. Josephson explores the political, environmental, and public health issues surrounding one of America's most dangerous pastimes. Each chapter tells the story of an ecosystem within the United States and the devices that wreak havoc on it—personal watercraft (PWCs) on inland lakes and rivers; all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in deserts and forests; lawn mowers and leaf blowers in suburbia. In addition to environmental impacts, Josephson discusses the development and promotion of these technologies, the legal and regulatory efforts made to improve their safety and environmental soundness, and the role of owners' clubs in encouraging responsible operation.Synthesizing information from medical journals, recent environmental research, nongovernmental organizations, and manufacturers, Josephson's compelling history leads to one irrefutable conclusion: these machines cannot be operated without loss of life and loss of habitat.
Mount Hood National Forest
by Cheryl HillThe Mount Hood National Forest is the closest national forest to Portland and encompasses the northern end of Oregon's Cascade Mountains and the Columbia River Gorge. Established in 1908 as the Oregon National Forest and renamed the Mount Hood National Forest in 1924, it now consists of more than a million acres. The forest is home to Oregon's tallest mountain, as well as eight designated wilderness areas covering more than 300,000 acres. The forest is also the site of the historic Timberline Lodge and old Barlow Road, the final leg of the Oregon Trail. Thousands of visitors come to the forest every year for camping, hiking, mountain climbing, fishing, skiing, mountain biking, and other recreational pursuits.
Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains
by Timothy SilverEach year, thousands of tourists visit Mount Mitchell, the most prominent feature of North Carolina's Black Mountain range and the highest peak in the eastern United States. From Native Americans and early explorers to land speculators and conservationists, people have long been drawn to this rugged region. Timothy Silver explores the long and complicated history of the Black Mountains, drawing on both the historical record and his experience as a backpacker and fly fisherman. He chronicles the geological and environmental forces that created this intriguing landscape, then traces its history of environmental change and human intervention from the days of Indian-European contact to today. Among the many tales Silver recounts is that of Elisha Mitchell, the renowned geologist and University of North Carolina professor for whom Mount Mitchell is named, who fell to his death there in 1857. But nature's stories--of forest fires, chestnut blight, competition among plants and animals, insect invasions, and, most recently, airborne toxins and acid rain--are also part of Silver's narrative, making it the first history of the Appalachians in which the natural world gets equal time with human history. It is only by understanding the dynamic between these two forces, Silver says, that we can begin to protect the Black Mountains for future generations.
Mount Pelee: The Biggest Volcano Eruption of the 20th Century
by Kathy FurgangThis 1902 eruption occurred on the Caribbean island of Martinique. Only two of the 30,000 residents of the town of St. Pierre survived this blast. It was the first eruption that gave scientists a chance to observe the damage shortly after the event.
Mount Rainier National Park (Postcard History)
by Donald M. JohnstoneMount Rainier rises 14,410 feet above sea level and can be seen on any given day by over three million people and from over 100 miles away. It is America's fifth national park, established in 1899. The mountain is an active but currently dormant volcano. With 25 named glaciers, 50 smaller unnamed glaciers, and numerous perennial snowfields, Mount Rainier boasts the largest glacier system in the continental United States. In addition to the glacier zone, the park has alpine and subalpine forest and subtropical rain forest. Each zone has its own unique ecology of plants and animals. The vistas of and from the mountain are some of the most spectacular in all of the park system.
Mount Rushmore (Cornerstones of Freedom)
by Andrew SantellaRelates how the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, known as "The Shrine of Democracy," was conceived, designed, and created.
Mount Sinai
by Joseph J. HobbsAmid the high mountains of Egypt's southern Sinai Peninsula stands Jebel Musa, "Mount Moses," revered by most Christians and Muslims as Mount Sinai. (Jewish tradition holds that Mount Sinai should remain terra incognita, unlocated, and does not associate it with this mountain. ) In this fascinating study, Joseph Hobbs draws on geography and archaeology, Biblical and Quranic accounts, and the experiences of people ranging from Christian monks to Bedouin shepherds to casual tourists to explore why this mountain came to be revered as a sacred place and how that very perception now threatens its fragile ecology and its sense of holy solitude. After discussing the physical characteristics of Jebel Musa and the debate that selected it as the most probable Mount Sinai, Hobbs fully describes all Christian and Muslim sacred sites around the mountain. He views Mount Sinai from the perspectives of the centuries-long inhabitants of the region--the monks of the Monastery of St. Katherine and the Jabaliya Bedouins--and of tourists and pilgrims, from medieval Europeans to modern travelers dispirited by Western industrialization. Hobbs concludes his account with the recent international debate over whether to build a cable car on Mount Sinai and with an unflinching description of the negative impact of tourism on the delicate desert environment. His book raises important, troubling questions for everyone concerned about the fate of the earth's wild and sacred places.
Mount St. Helens
by David A. AndersonThe story of Mount St. Helens is that of an active volcano and human interaction with it. The mountain is culturally important to the regional native people. Its Cowlitz name, Lawetlat'la, means "Person From Whom Smoke Comes." Early European settlers saw opportunities to make a living from the natural resources, and people fell in love with the forested valleys and slopes of the glacier-clad peak with the blue lake at its foot. Forgotten were the eruptions of the 19th century and the fact that the landscape was a product of frequent violent explosions. A report from the 1970s reminded locals that Mount St. Helens is an active volcano and could erupt again before the end of the 20th century. Only a few people at that time were aware of what the mountain was capable of, and many were surprised at the events that took place in 1980.
Mount St. Helens 1980: Fiery Eruption! (Great Escapes Series)
by Gare ThompsonThis thrilling new series of books has everything middle school readers long for: action, adventure, danger, and young heroes!Great Escapes explores real historical events and shows children how kids just like them learn how to work together in order to change the world for the better. Historical figures are interwoven into the stories, offering readers the chance for further exploration on these people and their places in history. In Mount St. Helen's 1980: Fiery Eruption!, Alex and Wendy love exploring this beautiful volcano. But when the long-dormant volcano erupts, the two best friends must race to save others—and themselves.
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (True Books-National Parks)
by Sharlene Nelson Ted NelsonNIMAC-sourced textbook <P><P>Describes the destruction caused by the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. <P><P>Lexile Measure: 820L
Mountain Aesthetics in Early Modern Latin Literature
by William M. BartonIn the late Renaissance and Early Modern period, man’s relationship to nature changed dramatically. An important part of this change occurred in the way that beauty was perceived in the natural world and in the particular features which became privileged objects of aesthetic gratification. This study explores the shift in aesthetic attitude towards the mountain that took place between 1450 and 1750. Over the course of these 300 years the mountain transformed from a fearful and ugly place to one of beauty and splendor. Accepted scholarly opinion claims that this change took place in the vernacular literature of the early and mid-18th century. Based on previously unknown and unstudied material, this volume now contends that it took place earlier in the Latin literature of the late Renaissance and Early Modern period. The aesthetic attitude shift towards the mountain had its catalysts in two broad spheres: the development of an idea of ‘landscape’ in the geographical and artistic traditions of the 16th century on the one hand, and the increasing amount of scientific and theological investigation dedicated to the mountain on the other, reaching a pinnacle in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The new Latin evidence for the change in aesthetic attitude towards the mountain unearthed in the course of this study brings material to light which is relevant for the current philosophical debate in environmental aesthetics. The book’s concluding chapter shows how understanding the processes that produced the late Renaissance and Early Modern shift in aesthetic attitude towards the mountain can reveal important information about the modern aesthetic appreciation of nature. Alongside a standard bibliography of primary literature, this volume also offers an extended annotated bibliography of further Latin texts on the mountains from the Renaissance and Early Modern period. This critical bibliography is the first of its kind and constitutes an essential tool for further study in the field.
Mountain Biodiversity: A Global Assessment
by Ch. Körner E. M. SpehnThis book is the result of the first global conference on mountain biodiversity, and is a contribution to the International Year of Mountains, 2002. The Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment program is a Special Target Area Region project of DIVERSITAS (UNESCO and UNEP). Biological diversity is essential for the integrity of mountain ecosystems and this dependency is likely to increase as environmental (climate) and social conditions change. Steep terrain and climate, and severe land-use pressure cause mountain ecosystems to rank among the world's most endangered landscapes. The 28 chapters in this book represent research on the biological riches in all major mountain ranges of the world, and synthesize existing knowledge on mountain biodiversity - from diversity of bacteria, plants and animals to human diversity. The book is divided into five sections: an introduction providing an overview of the issues; plant and animal diversity; climate change and mountain biodiversity; land use and conservation; and a synthesis.